Virtual Reality in Fashion: A Systematic Review and Research Agenda

Primary school students often find it difficult to differentiate two dimensional and three-dimensional geometric shapes. Taking advantage of the ability of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) to visualize 3D objects, we evaluate the potential of VR and AR technologies for teaching the lesson of geometric solids to primary school children. To the best of our knowledge there are no previous cases in the literature describing a comparative evaluation of VR and AR technologies in education, and more specifically in the field of mathematics for primary school children. An experimental evaluation was staged to test the following hypothesis: Hypothesis 1: VR and AR applications make the teaching of mathematics more interactive and interesting and they also contribute to a more efficient learning and understanding of mathematical concepts. Hypothesis 2: The use of VR applications is more effective when compared to AR applications for mathematics teaching activities. For the needs of the experimental evaluation, we designed a lesson plan comprised of three activities: Classification of shapes into solid or plane shapes, identification of solid shapes appearing in a typical city environment, and classification of solid shapes. The lesson plan was implemented based on the traditional method that utilizes printed material, three related VR and three AR applications. The developed VR and AR applications for the current research do not require specialized equipment. For the AR applications, the users only need to use their mobile device or tablet and for VR applications they only need to use a mobile phone and low-cost virtual reality glasses. As part of the study 30 fourth, fifth and sixth class primary school students were divided equally into the control group who used the traditional teaching method, and the AR and VR groups who used AR and VR applications respectively. Participants were provided with questionnaires before (pre-test) and after the test (post-test) to measure factors such as user attention, presence, enjoyment, science knowledge, auditory knowledge, and visual knowledge. According to the results, new technologies in education in the form of virtual and augmented reality improve interactivity and student interest in mathematics education, contributing to more efficient learning and understanding of mathematical concepts when compared to traditional teaching methods. No significant difference was observed between virtual and augmented reality technologies with regards to the efficiency of the methods that contribute to the learning of mathematics, suggesting that both virtual and augmented reality display similar potential for educational activities in Mathematics. Based on statistical evidence Hypothesis 1 was accepted and Hypothesis 2 was rejected. The current research is one of the first attempts ever to compare VR and AR technologies for Mathematics teaching activities in primary school. The findings of our research can provide valuable feedback to educators and developers who plan to use or develop VR or AR technologies for educational activities. Given that these days VR and AR applications, like the ones used in the experimental evaluation, do not require highly specialized equipment, the introduction of AR and VR based activities both for in-class and extra curriculum activities provide a promising way for more efficient Mathematics training activities.

Extended-Reality Technologies: An Overview of Emerging Applications in Medical Education and Clinical Care.

The rapid development of virtual and augmented reality technologies is currently taking place in almost all spheres of activity. Elements of virtual and augmented reality are used in such areas as education, medicine, transport, gaming, tourism and others. The active spread of these technologies causes the emergence of special competencies in the IT labor market and, as a result, the formation of new professions.Many Russian universities are training students in IT training areas. Specialization in the development of computer games and virtual reality applications has begun recently. The provision of practical classes is accompanied by specific tasks, which gives students the opportunity to improve the use of software and technical devices.The relevance of the research is determined by the current demand for the use of the latest technologies by IT developers in the field of creating computer games. Today, technologies that provide a player’s immersion in virtual reality are becoming more and more popular. One of these technologies is a suit with wearable sensors that track a person’s position in space in real time. However, there are quite a few real described projects in the literature and on the Internet. This study examines the process of developing a task for creating a game application using virtual reality technology: a suit with wearable sensors for teaching students.Materials and methods of research. Timely identification of the needs of the IT market in personnel training allows educational organizations to form new training programs of different levels of training. This approach makes it possible to target the educational and methodological materials being developed to use the latest achievements in the development of the field under study.Using a systematic approach, the study characterizes virtual reality suits and sensors for monitoring the position in the user’s space. Thus, the goal of the task was to ensure the immersiveness and convenience of interaction between the player and the game environment.Based on materials on software, position sensors in space, the approach of pedagogical design was applied and the procedure was formed for a practical task, reflecting the relevant competencies.Results. The study was conducted on the basis in the framework of laboratory and practical work of students, as well as at a real enterprise. Training in the new profile of the direction of training “Applied informatics” is fully equipped with all the latest technologies in this field. As a result of the work, the content of the practical task was developed.Real development of virtual and augmented reality applications is conducted jointly with students. Almost all projects used a suit with body sensors.Conclusion. Our study examines in detail the process of developing an application using a suit with wearable sensors for further training of students. Based on the results, work can be carried out on real projects for any field. Based on the research materials, it is planned to issue a textbook for students with the profile of developing computer games and virtual / augmented reality applications.

