In recent years, engagement in water sports is continuously increasing, especially in countries like Greece, where a large part of the territory is covered by water. Unfortunately, in our country, 350 fatal accidents in our seas are recorded every year. Therefore, raising awareness and sensitizing society, especially children and teenagers, is crucial to avoid dangerous situations during their participation in water-related activities while they are at the beach.

An appealing way to learn and absorb new knowledge and rules during adolescence is through the use of Virtual Reality (VR) technology, as it appears to contribute to improved attention and cognitive development in children in a fun way. VR is a particularly widespread technique as it can be applied to simulate situations and scenarios that are difficult or dangerous to explore in the real world.

Virtual reality games can provide a more engaging and interactive educational experience compared to traditional classroom methods, making it easier for children to understand and memorize the information they acquire. As a result, virtual reality games can play a critical role in promoting safety awareness and preparing children for real-life situations in the water.

For this reason, Safe Water Sports, as part of the Research-Create-Innovate initiative managed by EYDE-ETAK, participated in the project "Development of innovative interactive games for smart mobile devices, as well as interactive innovative ICT applications that utilize creative content, with the aim of educating and informing children and adults on health and safety issues related to the sea and water sports (VirtualLifeGuard)" in the context of the Operational Program Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, under the call RESEARCH – CREATE - INNOVATE, and created the first virtual reality game for learning safety rules during water sports.

«Co‐financed by the European Regional Development Fund of the European Union and Greek national funds through the Operational Program Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, under the call RESEARCH – CREATE - INNOVATE (project code:Τ2ΕΔΚ-00799)»

«With the co-funding of Greece and the European Union».

With the co-funding of Greece and the European Union