Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Otsuka) and Jolly Good Inc. (Jolly Good) announce the launch of a new program, Emotion Recognition Training VR via the VR (virtual reality) training platform FACEDUO. FACEDUO is a VR-based platform offered by the two companies to support social skills training for individuals.

Supervised by specialists, Emotion Recognition Training VR is the first-in-the-world VR training program designed to foster the ability to build good interpersonal relationships, based on the theory of social cognition and interaction training (SCIT). This program is targeted at those who find life challenging due to the difficulty in reading others' emotions. The VR program helps users etablish the foundation for building good interpersonal relationships by inferring other people's emotions and learning how to respond accordingly.

In traditional training materials such as illustrations and 2D videos, it has been difficult for participants to practice empathizing with others' emotions. Also, many people were unable to participate in group training due to social anxiety, and there was a demand for new materials in more supportive settings, which led to the development of this program.

This program can be utilized by individuals with mental illnesses who struggle with interpersonal relationships, as well as those with developmental traits such as autism spectrum disorder and autistic tendencies. By incorporating gamification elements such as graphics and sound effects, the program is easy to understand and also fun.

Emotion Recognition Training VR is for those who want to build good interpersonal relationships. Otsuka and Jolly Good plan to introduce the program to medical and welfare facilities and then to schools and companies in the future.