As virtual reality technology matures and popular, it is gradually applied in art design.Virtual reality is constructed by high-tech means of the artificial environment.How best to achieve the user in the virtual world of realistic experience, has become a new research hotspot.In view of the present virtual reality technology and virtual aesthetics can improve the effect of the simulation are faced with the problem, in this paper, the study of virtual reality in art and design.Put forward the integration of technology and art technique can improve the virtual reality visual properties and the degree of match user requirements, improve the effect of the simulation.

Virtual reality technology can provide more display techniques to realize the interactive design of multiexhibition area of red humanities and natural resources. First of all, through the three‐dimensional interactive display of cultural relics and scene reproduction of historical events, visitors can enjoy the unrestrained and immersive appreciation, make up for people’s lack of understanding of history, and let tourists personally feel the difficulties and hardships in the development of Chinese revolutionary history. Second, the digital method also provides for the pavilion and the scenic spot design personnel more creative method; dynamic scene reappearance interaction design based on virtual reality technology to promote education, protection of cultural relic collection and utilization, academic research, and the industrial development and multidimensional public welfare publicity results is blended in among them, through the panoramic, immersive, and interactive display technique, such as multilevel multiway spread red brigade culture. Virtual reality constantly imitates the real‐life environment, and the application of perception sensing equipment has perception. This new technology requires us to continue to explore and research it. Virtual reality technology is a very cutting‐edge subject and research field, which is very challenging. The communication form of culture has also been constantly evolving. Virtual reality technology (VR) has changed the way of traditional culture appreciation through the transmission of visual information, bringing people a new aesthetic enjoyment. Mainstream media is used to mobilize the red cultural heritage protection and scholars at home and abroad, to explore the application of virtual reality in the red culture tourist attraction planning, and to explore virtual reality applications in red open spot virtual roaming: exploration of virtual reality in the application of historical and cultural sites to red tourism management and exploration of virtual reality in the brand historical and cultural sites in the application of the travel marketing, to build an intelligent mobile communication network communication platform and broaden the new path of inheritance and protection. On the basis of studying the communication effect of traditional culture, this paper studies the possible communication effect of symphony orchestra under the new technology format under the framework of communication studies. It also analyzes and explores various factors such as the practical value, difficulty, civilized prestige, adaptability, and resistance to adversity of the culture in cultural communication and compares the methods of cultural communication. By developing a virtual instrument placed in the sphere of virtual reality space, the traditional symphony orchestra can be transformed into an interactive culture communication in virtual reality space. In this communication design, users can define their own instruments to play interactive culture communication, change the position of the instrument on the sphere interactively, and even change the sound effect of the symphony interactively by rotating or adjusting the size of the sphere, so as to achieve the best communication effect of the symphony.

Vertigo is the most common clinical manifestation in patients with peripheral vestibular dysfunction (PVD), and severe episodes may be accompanied by nystagmus, tinnitus, and hearing loss, which can seriously affect quality of life. Virtual reality (VR) technologies (immersive or non-immersive) play an important role in improving vertigo in patients with PVD, but the comparative effectiveness of VR technologies with different levels of immersion is unknown. To investigate the effectiveness of VR technology at different immersion levels in reducing vertigo symptoms in patients with PVD. PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CINAHL and 4 Chinese databases were systematically searched. Standardized mean difference (SMD) was calculated using RevMan 5.4 software, and risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration tool and Stata software. The review process was reported according to PRISMA. Twelve studies involving 600 participants met the inclusion criteria. The results indicated that both non-immersive and immersive VR significantly improved vertigo symptoms in patients with PVD; however, the immersive VR intervention demonstrated greater effectiveness (SMD = -2.08, 95% CI = -3.13 to -1.04, p < 0.001). Further subgroup analyses revealed that immersive VR intervention programs with a duration of ≤7 weeks (SMD = -2.73; 95% CI = -4.17 to -1.28, p < 0.001), a single intervention duration of <30 min/ times (SMD = -2.80, 95% CI = -4.89 to -0.70, p = 0.009), and a frequency of ≥5 times/week (SMD = -2.64; 95% CI = -4.91 to -0.38, p = 0.02) were more effective in alleviating vertigo symptoms. Immersive VR has been shown to be more effective in alleviating vertigo symptoms in patients with PVD. Specifically, an immersive VR program that includes an intervention period of ≤7 weeks, a single intervention duration of <30 min, and an intervention frequency of ≥5 times/week is recommended for optimal improvement of vertigo symptoms. Further high-quality, multicenter randomized controlled trials are recommended to confirm the findings of this study. Healthcare professionals should focus on the individual differences of elderly patients with PVD and provide personalized VR vestibular rehabilitation programs for optimal rehabilitation outcomes. https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/, identifier CRD42025638469.

