High Level Of Immersion Research Articles

Integrating building information modelling (BIM) and extended reality (XR) in the transportation infrastructure industry

Although building information modelling (BIM) has been widely used in the building industry, its usage in infrastructure projects such as bridges has been very challenging. Extended Reality (XR) that simulates a construction project is still considered a new technology in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry. This paper investigates the viability of integrating both BIM and XR technologies into transportation infrastructure projects. A fully integrated workflow for introducing different XR, Augmented Reality (AR), and Virtual Reality (VR), and BIM technologies using different software for a case study of El-Merghani bridge, a reinforced concrete girder type bridge, was developed. The models for the bridge included GIS integration and geometric road design according to AASHTO, documentation, shop drawings and quantification were developed for the bridge. A hypothetical time schedule was generated in Oracle Primavera P6 elevating the BIM model to 4-D and developing VR and AR virtual experiences with the capability to investigate, visualize, and present the model in a virtual environment, at a high level of immersion. Additionally, the associated risk reduction for the considered XR technology was assessed using Monte Carlo simulation. The workflow and the detailed 3D models developed for the bridge along with the highly immersive VR and AR experiences have provided an interactive platform for engineers and different stakeholders to monitor the project during the design and construction phases. The risk analysis showed that significant cost savings can be achieved with the utilization of VR and AR technology in bridges construction.

Introduction to the Special Thematic Issue "Virtual Reality and Eye Tracking".

Technological advancements have made it possible to integrate eye tracking in virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). Many new VR/AR headsets already include eye tracking as a standard feature. While its application previously has been mostly limited to research, we now see installations of eye tracking into consumer level VR products in entertainment, training, and therapy. The combination of eye tracking and VR creates new opportunities for end users, creators, and researchers alike: The high level of immersion – while shielded from visual distractions of the physical environment – leads to natural behavior inside the virtual environment. This enables researchers to study how humans perceive and interact with three-dimensional environments in experimentally controlled, ecologically valid settings. Simultaneously, eye tracking in VR poses new challenges to gaze analyses and requires the establishment of new tools and best practices in gaze interaction and psychological research from controlling influence factors, such as simulator sickness, to adaptations of algorithms in various situations. This thematic special issue introduces and discusses novel applications, challenges and possibilities of eye tracking and gaze interaction in VR from an interdisciplinary perspective, including contributions from the fields of psychology, human-computer interaction, human factors, engineering, neuroscience, and education. It addresses a variety of issues and topics, such as practical guidelines for VR-based eye tracking technologies, exploring new research avenues, evaluation of gaze-based assessments, and training interventions.

Cybersickness with passenger VR in the aircraft: Influence of turbulence and VR content

Using VR in the airplane cabin is appealing, primarily because of the enhanced entertainment value, increased privacy, and improved recreational opportunities provided by higher levels of immersion. However, VR applications in aircrafts contain the risk of passengers developing cybersickness. The particular environment of a moving aircraft in interaction with visual representation of movements in VR could lead to severe cybersickness, especially during turbulence. We had 129 participants experience VR in a full flight simulator with different content (static or dynamic VR clips) and during varying phases of flight including turbulence. The employed simulator is equipped with a cabin module, creating an economically valid environment. VR induced significant but mild symptoms of cybersickness. Nausea and dizziness symptoms were most severe during turbulence and especially with dynamic VR content being presented. More anxious participants tended to report more symptoms. In addition, there was an association with video game use and attitudes toward new technologies. While mild content and short exposure times only led to fairly low expressions of cybersickness, a long-term use of VR under turbulence could possibly become a concern. Airlines should especially address passengers’ negative attitudes toward new technologies, and VR in particular, to reduce fears and the risk of low tolerability.

Virtual Reality Utilized for Safety Skills Training for Autistic Individuals: A Review.

