Immersive Devices Research Articles

Virtual and augmented reality to develop empathy: a systematic literature review

AbstractRecent research suggests that Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) as immersive technologies are effective in developing empathy. The main reason behind this assumption is that immersive technologies allow people to experience perspective-taking. However, there is a lack of systematic literature reviews that summarize the current state of research on VR and AR to elicit empathy. This paper reports a systematic literature review of 37 academic papers published between 2007 and 2023. The following categories were analyzed in this review: field of education, data collection instruments, sample size, statistically significant results, technologies used, research design, advantages, limitations, and future research. The main findings of this review provide an overview of the current state of research on immersive technologies to elicit empathy and the future challenges in this field. Some of the main findings involve: VR/AR immersion devices are effective and appealing to participants; the Interpersonal Reactivity Index was found to be the most relevant self-report measure; and larger sample sizes (over 100 participants) are vital in VR/AR-based empathy research to provide a quantitative perspective on participants distribution.

A New Generation of Collaborative Immersive Analytics on the Web: Open-Source Services to Capture, Process and Inspect Users’ Sessions in 3D Environments

Recording large amounts of users’ sessions performed through 3D applications may provide crucial insights into interaction patterns. Such data can be captured from interactive experiences in public exhibits, remote motion tracking equipment, immersive XR devices, lab installations or online web applications. Immersive analytics (IA) deals with the benefits and challenges of using immersive environments for data analysis and related design solutions to improve the quality and efficiency of the analysis process. Today, web technologies allow us to craft complex applications accessible through common browsers, and APIs like WebXR allow us to interact with and explore virtual 3D environments using immersive devices. These technologies can be used to access rich, immersive spaces but present new challenges related to performance, network bottlenecks and interface design. WebXR IA tools are still quite new in the literature: they present several challenges and leave quite unexplored the possibility of synchronous collaborative inspection. The opportunity to share the virtual space with remote analysts in fact improves sense-making tasks and offers new ways to discuss interaction patterns together, while inspecting captured records or data aggregates. Furthermore, with proper collaborative approaches, analysts are able to share machine learning (ML) pipelines and constructively discuss the outcomes and insights through tailored data visualization, directly inside immersive 3D spaces, using a web browser. Under the H2IOSC project, we present the first results of an open-source pipeline involving tools and services aimed at capturing, processing and inspecting interactive sessions collaboratively in WebXR with other analysts. The modular pipeline can be easily deployed in research infrastructures (RIs), remote dedicated hubs or local scenarios. The developed WebXR immersive analytics tool specifically offers advanced features for volumetric data inspection, query, annotation and discovery, alongside spatial interfaces. We assess the pipeline through users’ sessions captured during two remote public exhibits, by a WebXR application presenting generative AI content to visitors. We deployed the pipeline to assess the different services and to better understand how people interact with generative AI environments. The obtained results can be easily adopted for a multitude of case studies, interactive applications, remote equipment or online applications, to support or accelerate the detection of interaction patterns among remote analysts collaborating in the same 3D space.

Technologies Used for Telementoring in Open Surgery: A Scoping Review.

Background: Telementoring technologies enable a remote mentor to guide a mentee in real-time during surgical procedures. This addresses challenges, such as lack of expertise and limited surgical training/education opportunities in remote locations. This review aims to provide a comprehensive account of these technologies tailored for open surgery. Methods: A comprehensive scoping review of the scientific literature was conducted using PubMed, ScienceDirect, ACM Digital Library, and IEEE Xplore databases. Broad and inclusive searches were done to identify articles reporting telementoring or teleguidance technologies in open surgery. Results: Screening of the search results yielded 43 articles describing surgical telementoring for open approach. The studies were categorized based on the type of open surgery (surgical specialty, surgical procedure, and stage of clinical trial), the telementoring technology used (information transferred between mentor and mentee, devices used for rendering the information), and assessment of the technology (experience level of mentor and mentee, study design, and assessment criteria). Majority of the telementoring technologies focused on trauma-related surgeries and mixed reality headsets were commonly used for rendering information (telestrations, surgical tools, or hand gestures) to the mentee. These technologies were primarily assessed on high-fidelity synthetic phantoms. Conclusions: Despite longer operative time, these telementoring technologies demonstrated clinical viability during open surgeries through improved performance and confidence of the mentee. In general, usage of immersive devices and annotations appears to be promising, although further clinical trials will be required to thoroughly assess its benefits.