In 1999, Fred Brooks, virtual reality pioneer and Professor of Computer Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, published a seminal paper describing the current state of virtual reality (VR) technologies and applications (Brooks in IEEE Comput Graph Appl 19(6):16, 1999). Through his extensive survey of industry, Brooks concluded that virtual reality had finally arrived and barely works. His report included a variety of industries which leveraged these technologies to support industry-level innovation. Virtual reality was being employed to empower decision making in design, evaluation, and training processes across multiple disciplines. Over the past two decades, both industrial and academic communities have contributed to a large knowledge base on numerous virtual reality topics. Technical advances have enabled designers and engineers to explore and interact with data in increasingly natural ways. Sixteen years have passed since Brooks original survey. Where are we now? The research presented here seeks to describe the current state of the art of virtual reality as it is used as a decision-making tool in product design, particularly in engineering-focused businesses. To this end, a survey of industry was conducted over several months spanning fall 2014 and spring 2015. Data on virtual reality applications across a variety of industries was gathered through a series of on-site visits. In total, on-site visits with 18 companies using virtual reality were conducted as well as remote conference calls with two others. The authors interviewed 62 people across numerous companies from varying disciplines and perspectives. Success stories and existing challenges were highlighted. While virtual reality hardware has made considerable strides, unique attention was given to applications and the associated decisions that they support. Results suggest that virtual reality has arrived: it works! It is mature, stable, and, most importantly, usable. VR is actively being used in a number of industries to support decision making and enable innovation. Insights from this survey can be leveraged to help guide future research directions in virtual reality technology and applications.

This paper includes a research review in five bibliographic databases on using the application of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) in physical and occupational therapy (POT). This literature review addresses five research questions and two sub‐research questions. A total of 36 relevant studies were selected in the review based on the defined keywords and inclusion‐exclusion criteria. The primary motivation for using the application of VR and AR in POT is that it is accurate, involves higher patient participation, and requires less therapy recovery time. The standard software tool used is the Unity 3D game engine, and the common device used is the Oculus Rift HMD. Various applications of VR and AR consist of different VR environments and AR contents used in POT. Post‐stroke rehabilitation, rehabilitation exercises, pain management, mental and behavioral disorders, and autism in children are the main aspects addressed through the VR and AR environments. Literature review indicates that questionnaires, interviews, and observation are the primary metrics for measuring therapy's effectiveness. The study's findings show positive results such as reduced treatment time, nervousness, pain, hospitalization period, making therapy enjoyable and encouraging, improved quality of life, and focus on using the application of VR and AR in POT. This review will be relevant to researchers, VR and AR application designers, doctors, and patients using the application of VR and AR in POT. Further research addressing multiple participants with clinical trials, adding new VR environments and AR content in VR and AR applications, including follow‐up sessions, and increasing training sessions while using the application of VR and AR in POT are recommended.

The present work aims to study the influence of virtual reality (VR) technology on the teaching and curriculum of preschool physical education in colleges and universities and establish a virtual teaching model suitable for the college teaching system. The classroom teaching situation of using VR technology in physical training of preschool education major direction in colleges and universities is investigated using the questionnaire survey and teaching experiment. Firstly, the feasibility of applying VR technology to teaching is proved by analyzing the relevant education theories. Secondly, the experimental research method is designed to verify the application effect of VR technology in teaching behavior. Finally, the collected data is sorted out to judge the method's feasibility. The experimental results demonstrate that 88.0% of the respondents are curious about the application of VR, and 88.6% of the respondents can accept the application of VR in sports dance teaching. Besides, 89.1% claimed that VR technology could enhance students' understanding of knowledge, and 93.0% thought that VR applications would not interfere with teachers' explanations. In addition, 80.0% thought that virtual teaching could stimulate students' interest in learning, 75.0% said that VR application could attract students' attention, and 63.0% believed that VR application could improve learning efficiency. The preliminary investigation suggests that introducing VR technology can reduce the work intensity of teachers, and the students participating in the survey are optimistic about the application of VR technology in preschool physical education. The formal test based on a t-test indicates that the average score of the experimental group is 3.18 points higher than that of the control group, and there are significant differences in technology between the control group and the experimental group. VR technology can improve students' technical level, enhance self-confidence, and improve students' grades. To sum up, this study provides a reference for developing virtual teaching mode and applying VR technology to physical education.

