Actimage, an innovative technology solutions provider and a European pioneer in mixed reality. It was among the first to develop applications for HoloLens.

Over the past two years, Actimage has worked to craft innovative mixed reality projects to help leading companies across a variety of industries. Most recently, Actimage began working on an e-health R&D project titled ‘Hol'Autisme’.

Hol’Autisme focuses on developing applications for people with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) using HoloLens technology. Pop balloons, Hol’Autisme’s first app, focuses on motor skills and helped Actimage earn a Mixed Reality Partner Program (MRPP) certification. Following this first success, Actimage developed a second application for: “Sm!le”! This facial recognition app helps users decipher facial cues in order to better recognize emotions and communicate.

Hol’Autisme

Hol’Autisme uses HoloLens to translate solutions dedicated to autism from a limited 2D interface into impactful 3D holograms. The mixed reality solution incorporates a catalog of training applications focused on learning social skills and monitoring the behavior of its users to deliver immersive e-health experiences.

Using a unique and innovative technological approach and incorporating a broad suite of complimentary applications, Hol’Autisme could be a technological breakthrough for the e-health community.

A new tool to collect and analyze data

One of the main goals of the project is to refine the placement of an individual onto the autism spectrum.

Hol’Autisme monitors the behavior of its users during playing sessions. The user’s reaction time and mobility data are collected by HoloLens along with other auxiliary data (stress, heartbeat, etc.) that’s collected by additional connected devices. The recorded data is then displayed in the platform.

At first, the metrics are used by a specialist to monitor the progress of their patients. The data is then made anonymous, set and shared by using Blockchain technology.

Afterward, the data is analyzed by a dedicated AI in order to establish trends and predict the development of ASD, enabling medical professionals to anticipate and act accordingly.

If the results are conclusive, the scientific understanding of ASD can be improved—ultimately bettering the everyday lives of users and their families.

Pop balloons

Pop balloons is the first application developed for Hol’Autisme. Two of the main and most recognizable characteristics of autism are the feeling of isolation from the outside world and a lack of relational sense. Pop balloons goal is to help its users work on their motricity in order to feel more at ease in their environment.

After a customizable play area is created, the player has to find and pop balloons with their finger. The quicker and more reactive they get, the higher their score.

As the user goes through the levels, the game gets harder and the players have to adapt to the ways the balloons move.

By looking for balloons to pop, the user explores their surrounding area and moves within it. By delivering this experience via mixed reality, this allows them to improve their motricity in a fully safe, familiar, and comfortable space.

“In only two months, Actimage built on the idea of our 2D solution and created the first version of Pop balloons. Using their MR framework, we got a great concept.” — Guillaume Dumas, Social Neuroscience Researcher, Institute Pasteur.

Sm!le

For a young person with autism, recognizing and deciphering facial cues is a challenge. This can lead to difficulties when trying to understand the emotions of others and can constitute a serious social hurdle.

Sm!le, the second application created for Hol’Autisme, takes advantage of the Cognitive Services available on Microsoft Azure in order to identify and display a person’s emotions in real time.

Using Sm!le, a person with autism can easily assess the emotions of the people in their surroundings and learn the corresponding facial cues. Afterward, they can test what they have learned with a quiz.

The ultimate goal is for them to grow more comfortable with non-verbal communication and become fully autonomous.

“When putting our patients in real situations, we face many hurdles. Hol’Autisme would allow us to prepare them within a safe environment.” — Stéphanie Barbier, Specialized educator, St-Jacques de Dieuze Hospital.

The power of partnership

The Hol’Autisme project is the result of a partnership between an IT company, research organizations, and several medical-educational institutes (MEIs). As such, it was shaped by a number of partnerships, including those with Saint-Jacques de Dieuze and CHRU de Nancy.

The Hospital Saint-Jacques de Dieuze played a central role in the development of Hol’Autisme. It was the first to join the project, helping Actimage to reach out to new partners and experts, and allowing Actimage to visit Saint-Jacques de Dieuze’s specialized MEI for ASD.

Saint-Jacques de Dieuze was key in developing Hol’Autisme’s monitoring platform and selecting which metrics to track. The platform was designed for Saint-Jacques de Dieuze’s comfort to make their work easier.

Additionally, Saint-Jacques de Dieuze plays a central role in the broader partnership and helps to coordinate activities across the different members of the partnership.

As the Actimage contact list grew, it began collaborating with CHRU de Nancy, a public health institution. Once formalized, the collaboration between Actimage and CHRU began focusing on how to implement AI in healthcare to improve people’s lives—particularly those with autistic disorders.

CHRU de Nancy has become a major promoter of the project, giving Actimage access to research, insurance, and other essential information to continue pushing Hol’Autisme forward. Additionally, Actimage‘s strong and proactive joint action with CHRU de Nancy is at the core of the project’s natural next step: scientific research.

This successful partnership has already begun improving the lives of people with Autism—and more is on the horizon.