In recent years, virtual reality technology, which is able to simulate real-life environments, has been widely used in the field of intervention for individuals with autism and has demonstrated distinct advantages. This review aimed to evaluate the impact of virtual reality technology on safety skills intervention for individuals with autism. After searching and screening three databases, a total of 20 pertinent articles were included. There were six articles dedicated to the VR training of street-crossing skills for individuals with autism, nine articles focusing on the training of driving skills for individuals with ASD, and three studies examining the training of bus riding for individuals with ASD. Furthermore, there were two studies on the training of air travel skills for individuals with ASD. First, we found that training in some complex skills (e.g., driving skills) should be selected for older, high-functioning individuals with ASD, to determine their capacity to participate in the training using scales or questionnaires before the intervention; VR devices with higher levels of immersion are not suitable for younger individuals with ASD. Second, VR is effective in training safety skills for ASD, but there is not enough evidence to determine the relationship between the level of VR immersion and intervention effects. Although the degree of virtual reality involvement has an impact on the ability of ASD to be generalized to the real world, it is important to ensure that future virtual reality settings are realistic and lifelike. Again, adaptive models that provide personalized training to individuals with ASD in VR environments are very promising, and future research should continue in this direction. This paper also discusses the limitations of these studies, as well as potential future research directions.

Smartphone use during the perinatal period: Findings from a longitudinal study with first-time parents

Becoming a parent is a complex life transition involving many adaptations in psychological functioning. To date, we know little about how couples use smartphones during their transition to parenthood. This study examined changes in different aspects of parental smartphone use and associations with specific parental and infant characteristics in the perinatal period.Ninety-five first-time parents completed questionnaires at three time points: during the last trimester of pregnancy, at 1.5–2 months, and at 3–4 months after birth. We assessed parents’ daily smartphone usage time, feelings of immersion during smartphone use, smartphone addiction, and interruptions in social interactions caused by smartphone use. Linear mixed models served to test changes in smartphone use and associations with parental impulsivity, symptoms of depression and anxiety, and with infant temperament.Whereas parents’ daily smartphone usage time remained similar, feelings of immersion during smartphone use decreased over the perinatal period. After birth, higher levels of parental impulsivity and anxiety as well as a more difficult infant temperament predicted higher levels of smartphone addiction. A more difficult infant temperament was associated with higher levels of immersion during smartphone use.Our study provides, for the first time, systematic and longitudinal evidence on parental smartphone use during the perinatal period. Results suggest that more impulsive and anxious parents and parents with infants who are experienced as more difficult are at risk for more problematic smartphone use during this life transition.

A9Immersive Technology Experience Measure (ITEM): pilot study on participant experience using novel questionnaire and VR scenario

A scoping review identified a significant growth in research with immersive technology in healthcare education. However, there are few validated measures that capture the user experience of participants [1]. This study aims to investigate the use of an immersive virtual reality (VR) simulation on sepsis management and measure user experience using a validated tool, the Immersive Technology Evaluation Measure (ITEM) [2]. ITEM was formulated on a learning theory called Model for Immersive Technology in Healthcare Education (MITHE), which borrows cognitive and behavioural theories to help explain our level of immersion and enjoyment that can be facilitated by technology (see Model of immersive technology in healthcare education (MITHE) This single-study quasi-experimental investigation was conducted at a single site. Nine participants were recruited, consisting of medical students and healthcare professionals. Participants were trained on varied immersive devices: sepsis management using an immersive VR simulation developed by Gogglemind, and augmented reality (AR) holographic patient with respiratory distress, which included realistic patient scenarios and interactive decision-making. User experience was measured using the ITEM, which assesses user; immersion, cognitive load, intrinsic motivation, debrief and technology usability. Nine participants had high levels of immersion (mean 39.6, total 50), high levels of intrinsic motivation (mean 39.6, total 50), high technology score (mean 79.4, total 100), optimum cognitive load (average 59.5, optimum 39–61) and moderate score on debrief (mean 18.1, total 25). ITEM subscores indicated an enjoyable and immersive experience with good technology interface on usability scores. Self-directed debrief in VR had lower scores with emotional considerations and identifying domains of performance and learning. The use of the ITEM provided valuable insights into the user experience of the VR simulation, which can be used to improve the design and implementation of future simulations. This contributes to an ongoing ITEM validation process. This study highlights the importance of training in healthcare and the potential benefits of using immersive technologies such as VR and AR simulations. Authors confirm that all relevant ethical standards for research conduct and dissemination have been met. The submitting author confirms that relevant ethical approval was granted, if applicable.

