Development Of Virtual Environment Research Articles

Investigating User Experience of VR Art Exhibitions: The Impact of Immersion, Satisfaction, and Expectation Confirmation

As an innovative form in the digital age, VR art exhibitions have attracted increasing attention. This study aims to explore the key factors that influence visitors’ continuance intention to VR art exhibitions using the expectation confirmation model and experience economy theory and to explore ways to enhance visitor immersion in virtual environments. We conducted a quantitative study of 235 art professionals and enthusiasts, conducted using the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), to examine the complex relationship between confirmation (CON), Perceived Usefulness (PU), Aesthetic Experiences (AE), Escapist Experiences (EE), Satisfaction (SAT), and Continuance Intention (CI). The results show that confirmation plays a key role in shaping PU, AE, and EE, which in turn positively affect visitors’ SAT. Among these factors, AE positively impacts PU, but EE have no impact. A comprehensive theoretical model was then constructed based on the findings. This research provides empirical support for designing and improving VR art exhibitions. It also sheds light on the application of expectation confirmation theory and experience economy theory in the art field to improve user experience and provides theoretical guidance for the sustainable development of virtual digital art environment.

Development and testing of immersive virtual reality environment for safe unmanned aerial vehicle usage in construction scenarios

Robotics and autonomous systems are increasingly being used on construction sites to complete tasks and complement human effort. One such autonomous system is unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), although their wrong use could be potentially hazardous to humans and the environment. Given its relative novelty in construction, there remains a dearth of knowledge about safety risks associated with their use as well as knowledge on skills and protocols for their safe operation. With construction being one of the most dangerous and accident-prone sectors, there is even more impetus to develop UAV safety competence. In this study, we explore the application of immersive virtual reality (VR) use for purposes of safety training pertaining to the use of UAVs in construction scenarios. Whereas, previous studies, focussed on effectiveness of VR as a tool for training individuals on UAV operations and safety risks in general, this study evaluates its effectiveness across distinctive themes of safety in order to compare its effectiveness in different domains of UAV safety. The study adopts design science for development of bespoke UAV safety training tool in VR using Building Information Modelling (BIM) and game engine-driven virtual prototyping. The immersive training tool was then applied in an experiment of participants (n = 100) with (n = 50) constituting a control group using more traditional training methods and a series of pre/post-test assessments. The findings confirmed the relative superiority of VR training over traditional methods, improving performance and retention by up to 22 % on average. The immersive VR was found to be most effective on participants retention of knowledge in general flight preparation, air traffic documentation, visibility management and warning signals. Further usability tests were performed on all participants (n = 100) revealing general presence and positive attitudes towards VR based UAV safety training when compared to traditional training. From a practice perspective this research proofs the effectiveness of a VR approach as more cost effective and safe approach to UAV training for both academia and practice with added advantage of being more realistic simulation of the UAV risk scenarios.

Virtual Access to STEM Careers: In the Field Experiments.

The Virtual Access to STEM Careers (VASC) project is an intertwined classroom and virtual reality (VR) curricular program for third through fourth graders. Elementary school students learn about and take on the roles and responsibilities of STEM occupations through authentic, problem-based tasks with physical kits and immersive VR environments. This article reports on a round of curriculum and virtual environment development and in-classroom experimentation that was guided by preliminary results gathered from our initial VASC prototyping and testing. This specific iteration focuses on curriculum for learning about sea turtles and tasks regularly completed by park rangers and marine biologists who work with these creatures and a new backend data collection component to analyze participant behavior. Our results showed that educators were able to setup and integrate VASC into their classrooms with relative ease. Elementary school students were able to learn how to interface with our system quickly and enjoyed being in the environment, making a positive link to STEM education.

Specialists Training for the Radiation Type of Non-Destructive Testing Based on Digital Technologies