Virtual reality technologies have given rise to a new breed of space travel, enabling touring of cosmic environments without leaving the Earth. These tours democratize participation in space tourism and expand its itineraries – reproducing while also altering the practices of tourism itself. The chapter explores the ways in which they alter modes of establishing "authentic" tourism destinations and experiences, rendering outer space into a stage for the performance of space travel, while themselves facilitating novel avenues for its social organization and technological assertion. Virtual space tourism not only reflects the progression and metamorphoses in tourist practice and production but also has the potential to influence both the aspirations and prospects of our space futures. Keywords Virtual reality Experience Media technologies Touring Simulation Citation Damjanov, K. and Crouch, D. (2019), "Virtual Reality and Space Tourism", Space Tourism (Tourism Social Science Series, Vol. 25), Emerald Publishing Limited, Bingley, pp. 117-137. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1571-504320190000025007 Publisher: Emerald Publishing Limited Copyright © 2019 Emerald Publishing Limited Introduction During 2016, NASA's Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida offered the public exclusive tours of Mars. Rather than launching its visitors into orbit and space-shipping them to the neighboring planet, its exhibition space was transformed into a Martian landscape. However, there was no rusty red dust covering the ground, the hazy pink skies did not appear overhead, and there was no sudden drop in temperature or atmospheric pressure. Instead, the room became part of the virtual reality (VR) installation Destination: Mars (2016). Visitors were individually fitted with a headset which enabled them to "walk into" a realistic 3D simulation of the red planet. Wearing the Microsoft HoloLens, they were able to experience an augmented or mixed reality in which a virtual rendition of imagery collected by the sensory apparatus of the Curiosity rover was overlaid upon the layout of the exhibition space, allowing them to experience the sensation of moving through an alien environment. This was enabled by the adaptation of software called OnSight, originally co-developed by Microsoft and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory to support Curiosity's operations by aiding the rover's command in analyzing terrain and determining pathways. The sightseers followed Curiosity's tracks and were led through several Martian sites by a digital holographic projection of astronaut Buzz Aldrin and rover driver Erisa Hines from Jet Propulsion Laboratory; they toured the key scientific activities and discoveries that make it possible for the visitors to "be there." Through Destination: Mars terrestrial space tourists shared an "immersive" interaction with the landscape of another planet (see Chapter 2 for discussion of terrestrial space tourism). While unique, this experience of touring places in outer space from the Earth is becoming increasingly common; this VR attraction set on Mars signposts far wider developments in VR technologies, in the practice and production of tourism and in the nature of space travel. Destination: Mars is just one of the many virtual tours that feature outer space in their itineraries. There is an increasing host of VR packages that offer forms of tourism set beyond the globe. They span a range of destinations, proposing journeys across our solar system and beyond – from a 3D Virtual Tour of the International Space Station to StarTracker VR – Mobile Sky Map (2016), which enables its user to "dive into a 3D star field" (2016, n.p.). Generated from the imagery and data gathered through the enterprise of space exploration, these tours combine diverse virtual interfaces with equipment such as goggles and headsets, wands, data gloves, and head-mounted displays to provide immersive simulations of environments in which to move, see, and interact with virtual artefacts. A range of them can be accessed through desktop computers, laptops, tablets, smartphones, and gaming consoles at home or while on move. Others are presented at public forums for group experiences such as Destination: Mars, or Lockheed Martin's Mars Experience (2017), which transformed a school bus into a setting for a trip to Mars, its windows acting as the screens through which to experience a virtual journey on the red planet. Increasingly "out there" in their varied forms, these virtual tours not only register a popular interest in outer space, but also suggest the emergence of a distinct form of space tourism – one which harnesses the intermediation of technologies, the synthesizing possibilities of VR, and our collective aspiration toward outer space. The proliferation of these remote space tours emerges from ongoing developments in VR technologies. Since hesitant beginnings in the late twentieth century, VR technology has grown significantly in scale. Advances in hardware and software – in particular the rise of affordable domestic headsets such as Google Cardboard, Microsoft HoloLens, HTC Vive, Samsung Gear VR, and Oculus Rift – have brought VR to the masses, providing what they describe as "fully immersive" experiences "with realistic graphics, directional audio and HD haptic feedback" (HTC Vive, n.d., n.p.). Propelled by ever-present market forces, the consumption of virtual realities has become an everyday activity for many, with "reaches far beyond gaming and entertainment" (Scolaro, 2016, n.p.), and it is anticipated that consumer spending on VR will grow from "$108.8 million in 2014 to $21.8 billion worldwide by 2020" (Ewalt, 2015, n.p.). The virtual tour has thus far emerged as one of the most noteworthy and popular forms of VR application; tourism industries themselves increasingly incorporate them in order to market their products, to inspire consumers, and to enhance their experience of certain destinations. However, VR is used not only as a means of attracting visitors to museums, galleries, noteworthy places and panoramas, or