Developing a virtual reality (VR) application for practicing the ABCDE approach for systematic clinical observation

BackgroundThe Airways, Breathing, Circulation, Disability, Exposure (ABCDE) approach is an international approach for systematic clinical observation. It is an essential clinical skill for medical and healthcare professionals and should be practiced repeatedly. One way to do so is by using virtual reality (VR). The aim was therefore to develop a VR application to be used by inexperienced health students and professionals for self-instructed practice of systematic clinical observation using the ABCDE approach.MethodsAn iterative human-centred approach done in three overlapping phases; deciding on the ABCDE approach, specifying the requirements, and developing the application.ResultsA total of 138 persons were involved. Eight clinical observations were included in the ABCDE approach. The requirements included making it possible for inexperienced users to do self-instructed practice, a high level of immersion, and a sense of presence including mirroring the physical activities needed to do the ABCDE approach, allowing for both single and multiplayer, and automatic feedback with encouragement to repeat the training. In addition to many refinements, the testing led to the development of some new solutions. Prominent among them was to get players to understand how to use the VR hand controllers and start to interact with the VR environment and more instructions like showing videos on how to do observations. The solutions in the developed version were categorised into 15 core features like onboarding, instructions, quiz, and feedback.ConclusionA virtual reality application for self-instructed practice of systematic clinical observation using the ABCDE approach can be developed with sufficient testing by inexperienced health students and professionals.

Virtual reality simulation enabling high level immersion in undergraduate nursing education: A systematic review

Background and objectives: Virtual reality simulation (VRS) can be used to complement experiential learning, as it enables nursing students to further learn and refine nursing skills outside of the clinical setting. However, gathering evidence for its effectiveness as a teaching method in achieving learning outcomes is still ongoing, and thus there is a lack of systematic synthesis. The objective of this systematic literature review is to analyze VRS scenarios with a high level of immersion and their impact on learning outcomes in nursing education.Methods: A literature search was performed in the MEDLINE, CINAHL, and ERIC databases in November 2022. As a result, fifteen studies were included and analyzed using deductive content analysis.Results: The studies reported twelve different scenarios for virtual reality simulations with high levels of immersion, the focus of which was on acute critical care, broader nursing processes, neonatal and pediatric care, single nursing interventions, and observation of patients’ symptoms. The associated learning objectives were mainly achieved in the domains of cognition and psychomotor skills.Conclusions: There are several VRS scenarios that show potential for use in nursing education. The VRS scenarios are effective in improving learning outcomes, particularly those related to knowledge and skills. Overall, the supportive body of evidence gained through this review may help nurse educators in integrating virtual simulations in their curricula. In the future, nursing and adult learning theories should be given greater consideration, and the aspect of affective learning could be included in design and implementation. Moreover, future research could benefit from exploring the long-term effects of learning after using VRS with a high level of immersion to provide valuable evidence for developing VRS teaching methods in nursing.

Assessing the Impact of Immersion on Learning in Medical Students: A Pilot Study Comparing Two-Dimensional and Three-Dimensional Virtual Simulation

Introduction Virtual simulation within health professions education can be categorized as two-dimensional or three-dimensional, dependent upon how users interact with the scenario. A core difference between these two categories is the degree of immersion experienced by the user. The importance of immersion for knowledge-based learning is unclear. Hence, this pilot study compares two virtual simulators to determine the impact of immersion on knowledge acquisition and retention and user experience. Methods This randomized crossover trial consisted of 25 fifth-year medical students attending two consecutive teaching sessions using two-dimensional and three-dimensional virtual simulation, respectively. Multiple-choice questions, completed immediately before and after, and one-month after the sessions, were employed to determine knowledge acquisition and retention. Questionnaires, consisting of Likert-scale and open-ended questions, evaluated user experience. Quantitative data was analyzed using a Student’s t-test and qualitative data was analyzed using thematic analysis. Results Both interventions demonstrated statistically significant levels of knowledge acquisition and retention, though there was no significant difference in the extent of learning between the simulators. The two interventions offered valuable and acceptable approaches to virtual simulation, though Likert-scale responses indicated that participants significantly preferred three-dimensional virtual simulation. Free-form responses revealed themes of education and technology, with subthemes of desirability, learning, curriculum integration, fidelity, hardware and software. Conclusions The findings indicate that higher levels of immersion do not appear to offer greater educational benefit, with two-dimensional simulation possibly offering an equally valuable learning experience to three-dimensional simulation. Participants appeared to significantly prefer three-dimensional virtual simulation, though potential uses for both simulators were identified.