Cold Water Immersion Devices: Evidence for Efficacy a “Hot Mess”

Cold Water Immersion Devices: Evidence for Efficacy a “Hot Mess”

Autisme et médiation thérapeutique musicale immersive : l’espace comme composante du timbre

ObjectivesThe aim of this article is to highlight the clinical effects of an immersive music device used as a therapeutic mediator with autistic children. As musical immersion is based on the hypothesis that space is a component of timbre, the aim is to bring together in a novel way two major problematic issues in autism: space and voice. To do this, post-Freudian and Lacanian psychoanalytical references are mobilized and discussed. MethodAfter a technical presentation of the immersive device and an explanation of the spatial and aesthetic characteristics of the works played on it, the authors describe the clinical case of an 11-year-old autistic child and identify the different stages of the relationship. The initially observed effects of containment were quickly limited, and the child almost rejected the system. It was only during a work based on different spatializations of a voice that the child was able to reengage with the device and with the relationship with the caregiver as “a double,” going so far as to invent games that included him. To shed light on the subjectivizing effects of these sessions, the authors first recall the specific relationship that the autistic subject has with the voice as an “a object,” relying in particular on the notion of “delocalization of the voice,” which is active in all devices for distancing the timbre, the latter being understood as one of the names of the Real of the voice. The article goes on to describe in detail the spatial characteristics of the work to which the child was so sensitive in renewing his relationship with the other. After analysis, the work in question turns out to be composed not of a single unified or unifying space, but of several sound spaces, sometimes broadcast simultaneously. ResultsThe notion of the delocalization of the voice is then confronted with the fact that the work of immersive music can offer much more than a simple point of delocalization of the voice in the same space: it offers the experience of several simultaneous sound spaces, which we call a “delocalization of the delocalization of the voice,” making it possible to relieve the autistic subject of what Lacan called the “real weight of the subject” implied by the voice object. DiscussionThe article raises several points for discussion: firstly, immersive musical works should not be considered as recreating a realistic sound environment (of the virtual reality type), but rather as proposing impossible sound spaces. In this respect, there are both aesthetic and ethical issues at stake in the clinical use that can be made of these immersive musical devices. Moreover, the construction of autistic space is not just a matter of the gaze but also of the voice in its impulsive dimension. Finally, the “delocalization of the delocalization” of the voice would enable the autistic subject to experience the atopic part of it, i.e. its impossible localization. Space is thus constructed around an atopic point. ConclusionsThe article seeks to demonstrate how the clinical use of therapeutic mediation through art can intersect with current research in electroacoustic composition, making it possible to revive theoretical and clinical questions about both space and voice. The immersive dimension is thus considered from both a musical and a transferential perspective.

Understanding cancer patient cohorts in virtual reality environment for better clinical decisions: a usability study