particular hotels and resorts, but also as a form of tourism itself. Its purview is to give a preview of a destination, and also to enable an intrinsic kind of "armchair" travel. VR tours have increased not only the overall numbers of those who can be considered "tourists", but also the display of destinations exponentially – their synthetic worlds now even take the users to locations that they would otherwise be unable to visit, places which are expensive, dangerous, or impossible to reach. It is no surprise, then, that outer space is one of the key directions being taken by the evolving courses of virtual tourism. It is an inhuman environment, financially and logistically inaccessible to most, and thus far very few have toured it. Set in outer space, the VR tour promises the experience of traveling its expanses while never leaving the Earth. As a means of exploring the cosmos, it might thus also indicate the evolution of space travel, in general, and of space tourism in particular. The design of these armchair tours emerges from transactions between the hard-science and creative industries which gather around the exotica of outer space to provide novel, virtual modes of its exploration. VR technologies are prominently used for astronaut-training simulations and a range of space activities such as scientific research, planning, and aerospace engineering. For example, a HoloLens aboard the ISS is used to "provide virtual aid to astronauts" (NASA, 2015, n.p.), augmenting procedures with holographic images superimposed onto objects the astronaut is interacting with and allowing those on the Earth to "see from an astronaut's point-of-view and send them drawings and other visual instructions on how to complete tasks" (Franzen, 2016, n.p.). NASA has developed various VR applications designed to advance and bolster space endeavors, such as systems that assist "scientists in planning rover drives and even holding meetings on Mars" and make "studying Martian geology as intuitive as turning your head and walking around" (NASA, 2017a, 2017b, n.p.). These virtual advances in outer space are increasingly finding their way into public culture. Destination: Mars (2016), for instance, was not only adapted from the VR set-up used in Mars operations, but after its time as an attraction in Florida, it was further re-developed into a freely available application – Access Mars: A WebVR Experiment (2017), which now allows "anyone with an Internet connection [to] take a guided tour of what […] scientists experience" (NASA, 2017a, 2017b, n.p.). Part of an interest in outer space and its exploration more broadly – transposed from the fields of science to the marketplace – such products have, in other words, opened up the cosmos as a public tourist domain. Combining educational and entertainment content with the novelty of virtual environments, they contribute to the gradual domestication of outer space and the socialization of its exploration – moving space tourism from the province of the very few, into the realm of the masses. VR tours set in outer space are the outcome of ongoing innovations in informatics, media, and communication technologies that have been profoundly altering the domain of tourism. Facilitating the production, circulation, and consumption of tourist sights and experiences, these developments have not only complemented, but also increasingly constituted, the registers of travel. These technologic conditions have created a situation in which tourist experiences are no longer only contained within classic modes of travel but also exist as an experience of "simulated mobility through the incredible fluidity of multiple signs and electronic images" (Urry, 1995, p. 148). As part of this, VR augments tourism. The VR experience is equated with tourist experiences, contributing to a more general movement which conflates real and representational spaces, meaning places are not "fixed or given", but "emerge as 'tourist places'" when they are "assembled" or "produced through networked mobilities of capital, persons, objects, signs and information" – as "places to play" (Urry & Larsen, 2011, p. 119). At the same time, VR tours of space extend the arena of tourism beyond the confines of the globe, affording the experience of space travel for all. As part of the new socio-spatial interface that complicates distinctions between home and away, the presence and the absence, authentic and staged (Hannam, Butler, & Paris, 2014), they amplify the metamorphoses that technologic advances have conferred upon tourist modes and suggest the prospective forms they may take. The effects of VR space tourism are many and varied, and their repercussions are yet to be established. VR itself is still an emerging medium, and extraterrestrial tours still an undeveloped manner of travel. However, our primary aim in this chapter is to review the recent and current forms of virtual space tours in their nascent stages, to chart their proliferation and growing sophistication by providing examples of their different manifestations, emphases, and the range of locations they include in their itineraries. We consider how these synthetic spaces transpose the practice of touring into outer space, explore how virtual space travel might influence the constitution of our "touristic" disposition, and suggest some of the changes that VR space tours appear to introduce into the broad motivations undergirding our desire to "go beyond." Outlining the range of "immersive" experiences offered to VR space tourists, we suggest that this medium not only appears to widen the stage upon which we are able to perform the role of tourist – elongating its acquisitive gaze and complicating its prerequisites of physical presence – but also contributes to the greater mapping of outer space as a tourist site. We close with a brief consideration of the potential limitations and future possibilities of virtual tourism in outer space, reflecting upon the ways in which these tours technologically extend the tourist into the spectacle of space exploration as well as reveal a social and organizational capacity