AHCI RESEARCH GROUP
Publications
Papers published in international journals,
proceedings of conferences, workshops and books.
OUR RESEARCH
Scientific Publications
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Here you can find the complete list of our publications.
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You can use the tag cloud to select only the papers dealing with specific research topics.
You can expand the Abstract, Links and BibTex record for each paper.
2025
Yu, A.; Lee, G.; Liu, Y.; Zhang, M.; Jung, S.; Park, J.; Rhee, J.; Cho, K.
Development and Evaluation of an Immersive Metaverse-Based Meditation System for Psychological Well-Being Using LLM-Driven Scenario Generation Journal Article
In: Systems, vol. 13, no. 9, 2025, ISSN: 20798954 (ISSN), (Publisher: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)).
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: AI in healthcare, Artificial intelligence, Digital mindfulness intervention, feedback, Health care, Health technology, Immersive, Language Model, Mental health, Mental health technology, Metaverse, Metaverses, Mindfulness meditation, Scenarios generation, user experience, Virtual Reality
@article{yu_development_2025,
title = {Development and Evaluation of an Immersive Metaverse-Based Meditation System for Psychological Well-Being Using LLM-Driven Scenario Generation},
author = {A. Yu and G. Lee and Y. Liu and M. Zhang and S. Jung and J. Park and J. Rhee and K. Cho},
url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-105017237114&doi=10.3390%2Fsystems13090798&partnerID=40&md5=553f0ecfd99de729fe0ff9c777c07dda},
doi = {10.3390/systems13090798},
issn = {20798954 (ISSN)},
year = {2025},
date = {2025-01-01},
journal = {Systems},
volume = {13},
number = {9},
abstract = {The increasing prevalence of mental health disorders highlights the need for innovative and accessible interventions. Although existing digital meditation applications offer valuable basic guidance, they often lack interactivity, real-time personalized feedback, and dynamic simulation of real-life scenarios necessary for comprehensive experiential training applicable to daily stressors. To address these limitations, this study developed a novel immersive meditation system specifically designed for deployment within a metaverse environment. The system provides mindfulness practice through two distinct modules within the virtual world. The experience-based module delivers AI-driven social interactions within simulated everyday scenarios, with narrative content dynamically generated by large language models (LLMs), followed by guided inner reflection, thereby forming a scenario–experience–reflection cycle. The breathing-focused module provides real-time feedback through a breath-synchronization interface to enhance respiratory awareness. The feasibility and preliminary effects of this metaverse-based system were explored in a two-week, single-group, pre-test/post-test study involving 31 participants. The participants completed a battery of validated psychological questionnaires assessing psychological distress, mindfulness, acceptance, self-compassion, and self-esteem before and after engaging in the intervention. This study provides exploratory evidence supporting the feasibility and potential of immersive metaverse environments and LLM-based scenario generation for structured mental health interventions, providing initial insights into their psychological impact and user experience. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.},
note = {Publisher: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)},
keywords = {AI in healthcare, Artificial intelligence, Digital mindfulness intervention, feedback, Health care, Health technology, Immersive, Language Model, Mental health, Mental health technology, Metaverse, Metaverses, Mindfulness meditation, Scenarios generation, user experience, Virtual Reality},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
The increasing prevalence of mental health disorders highlights the need for innovative and accessible interventions. Although existing digital meditation applications offer valuable basic guidance, they often lack interactivity, real-time personalized feedback, and dynamic simulation of real-life scenarios necessary for comprehensive experiential training applicable to daily stressors. To address these limitations, this study developed a novel immersive meditation system specifically designed for deployment within a metaverse environment. The system provides mindfulness practice through two distinct modules within the virtual world. The experience-based module delivers AI-driven social interactions within simulated everyday scenarios, with narrative content dynamically generated by large language models (LLMs), followed by guided inner reflection, thereby forming a scenario–experience–reflection cycle. The breathing-focused module provides real-time feedback through a breath-synchronization interface to enhance respiratory awareness. The feasibility and preliminary effects of this metaverse-based system were explored in a two-week, single-group, pre-test/post-test study involving 31 participants. The participants completed a battery of validated psychological questionnaires assessing psychological distress, mindfulness, acceptance, self-compassion, and self-esteem before and after engaging in the intervention. This study provides exploratory evidence supporting the feasibility and potential of immersive metaverse environments and LLM-based scenario generation for structured mental health interventions, providing initial insights into their psychological impact and user experience. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
2024
Saddik, A. E.; Ghaboura, S.
The Integration of ChatGPT With the Metaverse for Medical Consultations Journal Article
In: IEEE Consumer Electronics Magazine, vol. 13, no. 3, pp. 6–15, 2024, ISSN: 21622248 (ISSN).