Virtual Reality Gaming in Rehabilitation after Musculoskeletal Injury—User Experience Pilot Study

The purposes of this study were twofold: (1) to describe a new technological solution for the rehabilitation of musculoskeletal injuries based on virtual reality (VR) gaming, and (2) to analyze the variation in rated perceived exertion (RPE) and heart rate (HR) of the participants when undergoing a rehabilitation session based on different VR games. Thirty-seven participants aged 23.7 ± 7.0 years tested during five customized VR games to provide a complete rehabilitation session after a musculoskeletal injury. The results of the Friedman test indicated a statistically significant difference in RPE scale and HR across the five VR games throughout a complete rehabilitation session (χ2 (4, n = 35) = 75.59; p < 0.001 and χ2 (4, n = 35) = 27.75, p < 0.001, respectively). RPE and HR increased significantly from Game 1 to Game 2 (z = −5.16, p < 0.001), from Game 1 to Game 3 (z = −5.05, p < 0.001), from Game 1 to Game 4 (z = −4.87, p < 0.001), and from Game 1 to Game 5 (z = −3.61, p < 0.001). Moreover, the results showed a high perceived usability of the system, greater intrinsic motivation to perform the rehabilitation exercises, a high level of immersion, and a good experience in the VR gaming environment. Our study stimulates extended intervention programs following-up on this immersive virtual reality rehabilitation system to support soccer players recovering from musculoskeletal injuries.

VR for Vocational and Ecological Rehabilitation of Patients With Cognitive Impairment: A Survey.

Cognitive impairment arises from various brain injuries or diseases, such as traumatic brain injury, stroke, schizophrenia, or cancer-related cognitive impairment. Cognitive impairment can be an obstacle for patients to the return-to-work. Research suggests various interventions using technology for cognitive and vocational rehabilitation. The present work offers an overview of sixteen vocational or ecological VR-based clinical studies among patients with cognitive impairment. The objective is to analyze these studies from a VR perspective focusing on the VR apparatus and tasks, adaptivity, transferability, and immersion of the interventions. Our results highlight how a higher level of immersion could bring the participants to a deeper level of engagement and transferability, rarely assessed in current literature, and a lack of adaptivity in studies involving patients with cognitive impairments. From these considerations, we discuss the challenges of creating a standardized yet adaptive protocol and the perspectives of using immersive technologies to allow precise monitoring, personalized rehabilitation and increased commitment.

Development of a gesture-based system of interaction with the interface of adaptive information systems

The implementation of gesture control is an actual direction in the field of organizing interaction with adaptive information systems. This study considers the development of a neural network-based gesture control system for hand recognition and gesture classification. When implementing such systems, it is necessary to ensure the maximum accuracy of gesture recognition, as well as high performance (video stream processing speed). At the first stage of the study, the task of optimizing gesture control system was posed, including analysis of the information processing algorithms used for optimization according to the criteria of classification accuracy and performance. In the course of solving the optimization problem, the structure and parameters of the neural network were determined that provide the best accuracy indicators, and the necessary changes were made in the software of the gesture control system to achieve the required level of performance. The developed software for the gestural interaction system was tested when integrating with the interface of adaptive information systems implemented on the basis of the Unity game engine. The results obtained can be used in the implementation of interfaces for interaction with virtual reality with a high level of immersion.

VR Education Support System—A Case Study of Digital Circuits Design

Areas of experience allow for the acquisition and consolidation of both existing knowledge and skills. These are significant factors in the training of staff members for companies in the Industry 4.0 area. One of the currently available modern tools used in the teaching process is virtual reality (VR) technology. This technology, due to its high level of immersion and involvement of the different senses, and the need to focus on the performed activities, allows one to develop skills in solving various tasks and problems. The extended VR environment enables the creation of diverse teaching scenarios adapted to the needs of industry. This paper presents the possibility of building training scenarios in the field of digital techniques. The software solution, developed and presented by the authors, uses elements of computer game mechanics and is designed to familiarize students with the idea of digital circuits, their construction, logical implementation and application. This paper also presents a comparison of the features of different forms of education used in teaching digital techniques, as well as a comparison of these forms, from the point of view of the student and his/her perceptions.