to influence the direction of space tourism and also our collective aspirations in outer space – to determine, in other words, the very conditions of how we approach, arrange, conquer, or acquire, new places to travel. Virtual Reality Experiences of Space Tourism Accelerations of interest and investment in progressing the itineraries of space tourism and the capacity and applications of VR technologies have rendered outer space into an infinitively travelable site. While the journeys of the very few tourists who have ventured beyond the globe have consisted mostly of visits to the ISS, the affordances of VR are permitting space travel into myriad other destinations, supplying tours of popular celestial bodies such as the Moon and Mars or more exotic locations such as the planet "40 light years away" featured in NASA VR: On the Surface of Planet TRAPPIST-1d (2017, n.p.). VR technologies have the potential to change not only the entertainment industries, information consumption, and the mobility of the masses, but also the way we interact with the world. If on the Earth, virtual travel enables "transcending geographical and often social distance through information and communications technology" (Szerszynski & Urry, 2006, p. 116), set in outer space, it "transcends" the terrestrial geographies of this world, redefining the ambits of tourism and our relationship with outer space. VR space tours compound the novelties of a virtual environment and space travel; this amalgam, in which both form and content appear new and different, gives birth to a tourist who is part of a "culture of flows" and the hybrid "spaces of 'in-betweenness'" (Rojek & Urry, 1997, p. 11). However, the question that continues to undergird "virtual tourism" (and the idea of simulated travel and movement more generally) concerns the authenticity of the experience itself; as a setting, outer space only further complicates this uncertain and undecided purview. What we know of the experience of space travel can only be garnered from the limited records of people who can claim first-hand experience, but what we do know of outer space is that it is essentially an inhuman environment, a place in which our presence is both restricted to temporary sojourns and necessarily sustained by technology, where all humans are in effect tourists. By crafting an interpretation of outer space based upon the wealth of techno-scientific data generated through its observation and exploration, VR tours strive to simulate a realistic sense of presence "out there", attempting to bring their audiences as closely as possible to the cosmos without having to leave the Earth. But there are limits to this, and there are as yet no "genuine" replications of inhuman space environments as VR experiences. While a VR gaming simulation like Adr1ft (2016) might realistically recreate the "nauseating" and enclosed sensation of floating in zero gravity in a spacesuit, it disregards most of the physics and atmospheric effects of outer space – which ultimately undercuts the illusion of real presence that it sets out to establish. Similarly, Destination: Mars (2016) makes it possible to "walk on Mars" in the steps of rovers without the need for oxygen or any thought given to the effects of radiation or a different surface gravity; the authenticity of the experience wavers at the realization that Mars is a place where we cannot be without technological artifice. Yet, it is perhaps also the realization of this utter reliance upon technologies that returns a certain authenticity to the prosthetic VR experience. While travel in outer space means surrounding yourself in a "bubble" of mediating technologies, touring in VR is an immersion in a technologically created digital environment. In this sense, VR technology could be a suitable substitute for real space travel; technological necessity makes the experience of one continuous with the other. That said, VR space tours are nonetheless consistently concerned with their own presentation or performance of a "real" experience. What the VR industry categorizes under the de facto term experiences are packaged and presented as interactive real-time simulations. For example, a variety of space apps offered through Oculus like Hello Mars (2017) and its rendition of the "7 minutes of terror" landing sequence "created strictly based on NASA's public data & research" (Oculus, 2018a), Solar System (2015) in which one "can almost feel the structure of distant planets and moons under the feet" (Oculus, 2018b, n.p.), or Discovering Space 2 (2017), which lets one "[e]xperience the mood and atmosphere of worlds far away from home" (Oculus, 2018c, n.p.) – are all (among many others) marketed as in some way "realistic" experiences. This authenticity is, however, produced through their design – the hardware and software that they rely upon becoming a necessary part of the equation, influencing questions of perception, imitation, and reality. These mimetic environments are increasing in sophistication, becoming more precise, more accurate, but also more able to trick the eyes and mind, and at the same time, they are becoming more accepted as legitimate sites of social practice and authentic interaction. If the "touristic consciousness is motivated by its desire for authentic experiences" (MacCannell, 2013, p. 101), then the consciousness of the VR tourist complicates our conceptions of what is authentic and reopens questions of what is "real" experience. It is an experience of travel that occurs only through the simulation of presence and interaction with a synthetic environment, and while tourists might these their experiences there will for be they perhaps for authentic experiences, and (MacCannell, 2013, p. While their authenticity might be (MacCannell, 2013, p. VR tours nonetheless a distinct form of what as the of p. with and physical – but also not the of the – the forms of authenticity that VR tourism are to both activity and than the or the of certain p. The authenticity in the VR experience of space itself – and the of a experience, our sense of presence is through As the experience of as authentic is not an that or from the experience of a out there" pp. the experience with particular ways of to and VR tourists in space do not as they were in a by the experience of being in the presence of authentic do they feel the of places or as than questions of and how the toured objects are the experience" of this of tourism or by the of tourist p. 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Applications of virtual and augmented reality in infectious disease epidemics with a focus on the COVID-19 outbreak