The purpose of research is the development of application software, including VR-technologies, to increase the number of trained specialists in radiation type of nondestructive testing by reducing the per capita load on radiographic laboratories while maintaining the amount of practical training, acquired competencies and formed relevant professional skills.Methods. Prerequisites for virtualization of the process of training specialists in nondestructive testing of structural materials and fabricated products are defined. The main factors of demand for industrial radiography simulator in relation to the practical part of the educational cycle on radiation type of nondestructive testing are considered. As a result of the analysis the most significant aspects of practical training, available for their virtual realization, are singled out. The results of software implementation of mathematical models of physical and physicochemical processes of ionizing radiation, attenuation and absorption of penetrating radiation within the scope of digital twin of radiographic image generation as a result of simulation of the technological process of radiation type of nondestructive testing are presented.Results. Performed practical implementation of didactic materials in the form of hardware and software VR-simulator as part of digital educational environment to solve the problems of training, retraining, preparation for certification of personnel and providing admission of specialists to work on radiation type of nondestructive testing at facilities. Physical and technological aspects are analyzed, modeling, algorithmization and software implementation of VR-simulator are performed. A comprehensive approach to the creation of a learning environment with the use of digital technologies is presented. Considered are the main components, their goals and objectives. The structure of a practical lesson and illustrations of the training process in a virtual environment are given. The results of approbation of training programs with integration of classes in VR-simulator of industrial radiography have shown that the total time of practice of trainees increases by 40-55% with simultaneous reduction of per capita radiographic laboratory load by more than 25%. The main directions of development and scaling of software and hardware solution using VR-technologies are given.Conclusion. The developed and tested hardware-software solution together with the results of scientific research suggests the possibility of application and development directions of the digital educational system with VR-environment. The proposed approach application will allow to reduce environmental and biomedical risks by reducing the requirements to safety of training with the use of software and hardware solution. Automation of testing task generation and knowledge control procedures on the basis of software tools and mathematical models application, including methods of artificial intelligence, will allow to achieve training term reduction and will contribute to further increase in the number of trained specialists in various types and methods of nondestructive testing. With the functional capabilities expansion and evolutionary development of hardware-software solution (industrial radiography simulator) on the basis of unified modular approach, software libraries and hardware-software interfaces, virtual simulator simplifies organization of the process of specialists training and knowledge control. Practical value of the digital virtual environment (VR-environment) development is revealed due to the transfer and scaling of the obtained hardware-software solution to other types and methods of nondestructive testing according to GOST R 56542-2019 " Non-destructive testing. Classification of types and method".

Impact analysis of real and virtual concept drifts on the predictive performance of classifiers

In the domain of machine learning and predictive analytics, classifiers hold significant importance as they are instrumental in extracting valuable patterns and enabling precise predictions from data. However, data distributions in streams are rarely stable in real-world circumstances and may evolve over time. Concept drifts, or dynamic changes in the data, have a major impact on how well classifiers predict outcomes. Furthermore, virtual concept drifts have become equally essential when dealing with the development of virtual environments and synthetic data production tools. This study employs a range of conventional classifiers, and ensemble models to examine the effects of real and virtual concept drifts on the predictive performance of classifiers. In order to ensure the conclusions are applicable to a wide range of domains, the study will be undertaken on a variety of datasets. The generation of incremental data streams from historical records with drifting patterns will replicate real concept drifts. Synthetic data will be incorporated into the training and testing sets to introduce virtual concept drifts. The classifier models are then assessed using the benchmark metrics for performance on these datasets. Comparative evaluations are conducted to evaluate the classifiers’ robustness and adaptability in the face of real and virtual concept drifts. The results of this study will shed light on the performance of various classifiers and models in dynamic data environments while offering helpful insights to businesses for developing machine learning applications that are more resilient. The research examined the impact of real and virtual concept drifts on classifier performance, using three models: Streaming Random Patches (SRP), Adaptive Windowing (ADWIN), and Streaming Random Patches with Adaptive Windowing (SRP-ADWIN). The study found that the SRP-ADWIN ensemble model outperformed SRP and ADWIN individually, effectively adapting to changing data distributions, and showed improved predictive accuracy of 98.63% for virtual drift and 86.46% for real drift.

The metaverse digital environments: a scoping review of the challenges, privacy and security issues

The concept of the “metaverse” has garnered significant attention recently, positioned as the “next frontier” of the internet. This emerging digital realm carries substantial economic and financial implications for both IT and non-IT industries. However, the integration and evolution of these virtual universes bring forth a multitude of intricate issues and quandaries that demand resolution. Within this research endeavor, our objective was to delve into and appraise the array of challenges, privacy concerns, and security issues that have come to light during the development of metaverse virtual environments in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through a meticulous review and analysis of literature spanning from January 2020 to December 2022, we have meticulously identified and scrutinized 29 distinct challenges, along with 12 policy, privacy, and security matters intertwined with the metaverse. Among the challenges we unearthed, the foremost were concerns pertaining to the costs associated with hardware and software, implementation complexities, digital disparities, and the ethical and moral quandaries surrounding socio-control, collectively cited by 43%, 40%, and 33% of the surveyed articles, respectively. Turning our focus to policy, privacy, and security issues, the top three concerns that emerged from our investigation encompassed the formulation of metaverse rules and principles, the encroachment of privacy threats within the metaverse, and the looming challenges concerning data management, all mentioned in 43%, 40%, and 33% of the examined literature. In summation, the development of virtual environments within the metaverse is a multifaceted and dynamically evolving domain, offering both opportunities and hurdles for researchers and practitioners alike. It is our aspiration that the insights, challenges, and recommendations articulated in this report will catalyze extensive dialogues among industry stakeholders, governmental bodies, and other interested parties concerning the metaverse's destiny and the world they aim to construct or bequeath to future generations.