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Chatbots, Computational Linguistics, Cutting edges, Diagnosis, Health care, Healthcare delivery, Healthcare environments, Human like, Immersive, Language Model, Medical diagnostic imaging, Medical Imaging, Medical services, Metaverses
@article{saddik_integration_2024,
title = {The Integration of ChatGPT With the Metaverse for Medical Consultations},
author = {A. E. Saddik and S. Ghaboura},
url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85174844304&doi=10.1109%2fMCE.2023.3324978&partnerID=40&md5=ce0da4988d06258a1bc695e2d4ac4677},
doi = {10.1109/MCE.2023.3324978},
issn = {21622248 (ISSN)},
year = {2024},
date = {2024-01-01},
journal = {IEEE Consumer Electronics Magazine},
volume = {13},
number = {3},
pages = {6–15},
abstract = {Recent years witnessed a promising synergy between healthcare and the Metaverse leading to the development of virtual healthcare environments. This convergence offers accessible and immersive healthcare experiences and holds the potential for transforming the delivery of medical services and enhancing patient outcomes. However, the reliance on specialist presence in the metaverse for medical support remains a challenge. On the other hand, the newly launched large language model chatbot, the ChatGPT of OpenAI, has emerged as a game-changer, providing human-like responses and facilitating interactive conversations. By integrating this cutting-edge language model with the Metaverse for medical purposes, we can potentially revolutionize healthcare delivery, enhance access to care, and increase patient engagement. This study proposes a new medical Metaverse model utilizing GPT-4 as a content creator, highlighting its potential, addressing challenges and limitations, and exploring various application fields. We conclude by outlining our ongoing efforts to transform this concept into a practical reality. © 2012 IEEE.},
keywords = {Chatbots, Computational Linguistics, Cutting edges, Diagnosis, Health care, Healthcare delivery, Healthcare environments, Human like, Immersive, Language Model, Medical diagnostic imaging, Medical Imaging, Medical services, Metaverses},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Recent years witnessed a promising synergy between healthcare and the Metaverse leading to the development of virtual healthcare environments. This convergence offers accessible and immersive healthcare experiences and holds the potential for transforming the delivery of medical services and enhancing patient outcomes. However, the reliance on specialist presence in the metaverse for medical support remains a challenge. On the other hand, the newly launched large language model chatbot, the ChatGPT of OpenAI, has emerged as a game-changer, providing human-like responses and facilitating interactive conversations. By integrating this cutting-edge language model with the Metaverse for medical purposes, we can potentially revolutionize healthcare delivery, enhance access to care, and increase patient engagement. This study proposes a new medical Metaverse model utilizing GPT-4 as a content creator, highlighting its potential, addressing challenges and limitations, and exploring various application fields. We conclude by outlining our ongoing efforts to transform this concept into a practical reality. © 2012 IEEE.
Saddik, A. El; Ghaboura, S.
The Integration of ChatGPT With the Metaverse for Medical Consultations Journal Article
In: IEEE Consumer Electronics Magazine, vol. 13, no. 3, pp. 6–15, 2024, ISSN: 21622248 (ISSN); 21622256 (ISSN), (Publisher: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.).
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Chatbots, Computational Linguistics, Cutting edges, Diagnosis, Health care, Healthcare delivery, Healthcare environments, Human like, Immersive, Language Model, Medical diagnostic imaging, Medical Imaging, Medical services, Metaverses
@article{el_saddik_integration_2024,
title = {The Integration of ChatGPT With the Metaverse for Medical Consultations},
author = {A. El Saddik and S. Ghaboura},
url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85174844304&doi=10.1109%2FMCE.2023.3324978&partnerID=40&md5=fa34a9ffafd76f3f1e31bf26c556947f},
doi = {10.1109/MCE.2023.3324978},
issn = {21622248 (ISSN); 21622256 (ISSN)},
year = {2024},
date = {2024-01-01},
journal = {IEEE Consumer Electronics Magazine},
volume = {13},
number = {3},
pages = {6–15},
abstract = {Recent years witnessed a promising synergy between healthcare and the Metaverse leading to the development of virtual healthcare environments. This convergence offers accessible and immersive healthcare experiences and holds the potential for transforming the delivery of medical services and enhancing patient outcomes. However, the reliance on specialist presence in the metaverse for medical support remains a challenge. On the other hand, the newly launched large language model chatbot, the ChatGPT of OpenAI, has emerged as a game-changer, providing human-like responses and facilitating interactive conversations. By integrating this cutting-edge language model with the Metaverse for medical purposes, we can potentially revolutionize healthcare delivery, enhance access to care, and increase patient engagement. This study proposes a new medical Metaverse model utilizing GPT-4 as a content creator, highlighting its potential, addressing challenges and limitations, and exploring various application fields. We conclude by outlining our ongoing efforts to transform this concept into a practical reality. © 2024 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.},
