Track – XR multisensory exercise for ISS astronaut

Three questions to the project team

What was the particular challenge of the project from a UX point of view?
Exercise on the International Space Station (ISS) is an essential task for maintaining physical health. However, confined environments and repetitive routines often reduce immersion and motivation, causing exercise to be perceived as an obligation rather than a meaningful experience. The main UX challenge of this project was to transform exercise from a mandatory task into a memorable experience. To address this, we designed a multisensory XR exercise experience that combines visual, auditory, and haptic feedback, allowing users to perceive movement even in a microgravity environment where actual spatial movement is limited. Through this approach, exercise was redefined as an immersive and engaging experience rather than a repetitive duty.

What was your personal highlight in the development process? Was there an aha!-moment, was there a low point?
The most memorable moment in the development process was realizing that the problem was not exercise itself, but the lack of a meaningful exercise experience. Initially, the project focused on improving exercise efficiency to support astronauts’ physical health. However, research revealed that repetitive routines and isolation often made exercise feel like an obligation rather than an activity. This insight shifted the project from improving performance to creating a memorable experience. Focusing on movement, immersion, and social connection, we proposed a multisensory XR exercise experience with haptic feedback. Realizing that design could shape emotions and memories, not just physical activity, became the project's biggest turning point.

Where do you see yourself and the project in the next five years?
In five years, I hope to grow as a designer who solves emerging challenges through user experience and product design. I also envision TRACK evolving beyond a concept project into an XR-based wellness platform that can support not only astronauts, but also people in isolated and specialized environments. By adapting to users’ physical conditions and emotional states, TRACK aims to deliver personalized exercise experiences and transform exercise from a routine health task into an experience of immersion, recovery, and wellbeing. As future space missions become longer and more common, I hope TRACK can support physical and psychological wellbeing while helping people maintain motivation and quality of life in challenging environments.