BackgroundVisualising patient genomic data in a cohort with embedding data analytics models can provide relevant and sensible patient comparisons to assist a clinician with treatment decisions. As immersive technology is actively used around the medical world, there is a rising demand for an efficient environment that can effectively display genomic data visualisations on immersive devices such as a Virtual Reality (VR) environment. The VR technology will allow clinicians, biologists, and computer scientists to explore a cohort of individual patients within the 3D environment. However, demonstrating the feasibility of the VR prototype needs domain users’ feedback for future user-centred design and a better cognitive model of human–computer interactions. There is limited research work for collecting and integrating domain knowledge into the prototype design.ObjectiveA usability study for the VR prototype–-Virtual Reality to Observe Oncology data Models (VROOM) was implemented. VROOM was designed based on a preliminary study among medical users. The goals of this usability study included establishing a baseline of user experience, validating user performance measures, and identifying potential design improvements that are to be addressed to improve efficiency, functionality, and end-user satisfaction.MethodsThe study was conducted with a group of domain users (10 males, 10 females) with portable VR devices and camera equipment. These domain users included medical users such as clinicians and genetic scientists and computing domain users such as bioinformatics and data analysts. Users were asked to complete routine tasks based on a clinical scenario. Sessions were recorded and analysed to identify potential areas for improvement to the data visual analytics projects in the VR environment. The one-hour usability study included learning VR interaction gestures, running visual analytics tool, and collecting before and after feedback. The feedback was analysed with different methods to measure effectiveness. The statistical method Mann–Whitney U test was used to analyse various task performances among the different participant groups, and multiple data visualisations were created to find insights from questionnaire answers.ResultsThe usability study investigated the feasibility of using VR for genomic data analysis in domain users’ daily work. From the feedback, 65% of the participants, especially clinicians (75% of them), indicated that the VR prototype is potentially helpful for domain users’ daily work but needed more flexibility, such as allowing them to define their features for machine learning part, adding new patient data, and importing their datasets in a better way. We calculated the engaged time for each task and compared them among different user groups. Computing domain users spent 50% more time exploring the algorithms and datasets than medical domain users. Additionally, the medical domain users engaged in the data visual analytics parts (approximately 20%) longer than the computing domain users.

Development of a Virtual Reality Memory Maze Learning System for Application in Social Science Education

Virtual reality (VR) is a 3D space created by computer graphics technology and immersive devices. In addition to providing a new visual experience, users can also interact with others in the virtual world to address any of their needs. In recent years, the application of virtual reality in the field of education has attracted the attention of more and more people. This study combined virtual reality and concepts of spatial memory in wayfinding and memory palace to develop a VR memory maze learning system based on the seven large-scale expedition voyages of Zheng He (1405–1433) in the early Ming Dynasty of imperial China. The objective is to improve memory and efficiency in learning social science by correlating spatial information and organizational skills in the virtual environment. A teaching experiment has been conducted to explore its impacts on learning effectiveness, learning motivation, and cognitive load, as well as learners’ technology acceptance of the VR system. The analysis results indicate that using the VR system for learning social science can improve learning effectiveness; it can also increase learning motivation and reduce cognitive load. The questionnaire results of the technology acceptance model analysis show that most learners were satisfied with various aspects of this system.

Comparison of extended reality platforms and tools for viewing and exhibiting art

The rapid evolution of mobile smart devices and the development of inexpensive immersive devices (VR googles, google box etc.) in the past two decades have brought opportunities in the field of curating, storing, and viewing art. These new ways of experiencing art with the help of the latest technologies extend from physical to the virtual space, and any combination of the two. This paper presents a comparative study of selected existing Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and Mixed Reality (MR) Platforms and Tools for viewing and exhibiting Art. This study explores the key features of each platform, whether the platform is open source or a commercial product, the enabling of interactivity between the users within each platform, and finally the strong and weak points of each. To conclude, this study explores how such platforms and tools can transform the field of curating and exhibiting art.

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.

Pour une archéologie cinématographique de la condition immersive: La Jetée (Chris Marker, 1962)

Today we tend to emphasise the technological dimension of immersive devices, insisting on the notions of interactivity, virtual reality or augmented perception— all of which promise to intensify museum experience or the film experience. But it must be recognised that the principle of immersion is older than the more or less recent definitions of immersive devices or museography. Certain primordial forms of scenarisation, of staging and of dramatisation were able to play an immersive role very early on, foreshadowing the installation of the subject of perception in an attitude of adhesion, which can go as far as subjugation. Scripting, staging, psychic projection: if an archaeology of immersion is required, it must include an account of the role of cinema in the formation of the immersive condition. Our hypothesis is that an archaeology of immersion must pass through cinema: not only through its device, but primarily through its fictions, narratives, and figurations. In this perspective, we propose to examine the historical contribution of cinema to the formation of the immersive condition, through an analysis of Chris Marker’s La Jetée (1962). If this unique film has often been studied, its capacity to stage different fundamental aspects of an immersive experience, involving at the same time the interplay of memory, aesthetic relation, and the psyche, has not been considered yet.