Sign language in immersive virtual reality: design, development, and evaluation of a virtual reality learning environment prototype

ABSTRACT Non-Verbal Cues (NVCs) add to communication effectiveness among individuals in both real and virtual world. Thus, NVCs transference between the two receives increased attention from both the industry and research community. Their efforts lead to sophisticated technological solutions which allow high fidelity NVCs to be transferred from real individuals to virtual characters/avatars, in real-time, adding to the communication effectiveness of both standalone Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) applications and Social Virtual Reality (SVR) platforms. That combination triggered the development of Virtual Reality Learning Environments (VRLEs), aiming at assisting students towards learning sign language and communicating through it in both virtual and real world. Still, technological limitations affect the quality of such learning and communication experience. This work presents the design, development, and evaluation of an SVR compatible system for sign language learning and communication in virtual worlds. The system considers lessons learned from previous studies and was used to create a VRLE mimicking learning and examination processes students of sign language follow in real life. The results of our study show that despite the appreciation of technological solutions efficiency towards NVCs transference, there are still several issues to be investigated to increase the effectiveness of communication through sign language in virtual worlds.

Achievements of the ARIADNE Initiative for Archaeological Data Sharing and Research

Following a brief introduction to the ARIADNE initiative, this article presents selected achievements of the initiative with the ARIADNEplus project. It addresses the extension and support of the ARIADNE community, the activities promoting FAIR data in archaeology, and the standardisation of datasets based on the CIDOC CRM and the domain vocabularies Getty AAT and PeriodO. It considers the ARIADNE Portal as an effective data access and research tool, and the development of Virtual Research Environments as a new innovative approach.

Design, development, and evaluation of educational virtual reality environment: EVRECA

Design, development, and evaluation of educational virtual reality environment: EVRECA

Immersive Learning Frameworks: A Systematic Literature Review

<italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Contribution</i> : This secondary study examines the literature on immersive learning frameworks and reviews their state of the art. Frameworks have been categorized according to their purpose. In addition, the elements that compose them were also categorized. Some gaps were identified and proposed as a research roadmap. <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Background</i> : Immersive technologies for education have been used for some years. Despite this, there are few works that aim to support the development and use of virtual environments for immersive learning. <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Research Questions</i> : This systematic review has the following main research question: What is the state of the art of immersive learning frameworks? In order to answer this question, secondary research questions were defined: 1) what definitions of immersive learning were adopted in primary studies? 2) what are the types of frameworks and how do they support immersive learning? 3) what are the elements that compose the frameworks? 4) what are the methods used to validate the frameworks? <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Methodology</i> : As per the systematic review guidelines, this study followed a rigorous and replicable process for collecting and analyzing data. From 1721 articles identified in the search engines, 15 were selected after the inclusion and exclusion criteria. <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Findings</i> : Most frameworks are models that investigate the causal relationship between immersive learning factors that influence learning outcomes. Although this theoretical aspect is important for the advancement of research, the area still lacks more practical frameworks that address more technical details and support development, as well as the use of immersive virtual environments by teachers and instructors.

Semantic Technologies for the Development of Immersive Virtual Environments with Biofeedback

Semantic Technologies for the Development of Immersive Virtual Environments with Biofeedback

The use of virtual reality in manufacturing education: State-of-the-art and future directions

Innovative technologies such as virtual reality and additive manufacturing have been drastically changing our society, from how we design and manufacture products to how to educate and train the next-generation workforce. This paper reviews scientific studies on virtual reality assisted manufacturing education published from 2015 to 2022 from three different perspectives: targeted manufacturing disciplines/topics, virtual environment development, and outcome evaluation methods. This paper also summarizes the critical limitations of existing studies and identifies the key challenges in the field. Furthermore, some future research directions are discussed aiming to advance current manufacturing education and deliver a highly skilled workforce for U.S. future manufacturing.

Assessing Virtual Reality Spaces for Elders Using Image-Based Sentiment Analysis and Stress Level Detection.

Seniors, in order to be able to fight loneliness, need to communicate with other people and be engaged in activities to keep their minds active to increase their social capital. There is an intensified interest in the development of social virtual reality environments, either by commerce or by academia, to address the problem of social isolation of older people. Due to the vulnerability of the social group involved in this field of research, the need for the application of evaluation methods regarding the proposed VR environments becomes even more important. The range of techniques that can be exploited in this field is constantly expanding, with visual sentiment analysis being a characteristic example. In this study, we introduce the use of image-based sentiment analysis and behavioural analysis as a technique to assess a social VR space for elders and present some promising preliminary results.

A reliable and robust online validation method for creating a novel 3D Affective Virtual Environment and Event Library (AVEL).