To explore the effectiveness of Virtual Reality Technology in reducing kinesiophobia in people. Kinesiophobia is an important psychosocial factor affecting the pain experience and has a significant negative impact on rehabilitation. Virtual reality technology has been widely used in the treatment of phobias, mental disorders and anxiety disorders. However, the effect of virtual reality technology on people with kinesiophobia has been reported with inconsistent results. A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. This study systematically searched PubMed, Web of Science, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Embase, Cochrane Library, Medline, Scopus and four Chinese databases. The standardised mean difference (SMD) was calculated using random-effects models, and the Cochrane Collaboration's tool was used to assess the risk of bias in each study. The PRISMA 2020 checklist provided by the EQUATOR network was used. Eleven randomised controlled trials involving a total of 488 subjects were included. Meta-analysis showed the effect sizes of virtual reality intervention on kinesiophobia (SMD=-0.53, 95% CI [-0.90, -0.17], p= .004). Virtual reality intervention was more effective in reducing kinesiophobia in people with chronic low back pain (SMD=-1.00, 95% CI [-1.71, -0.29], p= .006). Compared with fully immersive virtual reality (SMD=-0.29, 95% CI [-0.62, 0.05], p= 0.09), non-immersive virtual reality was more effective in reducing kinesiophobia (SMD=-0.66, 95% CI [-1.24, -0.09], p= 0.02). Compared with virtual reality intervention alone (SMD=-0.35, 95% CI [-1.40, 0.71], p= 0.52), virtual reality combined with exercise was more effective in reducing kinesiophobia (SMD=-0.59, 95% CI [-0.95, -0.22], p= 0.002). Virtual reality technology has the potential to reduce the degree of kinesiophobia in people. In addition, virtual reality technology was more effective in people with chronic low back pain; non-immersive virtual reality was more effective in reducing kinesiophobia; and virtual reality technology combined with exercise was more effective in reducing kinesiophobia than virtual reality intervention alone. Clinical nursing staff should be encouraged to use virtual reality to speed up patient recovery. However, to achieve immersion and apply this technology to different diseases, more studies are required to provide clearer suggestions. This study suggests that healthcare staff should pay attention to kinesiophobia, and early identification and intervention of kinesiophobia can help patients recover their health and improve the quality of nursing.

Purpose: This study investigates the transformative role of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies in e-commerce and digital marketing. It aims to understand how these immersive technologies enhance consumer experiences by addressing challenges such as product visualization, consumer trust, and engagement while fostering higher purchase intent and customer satisfaction. Design/Method/Approach: A systematic literature review synthesizes findings from empirical and theoretical studies published between 2011 and 2024. The methodologies analyzed include experimental designs, market analyses, and conceptual frameworks assessing the integration of AR and VR technologies in online retail. Findings: The findings indicate that AR enhances online shopping through features such as virtual try-ons and spatial placement visualization, reducing return rates and increasing purchase confidence. VR, on the other hand, provides immersive environments that simulate physical shopping experiences, strengthening consumer-brand connections. While AR demonstrates broader applicability in fostering interactive and personalized experiences, VR remains limited by accessibility and cost constraints. Both technologies exhibit immediate costs but offer long-term benefits, positively influencing conversion rates and customer loyalty. Theoretical Implications: This study contributes to consumer behavior research by applying value perception models, immersive technology frameworks, and engagement metrics to the e-commerce landscape. It refines existing theoretical perspectives on technological adoption by highlighting the interplay between sensory engagement, emotional connection, and consumer decision-making. Practical Implications: The research underscores the strategic importance of integrating AR and VR into digital marketing and e-commerce platforms. It suggests leveraging AR for product categories requiring spatial interaction and using VR for high-detail product exploration. The study provides actionable insights for businesses looking to enhance online shopping experiences through immersive technologies. Originality/Value: This study offers a comprehensive synthesis of AR and VR applications in e-commerce, highlighting their potential to reshape online shopping. By bridging the gap between physical and digital retail experiences, it provides a fresh perspective on how immersive technologies can drive engagement, accessibility, and personalized consumer interactions. Research Limitations/Future Research: While this study synthesizes existing literature, empirical validation through longitudinal studies and cross-industry applications is necessary. Future research should explore the long-term effects of AR and VR adoption on consumer trust, loyalty, and behavioral changes. Additionally, further exploration is encouraged into gamification, artificial intelligence (AI) integration, and demographic-specific implementations to drive sustainable engagement.