A Wearable Device for Upper Limb Rehabilitation and Assistance Based on Fluid Actuators and Myoelectric Control

Wearable exoskeleton solutions for upper limb rehabilitation or assistance, particularly for the hand area, have become increasingly attractive to researchers, proving to be effective over time in treating hand movement impairments following various neurological diseases. Our aim in the present work is to design a wearable exoskeleton device for active hand rehabilitation/assist control based on myoelectric signal (EMG) capture from forearm muscles, which is easy to wear by the user, comfortable, lightweight, and relatively inexpensive to make. The actuators use two different lengths to increase biocompatibility with the anatomy of the hand, and PneuNets fluid actuators are used. Their design to meet force and bending requirements was based on finite element numerical simulations, and the actuators were designed based on a clear design methodology to achieve the best possible quality. Tests on healthy subjects show that the EMG-based control strategy meets the needs of rehabilitation/assistive hand therapy, finding a comfortable and easy-to-use device. Future directions will focus on developing the device to meet rehabilitation needs for the entire upper limb and integrating the device into virtual reality (VR) through immersive devices.

The reception of immersive devices within exhibitions: A study of the public at the exhibition Osiris, mystères engloutis d’Égypte at the Institut du Monde Arabe

The reception of immersive devices within exhibitions: A study of the public at the exhibition Osiris, mystères engloutis d’Égypte at the Institut du Monde Arabe

Informatization of vocational education through the implementation of the model of the center of immersive technologies

Problem statement . Every year, immersive equipment becomes more accessible, and the material and technical base of educational organizations is filled with new innovative devices. An urgent scientific task is the development of methods and tools for the implementation and usage of immersive devices in the educational process. Methodology. The authors describe approaches to the informatization of education based on the model of the center of immersive technologies (CIT), which contributes to the solution of managerial, methodical, pedagogical and technical problems associated with the application of immersive technologies in the educational and career guidance processes of educational organizations. The main functions of the CIT model are divided into three components: training students of secondary vocational education (SVE) in working professions, the realization of short programs for advanced training and assessment of qualifications, career guidance of schoolchildren. The key users of the CIT model are SVE students, schoolchildren and their parents, the management team of the educational organizations, teachers. The CIT model can be implemented in any organization that has immersive equipment (VR/AR) and human resources. Results. The implementation of immersive simulators in teaching students in professional programs, educational practice, as well as in organizing and conducting professional excellence championships demonstrates approximately equal effectiveness in comparison with traditional teaching methods, except for the cases in which it is important to develop tactile skills in working with certain equipment. Using the example of the execution of VR simulators in the teaching of the subject “Technology” in the school course, the advantage of learning on real machines is demonstrated. It was discovered that the maximum pedagogical effect is achieved by adding VR simulators to the training course and by using a combined approach. VR simulators are necessary for work in the absence of workshops and serve as an important didactic propaedeutic tool when they are available. Conclusion. The domestic and foreign experience of using immersive technologies in educational and outreach activities is analyzed, the development projects of the Russian Federation in the field of immersive technologies are considered. The relevance, theoretical and practical significance of the development and implementation of the CIT model are substantiated. The results of approbation in educational institutions of secondary vocational and basic general education are presented.

Feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a virtual reality intervention targeting distress and anxiety in primary brain tumor patients at the time of clinical evaluation: Study protocol for a phase 2 clinical trial