The Effects of a VR Teaching Tool on Understanding, Comfortability, Compassion, and Empathy of Students and Caregivers

Empathetic care giving is associated with improved patient satisfaction, compliance and outcomes; clinical competence, career satisfaction, and burnout reduction; as well as diminished medical errors and litigation claims. Unfortunately, recent studies have shown erosion in empathy and compassion across the health professions. Virtual reality shows promise as a teaching tool to combat this decline as it has been dubbed the ultimate empathy machine, allowing users to vividly and viscerally experience any situation from any perspective. Embodied Labs allows users to virtually walk in the shoes of different patients, experiencing symptoms, family dynamics, support networks and various components of the health care systems. We have demonstrated that the high level of immersion and presence afforded by these virtual labs are effective pedagogical tools to increase understanding, comfortability, compassion and empathy within various populations including informal caregivers, high school students, health professional students and medical students.

Immersion Experiences in a Tablet-Based Markerless Augmented Reality Working Memory Game: Randomized Controlled Trial and User Experience Study.

BackgroundIn recent years, augmented reality (AR), especially markerless augmented reality (MAR), has been used more prevalently to create training games in an attempt to improve humans' cognitive functions. This has been driven by studies claiming that MAR provides users with more immersive experiences that are situated in the real world. Currently, no studies have scientifically investigated the immersion experience of users in a MAR cognitive training game. Moreover, there is an observed lack of instruments on measuring immersion in MAR cognitive training games.ObjectiveThis study, using two existing immersion questionnaires, investigates students’ immersion experiences in a novel MAR n-back game.MethodsThe n-back task is a continuous performance task that taps working memory (WM) capacity. We compared two versions of n-back training. One was presented in a traditional 2D format, while the second version used MAR. There were 2 experiments conducted in this study that coordinated with 2 types of immersion questionnaires: the modified Immersive Experiences Questionnaire (IEQ) and the Augmented Reality Immersion (ARI) questionnaire. Two groups of students from two universities in China joined the study, with 60 participants for the first experiment (a randomized controlled experiment) and 51 participants for the second.ResultsBoth groups of students experienced immersion in the MAR n-back game. However, the MAR n-back training group did not experience stronger immersion than the traditional (2D) n-back control group in the first experiment. The results of the second experiment showed that males felt deeply involved with the AR environment, which resulted in obtaining higher levels of immersion than females in the MAR n-back game.ConclusionsBoth groups of students experienced immersion in the MAR n-back game. Moreover, both the modified IEQ and ARI have the potential to be used as instruments to measure immersion in MAR game settings.Trial RegistrationUMIN Clinical Trials Registry UMIN000045314; https://upload.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr_e/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000051725

Deixis am Phantasma as a Background Element and its Influence on the Processing of Poetry

Deixis am phantasma is a linguistic device used in poetic texts to point to the uniqueness of an object of reference without directly revealing it. From a neurocognitive poetics model (NCPM) perspective, deixis am phantasma is a background element that activates existing knowledge, creates a sense of familiarity during reading, and is interrelated with text immersion. In our study, we aimed to investigate how the ability to identify the object of a deictic reference influences the processing of poetic texts. In a self-paced reading experiment, original poetic texts containing deixis am phantasma were preceded by a comment that either contained or did not contain information about the object of the deictic reference. The results showed that deixis am phantasma processing depends not only on the reader’s knowledge about the imaginary referent but also on the level of text immersion. When the level of immersion is high and the reader possesses knowledge about the object of reference, there is a significant decrease in reading times of the line with the deixis. Difficulties in processing occur only when the referent of the deictic expression is unknown to the reader and the level of text immersion is low, while no slowdown is observed when there is a high level of immersion. We suggest that when the reader is fully immersed into the textual world, an inability to establish reference is interpreted as a lack of knowledge, while in a situation with incomplete immersion, it is perceived as a communication abnormality.

A study of the use of virtual reality headsets in Chinese adolescents with intellectual disability

Background: Virtual reality technologies (VRTs) present many characteristics that can facilitate learning, especially in individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID). The VRT head-mounted display (HMD) has recently shown significant technological improvement. This study aims to prove the suitability of the newer commercially available VRT HMDs used in interventions for adolescents with ID in China. To this end, we explored the acceptance, immersion, and negative effects for adolescents with ID in a series of virtual environments. Methods: Forty-nine adolescents with ID (33 boys and 16 girls, IQ < 70), aged 11 to 21, from three special schools participated in this study. Questionnaires, observations, and interviews were used to investigate their views while using a VR HMD. Results: Our analysis found that most participants narrated a pleasant experience using HMD and a series of VR experiences and experienced a high level of immersion accompanied by low negative effects. In addition, our study found that the gender variable was independent of the acceptance of HMDs and the immersion experience. Conclusions: Overall, this study suggests that the HMD is accepted by most Chinese adolescents with ID; thus, its application has great potential in China.