This paper describes the development and validation of 3D Affective Virtual environments and Event Library (AVEL) for affect induction in Virtual Reality (VR) settings with an online survey; a cost-effective method for remote stimuli validation which has not been sufficiently explored. Three virtual office-replica environments were designed to induce negative, neutral and positive valence. Each virtual environment also had several affect inducing events/objects. The environments were validated using an online survey containing videos of the virtual environments and pictures of the events/objects. They survey was conducted with 67 participants. Participants were instructed to rate their perceived levels of valence and arousal for each virtual environment (VE), and separately for each event/object. They also rated their perceived levels of presence for each VE, and they were asked how well they remembered the events/objects presented in each VE. Finally, an alexithymia questionnaire was administered at the end of the survey. User ratings were analysed and successfully validated the expected affect and presence levels of each VE and affect ratings for each event/object. Our results demonstrate the effectiveness of the online validation of VE material in affective and cognitive neuroscience and wider research settings as a good scientific practice for future affect induction VR studies.

Evaluating the effects of a programming error on a virtual environment measure of spatial navigation behavior.

Relying on shared tasks and stimuli to conduct research can enhance the replicability of findings and allow a community of researchers to collect large data sets across multiple experiments. This approach is particularly relevant for experiments in spatial navigation, which often require the development of unfamiliar large-scale virtual environments to test participants. One challenge with shared platforms is that undetected technical errors, rather than being restricted to individual studies, become pervasive across many studies. Here, we discuss the discovery of a software bug in a virtual environment platform used to investigate individual differences in spatial navigation: Virtual Silcton. The bug, which was difficult to detect for several reasons, resulted in storing the absolute value of a direction in a pointing task rather than the signed direction and rendered the original sign of the direction unrecoverable. To assess the impact of the bug on published findings, we collected a new data set for comparison. Results revealed that although the bug caused suppression in pointing errors and had different effects across people (less accurate navigators had more suppression), the effect of the bug on published data is small, partially explaining the difficulty in detecting the bug. We also used the new data set to develop a tool that allows researchers who have previously used Virtual Silcton to evaluate the impact of the bug on their findings. We summarize the ways that shared open materials, shared data, and collaboration can pave the way for better science to prevent errors in the future. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Frontloading in powertrain development involving hybrid (virtual and real) development environments

In order to reduce the powertrain development time in the context of increasing system complexity, hardware-related development steps are being shifted to early phases using virtual development environments (frontloading) and agile working methods are being introduced. However, implementation in industrial practice is often insufficient. The application of virtual development environments is often not well accepted, especially since accurate, validated simulation models are not available until late in the development process and the competences/expertise of experts in the development environments of different degrees of virtualisation are often insufficiently brought in jointly and in an agile approach during their development. This is where the publication steps in, introducing a development approach for the agile development, application and further development of validated simulation models and presenting its application and added value on the basis of two practice-relevant case studies (powertrain design, development of torque coordination). It is shown that how real and virtual development environments can be applied in an interconnected way so that frontloading in the real development process succeeds in an agile way. The resulting outcomes are discussed and summarised.

The development of virtual healing environment in VR platform

The purpose of this research is to build a healing environment that can be experienced through virtual reality (VR) to reduce stress levels of the user because of the lengthy period of COVID-19 pandemic that forced people to stay at home. The healing environment is created based on several theories on the principles of Healing Environments related to Architectural design. And as for the development of the simulation software, it is using the method of Extreme Programming that is based on Agile principle that combined with Architectural design flow. The VR is targeted to run optimally in low-end devices with cardboard and common Bluetooth controller so that it can be accessed inclusively. The evaluation is conducted using a user acceptance test with expert judgment and survey to 32 respondents. The findings are that they enjoyed the simulation because of the guidance is clear and the virtual environment looks more real compared to others that looks cartoonish.

Development of Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) in Teaching Robotics for STEM Students

Development of Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) in Teaching Robotics for STEM Students

Formative Design and Development of a Three-Dimensional Collaborative Virtual Learning Environment Through Learning Experience Design Methods

Formative Design and Development of a Three-Dimensional Collaborative Virtual Learning Environment Through Learning Experience Design Methods

Development and control of a virtual industrial process for assembling computers

A virtual manufacturing method represents the emerging approach that allows companies to improve their processes in order to introduce new products more quickly to their markets in a cost-effective manner. This involves building a synthetic and integrated environment based on software tools and systems, such as Virtual Reality and Simulation, to facilitate such processes. This paper presents the development of virtual industrial environment, highlighting the development and control of virtual industrial process for assembling computers by combining two simulation software tools. Development of industrial process was performed using Factory I/O software tool, while the control program was developed using FluidSim software tool. This paper also highlights the usage of OPC communication protocol, that was used for communication between software tools during simulation.