Be part of the next phase of VR Research : 22nd and 24th July 2026
Dr. Adinda van ‘t Klooster is currently recruiting volunteers to take part in a short audio-recording study as part of the Emote VR Voicer research project in the School of Digital Arts.
This project aims to create a high-quality dataset of emotional speech and vocalisations, which will be used to develop and improve voice-driven emotional expression in virtual reality (VR) systems.
Why take part?
By contributing your voice, you will directly support research that explores how emotions can be expressed and recognised through speech in immersive environments. This dataset will be used to:
- Develop more natural and expressive virtual animations.
- Improve emotion recognition systems for interactive technologies
- Support future research and innovation in VR, AI, and human-computer interaction
- Enable applications in areas such as digital storytelling, gaming, and therapeutic tools
Your participation will help us build a valuable research resource that can be reused in academic publications, demonstrations, and future collaborative projects.
What does the session involve?
You will take part in a 45-minutes recording session at the SODA Building, where you will record data in three controlled segments: Segment A – Scripted Linguistic Sentence (Controlled Speech), Segment B – Musical/Prosodic Vocalisation (Guided Singing), Segment C – Free Emotional Vocalisation (Natural Expression)
You will be recording four emotions: happy, sad, calm, and angry.
No acting or singing experience is required – we are interested in natural and authentic expressions. You will receive a £10 voucher to compensate you for your time.
Location and Ethics
Location: SODA Building, room 3.13.
Address: 14 Higher Chatham Street Manchester M15 6ED United Kingdom
This study has received full ethical approval from MMU.
All recordings will be anonymised and securely stored.
Interested in taking part?
If you would like to volunteer, please book a session using the link below, we have slots available on the 22nd and 24th of July.
Please view participant information sheet for more information about the project. Also, use the booking link to select a suitable time slot, and if you experience any issues with the booking or the link, feel free to contact Mali Vasfinejad at malihehossadat.vasfinejad@stu.mmu.ac.uk