To assess the knowledge and awareness of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) technology in dentistry. A questionnaire survey-based study was conducted using Google forms on a sample of 273 dental healthcare professionals (DHCP) from October- November 2023, after obtaining ethical approval. A validated questionnaire, divided into three sections, was used to assess the knowledge and awareness of dental healthcare professionals on virtual and augmented reality. Section A was about demographic statistics, section B assessed knowledge and awareness regarding VR and AR and section C consisted of future acceptability of VR and AR among DHCP. The frequency of each question was reported in percentages. To assess the difference of knowledge and awareness of AR and VR among different specialties of DHCP, one-way ANOVA test was applied and in case of significant results pairwise comparison was performed by post-hoc Tukey test. There was a statistically significant difference of knowledge (1.40 ± 0.49) among different dental healthcare professionals. On pairwise comparison, a statistically significant difference (p = ˂0.05) of knowledge and awareness of AR and VR was found among dental specialist and other dental health professionals. A concerning lack of knowledge and awareness among dental healthcare professionals regarding AR and VR technology in dentistry was found. Interestingly, within the spectrum of specialties, dental specialists demonstrated a comparatively higher awareness than their counterparts in other specialties. Addressing barriers, notably a lack of knowledge, is crucial for successful technology adoption in dental education and practice.

Virtual reality (VR) technology has shown significant potential in improving the social skills of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study aimed to systematically review the evidence supporting the effectiveness of VR technology in improving the social skills of children and adolescents with ASD. The search for eligible studies encompassed 4 databases: PubMed, Web of Science, IEEE, and Scopus. Two (XY and JW) researchers independently assessed the extracted studies according to predefined criteria for inclusion and exclusion. These researchers also independently extracted information regarding gathered data on the sources, samples, measurement methods, primary results, and data related to the main results of the studies that met the inclusion criteria. The quality of the studies was further evaluated using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale. This review analyzed 14 studies on using VR technology interventions to improve social skills in children and adolescents with ASD. Our findings indicate that VR interventions have a positive effect on improving social skills in children and adolescents with ASD. Compared with individuals with low-functioning autism (LFA), those with high-functioning autism (HFA) benefited more from the intervention. The duration and frequency of the intervention may also influence its effectiveness. In addition, immersive VR is more suitable for training complex skills in individuals with HFA. At the same time, nonimmersive VR stands out in terms of lower cost and flexibility, making it more appropriate for basic skill interventions for people with LFA. Finally, while VR technology positively enhances social skills, some studies have reported potential adverse side effects. According to the quality assessment using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale, of the 14 studies, 6 (43%) were classified as high quality, 4 (29%) as moderate quality, and 4 (29%) as low quality. This systematic review found that VR technology interventions positively impact social skills in children and adolescents with ASD, with particularly significant effects on the enhancement of complex social skills in individuals with HFA. For children and adolescents with LFA, progress was mainly observed in basic skills. Immersive VR interventions are more suitable for the development of complex skills. At the same time, nonimmersive VR, due to its lower cost and greater flexibility, also holds potential for application in specific contexts. However, the use of VR technology may lead to side effects such as dizziness, eye fatigue, and sensory overload, particularly in immersive settings. These potential issues should be carefully addressed in intervention designs to ensure user comfort and safety. Future research should focus on optimizing individualized interventions and further exploring the long-term effects of VR interventions. International Platform of Registered Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Protocols INPLASY202420079U1; https://inplasy.com/inplasy-2024-2-0079/.