What is Xperium?

Xperium is a unique concept that showcases research being carried out in the laboratories of the University of Lille. It is one of the three activity centres of the LILLIAD Learning centre Innovation, located at the heart of the Cité scientifique campus.

Since 2014, Xperium has been a place that can be visited by classes or non-school groups. Doctoral students are on hand to help visitors understand research in a fun way.

Xperium season 5: "There's going to be some sport! What research is teaching us"

Sport is a veritable social phenomenon, offering a wide range of scientific fields for research and experimentation.

To coincide with the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Xperium wants to showcase the dynamism of the University of Lille's research teams in this field.

Research into sport is not just a matter of applied science. Sociological, psychological, historical, legal and economic issues are emerging at the same time as sport is developing in society. Sport is also recognised as a factor in inclusion, emancipation and health prevention. New approaches are thus contributing to the understanding, well-being and future of society.

Stand 3: "Discovering the pleasure of physical effort"

How can we avoid a sedentary lifestyle, which is becoming increasingly widespread among the population, and stimulate the desire for regular physical activity?

Research in sports psychology and neuroscience is analysing the contribution of sensory design (the creation of olfactory, musical or visual augmented environments) to increasing motivation to engage in sporting activity, and the link between tolerance and pleasure during exercise, both in terms of how the individual feels and how they are physically mobilised (heart rate, breathing, posture, etc.).

In addition to 'getting people moving', we're also looking at ways of optimising the pleasure they derive from exercise, so that people can become autonomous in their exercise, as well as at attractive, fun and interactive urban facilities.

My involvement in the Xperium involves helping visitors of all ages to discover how to use the sensory environment, and more particularly smells, to enjoy and motivate themselves to make physical effort.