The Digital Humanities Laboratory (DH Lab) at Siberian Federal University is a hub for digital scholarship and cultural heritage innovation, operating within the university's Institute of Humanities. The DH lab provides a comprehensive suite of services – including high-resolution digitization, 3D modeling, AR/VR development, interactive presentations, and video production – to support research, education, and public engagement. The key features of DH practices at SFU are described in collective monographs “Tsifrovye gumanitarnye issledovaniya” (2023), “Bud’ v kurse tsifrovykh gumanitarnykh issledovanij” (2024), “Parad tsifrovykh gumanitarnykh proektov” (2025).

1. Introduction: Problem Statement and Relevance

A primary challenge for individuals with disabilities, particularly those with musculoskeletal disorders or limb loss, is prolonged physical rehabilitation coupled with social isolation and diminished self-confidence. In Russia, over 2 million children have disabilities, with many more facing limited physical activity due to infrastructural, physical, or social barriers. Adaptive physical culture is a proven method for accelerating recovery and reintegration; however, access remains limited.

Concurrently, the integration of VR into healthcare is a rapidly growing field. "VR Sledge Hockey: The Challenge" responds to this convergence by leveraging immersive technology to democratize access to adaptive sports training, specifically targeting the growing discipline of sledge hockey, which has seen participation in Russia nearly double from 499 to 953 children between 2021 and 2024.

2. Project Description and Objectives

The core objective is the development and implementation of a digital VR product for sledge hockey that enhances physical activity, creates equal opportunities, and facilitates deeper engagement with adaptive sports. The project transcends mere technical development, embedding key human-centric goals (VR simulator “Sledge hockey”):

Training Efficacy & Safety: the simulator allows for pre-training skill drills in a risk-free "soft immersion" environment, reducing injury risk during real-world practice. It enables continuous, individualized training cycles, including independent home sessions—a critical feature highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Socio-Psychological Adaptation: utilizing gamification and interactivity, the project aims to increase motivation and interest in sports among people with disabilities. By embodying a virtual avatar, users can undergo emotional adaptation, mitigate the fear of failure or public exposure, and combat the disproportionately high rates of depression within this demographic. The immersive experience helps deconstruct psychological barriers and false perceptions of inadequacy.

Economic & Logistical Optimization: the tool reduces financial burdens associated with frequent ice arena use and optimizes the utilization of existing sports infrastructure.

3. Technological Framework and Development Stage

The simulator is built using the Unity game engine for core programming and Blender for high-fidelity 3D modeling and environmental visualization. This technological stack ensures realistic physics, interactive object manipulation, and a deeply immersive user experience.

Picture 1. VR simulator “Sledge hockey”: detailed equipment and environment sculpting in Blender. URL: https://rutube.ru/video/9546bb8f862d336a35740fd5179aa382/

Currently, the project is in an advanced prototype stage. A functional mini-game, "Precise Shot," featuring three distinct game modes, has been fully developed. This prototype has undergone iterative testing with players and coaches of the Krasnoyarsk sledge hockey team "Krasnaya Molniya" ("Red Lightning") and with rehabilitation specialists at the "Kovcheg" ("Ark") in Kaliningrad. It was also successfully showcased at the VII International Festival of Adaptive Hockey in Sirius. A comparative analysis confirms the project's uniqueness; no existing VR simulator globally fully replicates the sledge hockey training process within a virtual environment. Existing solutions are limited to mobile applications or informational platforms.

4. Target Audience and Application

The project consciously addresses a diverse user base, reflecting a comprehensive inclusive strategy:

1. Children (7+) and adolescents with musculoskeletal disorders.

2. Adults with disabilities, including lower limb loss, seeking physical rehabilitation and adaptive sports.

3. Participants of state military operations with compatible injuries.

4. Families supporting their relatives' rehabilitation and sports engagement.

Picture 2. VR simulator “Sledge hockey”: real tests of virtual simulator

Picture 3. VR simulator “Sledge hockey”: usability testing of virtual simulator

The simulator is designed for application across multiple contexts: rehabilitation centers, professional sports sections, and domestic use, significantly expanding access.

5. Intellectual Contribution

The completed first phase resulted in the certified prototype. The forthcoming development phase focuses on expanding the project's scholarly and practical impact through:

• Developing additional mini-games and training scenarios to enhance cognitive and motor skills.
• Implementing a multiplayer (multiplayer) mode to facilitate online collaborative training and competitions, a significant step towards building virtual sports communities.
• Conducting user data analysis to refine interface design and functionality, embodying a human-centered design approach core to digital humanities.

6. Significance for Digital Humanities Scholarship

"VR Sledge Hockey: The Challenge" represents a quintessential digital humanities endeavor. It moves beyond digitization to create a transformative digital intervention. Its significance lies in Interdisciplinarity (it seamlessly integrates technical development (VR, 3D modeling) with profound humanities questions concerning inclusion, identity (via avatars), community building, and access to cultural practices (sports), social impact as scholarship (the project operationalizes DH principles by using digital tools to address a pressing social inequity, making academic work directly relevant to community needs), research platform (the simulator generates valuable data on user interaction, learning curves, and psychological adaptation within immersive environments, offering rich material for research in game studies, rehabilitation psychology, and sports science), cultural preservation and promotion (by digitally modeling and promoting a niche adaptive sport, the project contributes to preserving and propagating this important aspect of sporting culture for people with disabilities).

In conclusion, “VR Sledge Hockey: The Challenge” is not merely a training tool but a pioneering DH-project that uses immersive technology as a medium for social inclusion, psychological support, and the expansion of human capability, establishing a new paradigm for accessible adaptive sports training.