Impact of Warning Pop-Up Messages on the Gambling Behavior, Craving, and Cognitions of Online Gamblers: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Many features of Internet gambling may impact problem severity, particularly for vulnerable populations (availability, anonymity, a convenience and ease of play, digital forms of payment, and a higher level of immersion). To prevent the risks associated with excessive gambling and to inform gamblers, we need responsible gambling strategies. Gambling-related warning messages are one possible strategy that can help minimizing gambling-related harm.Methods: Our experimental study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of self-appraisal and informative pop-up messages compared to a control condition (blank pop-up messages), for both at-risk (ARG) and low risk/non-problem Internet gamblers (LR/NPG) according to their favorite type of game, in a semi naturalistic setting and with a 15-day follow-up. During the experimental session, participants were invited to gamble on their favorite website with their own money in the laboratory. Effectiveness was investigated through the impact of pop-ups on gambling behavior (money wagered and time spent), craving, cognitive distortions, and gambling experience, taking into account message recall. We analyzed data from 58 participants, playing preferentially either to skill and chance bank games (sports betting, horse race betting) and skill and chance social games (poker).Results: We observed a significant decrease in the illusion of control for ARG in the informative pop-up condition at the 15-day follow-up. A significant effect of self-appraisal pop-ups compared to blank pop-up messages was also demonstrated only for sport and horse bettors, with a decrease on time spent gambling and an increase of gambling-related expectancies at the follow-up. Finally, we also observed that a majority of the participants were disturbed and irritated by pop-ups during their gambling session.Conclusions: The results of our study demonstrated the limited impact of pop-up warning messages on gambling behavior and cognition in Internet gamblers according to the type of game and the status of gamblers. The limited impact of warning messages on gambling behavior and the inconvenience of the pop-ups for Internet gamblers lead us to only consider warning messages as one piece of a larger responsible gambling strategy.Trial Registration Number: NCT01789580 on February 12, 2013.

Motivation, engagement, and performance across multiple virtual reality sessions and levels of immersion

AbstractThis study investigated changes in learners' motivation, engagement, performance, and spatial reasoning over time and across different levels of virtual reality (VR) immersion. Undergraduate participants explored a virtual solar system via a moderately immersive or highly immersive VR platform over three sessions. In a third condition, participants initially learned with moderate immersion and transitioned to higher immersion after the second session. Following research on novelty effects, we explored whether subjective experiences and performance would decline over time (e.g., decreasing motivation or performance) as participants became familiar with the virtual environment and tools. However, we hypothesized that transitional immersion (i.e., switching from moderate to higher immersion) might lead to a renewed sense of novelty. Results suggested that both moderate and higher levels of immersion were motivating, engaging, and supportive of learning. In contrast to predictions based on novelty effects, these outcomes did not decline overall as learners gained familiarity with the systems. However, transitional immersion emerged as a promising and testable pedagogical approach for future VR education. All participants also showed gains in spatial reasoning.

Interactive simulation of realistic flexible and tearable membrane using virtual reality and haptic force-feedback interface

The paper deals with the description of a methodology for addressing the real-time simulation of a soft membrane that can be deformed and torn by the interactive two-way action of the user. The methodology makes use of the combination of an efficient real-time solver, a haptic interface with force feedback and it is implemented in a virtual reality environment in order to achieve a very high level of immersion. The elastic properties of the membrane and the corresponding haptic feedback are modelled using an accurate structural model based on a flexible-rigid (f-rigid) multibody model. The f-rigid approach is a trade-off between the accuracy of a full finite element model and the computational efficiency of a multibody model able to be solved using high efficiency sequential impulse solver. The f-rigid model is verified by dedicated experimental tests about nonlinear deformation and rupture. The proposed methodology can be the base of the development of interactive training environments, ergonomic and usability studies and for the assessment and optimization of product design.