note = {Publisher: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.},
keywords = {Chatbots, Computational Linguistics, Cutting edges, Diagnosis, Health care, Healthcare delivery, Healthcare environments, Human like, Immersive, Language Model, Medical diagnostic imaging, Medical Imaging, Medical services, Metaverses},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Recent years witnessed a promising synergy between healthcare and the Metaverse leading to the development of virtual healthcare environments. This convergence offers accessible and immersive healthcare experiences and holds the potential for transforming the delivery of medical services and enhancing patient outcomes. However, the reliance on specialist presence in the metaverse for medical support remains a challenge. On the other hand, the newly launched large language model chatbot, the ChatGPT of OpenAI, has emerged as a game-changer, providing human-like responses and facilitating interactive conversations. By integrating this cutting-edge language model with the Metaverse for medical purposes, we can potentially revolutionize healthcare delivery, enhance access to care, and increase patient engagement. This study proposes a new medical Metaverse model utilizing GPT-4 as a content creator, highlighting its potential, addressing challenges and limitations, and exploring various application fields. We conclude by outlining our ongoing efforts to transform this concept into a practical reality. © 2024 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
2023
Palombi, Tommaso; Galli, Federica; Giancamilli, Francesco; D’Amico, Monica; Alivernini, Fabio; Gallo, Luigi; Neroni, Pietro; Predazzi, Marco; Pietro, Giuseppe De; Lucidi, Fabio; Giordano, Antonio; Chirico, Andrea
The role of sense of presence in expressing cognitive abilities in a virtual reality task: an initial validation study Journal Article
In: Scientific Reports, vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 13396, 2023, ISSN: 2045-2322, (Number: 1 Publisher: Nature Publishing Group).
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Health care, Psychology, Virtual Reality
@article{palombi_role_2023,
title = {The role of sense of presence in expressing cognitive abilities in a virtual reality task: an initial validation study},
author = {Tommaso Palombi and Federica Galli and Francesco Giancamilli and Monica D’Amico and Fabio Alivernini and Luigi Gallo and Pietro Neroni and Marco Predazzi and Giuseppe De Pietro and Fabio Lucidi and Antonio Giordano and Andrea Chirico},
url = {https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-40510-0},
doi = {10.1038/s41598-023-40510-0},
issn = {2045-2322},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-08-01},
urldate = {2023-08-24},
journal = {Scientific Reports},
volume = {13},
number = {1},
pages = {13396},
abstract = {There is a raised interest in literature to use Virtual Reality (VR) technology as an assessment tool for cognitive domains. One of the essential advantages of transforming tests in an immersive virtual environment is the possibility of automatically calculating the test’s score, a time-consuming process under natural conditions. Although the characteristics of VR can deliver different degrees of immersion in a virtual environment, the sense of presence could jeopardize the evolution of these practices. The sense of presence results from a complex interaction between human, contextual factors, and the VR environment. The present study has two aims: firstly, it contributes to the validation of a virtual version of the naturalistic action test (i.e., virtual reality action test); second, it aims to evaluate the role of sense of presence as a critical booster of the expression of cognitive abilities during virtual reality tasks. The study relies on healthy adults tested in virtual and real conditions in a cross-over research design. The study’s results support the validity of the virtual reality action test. Furthermore, two structural equation models are tested to comprehend the role of sense of presence as a moderator in the relationship between cognitive abilities and virtual task performance.},
note = {Number: 1
Publisher: Nature Publishing Group},
keywords = {Health care, Psychology, Virtual Reality},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
There is a raised interest in literature to use Virtual Reality (VR) technology as an assessment tool for cognitive domains. One of the essential advantages of transforming tests in an immersive virtual environment is the possibility of automatically calculating the test’s score, a time-consuming process under natural conditions. Although the characteristics of VR can deliver different degrees of immersion in a virtual environment, the sense of presence could jeopardize the evolution of these practices. The sense of presence results from a complex interaction between human, contextual factors, and the VR environment. The present study has two aims: firstly, it contributes to the validation of a virtual version of the naturalistic action test (i.e., virtual reality action test); second, it aims to evaluate the role of sense of presence as a critical booster of the expression of cognitive abilities during virtual reality tasks. The study relies on healthy adults tested in virtual and real conditions in a cross-over research design. The study’s results support the validity of the virtual reality action test. Furthermore, two structural equation models are tested to comprehend the role of sense of presence as a moderator in the relationship between cognitive abilities and virtual task performance.