BackgroundPrimary brain tumor (PBT) patients experience higher levels of distress and anxiety than other solid tumor patients, particularly at the time of clinical evaluation when uncertainty about disease status is high (“scanxiety”). There is promising evidence supporting use of virtual reality (VR) to target psychological symptoms in other solid tumor patients, though PBT patients have not been studied extensively in this context. The primary aim of this phase 2 clinical trial is to establish the feasibility of a remote VR-based relaxation intervention for a PBT population, with secondary aims designed to determine preliminary efficacy of improving distress and anxiety symptoms.MethodsPBT patients (N = 120) with upcoming MRI scans and clinical appointments who meet eligibility will be recruited to participate in a single arm trial conducted remotely through the NIH. Following completion of baseline assessments, participants will complete a 5-min VR intervention via telehealth using a head-mounted immersive device while under supervision of the research team. Following the intervention, over the course of 1 month patients can use VR at their discretion with follow-up assessments done immediately post-VR intervention, as well as 1 week and 4 weeks later. Additionally, a qualitative phone interview will be conducted to assess patient satisfaction with the intervention.DiscussionUse of immersive VR is an innovative interventional approach to target distress and scanxiety symptoms in PBT patients who are at high risk for experiencing these symptoms leading into their clinical appointments. Findings from this study may inform design of a future multicenter randomized VR trial for PBT patients and may aid in development of similar interventions for other oncology populations.Trial RegistrationClinicaltrials.gov (NCT04301089), registered 9 March 2020.

Designing Body Life Bag Using Reusable Ice Gel As A Curative Measure To Handle Heat Stroke Cases Of Indonesian Hajj Jamaah

Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam which is carried out physically, activities in the outside environment can reach 30 hours exposing pilgrims to hot temperatures [3]. The Indonesian Ministry of Health recorded that 430 Indonesian pilgrims died each year between 2012 and 2019 due to heat stroke. The Indonesian Ministry of Health for Hajj 2022 uses body bags as a medium for storing ice water, creating fear among pilgrims and making it difficult to get ice water. The body life bag is an innovative immersion device using ice gel. Testing of three alternative body life bag designs (Salamon, Arabiyan, Camel Poc) was carried out by three subjects aged 42 years. Subjects were selected based on the similarity in appearance of fatigue due to exposure to environmental heat with elderly Indonesian pilgrims. The criteria of BMI are 30.45 kg/m2, 26.93 kg/m2, and 27.64 kg/m2. The test was carried out during the day under exposure to environmental heat with an ambient temperature of 28.3oC, an air speed of 1.5 m/s, and an air humidity of 43 g/m2. This test was based on ISO 9920 and ISO 11079 standards. There were three alternative designs of the Body Life Bag, the fastest cooling time was 5 minutes 41 seconds and the subject's final temperature was obtained at 33.2oC. So the most effective design for lowering body temperature is the Salamon design.

The Maréorama in the 1900 Universal Exhibition: a simulated Mediterranean voyage from the banks of the Seine

ABSTRACT This article presents an exploration of the mechanisms that underpinned simulacrum in the 19th century. To do so, I take as a case study an attraction presented at the Universal Exhibition of 1900: the multi-sensory panorama known as the Maréorama. This device offered audiences the experience of a half-hour boat trip across the Mediterranean Sea. In this paper I shall argue that this simulation combines period-relevant codes that link with other artistic and cultural practices of the period – early cinema, prestidigitation, Wagnerian ‘total work of art’ – and a component of technological innovation oriented towards perfecting multi-sensoriality. This combination turned the Maréorama into one of the most sophisticated mimetic immersion devices at the time, blending the tradition of the great rotundas with the effects of mobile panoramas. Other features of this panorama were the physical shocks generated by the motion of the supporting platform and the interactive role assumed by the spectator, which, along with the mimesis, added an element of fiction. I shall argue that the simulation of new realities was stimulated by the imaginaries generated by contemporary novels such as Julius Verne’s, which illustrated future scenarios and the exploration of unknown landscapes. The Maréorama allowed the spectator to travel across the Mediterranean from the shores of the Seine in a record time. Panoramas, including the Maréorama, became exponents of the utopian capacity of conquering the world, overcoming the limitations of time and space.

The Role of Immersion for Improving Extended Reality Analysis of Personalized Flow Simulations.

Computational models of flow in patient-derived arterial geometries have become a key paradigm of biomedical research. These fluid models are often challenging to visualize due to high spatial heterogeneity and visual complexity. Virtual immersive environments can offer advantageous visualization of spatially heterogeneous and complex systems. However, as different VR devices offer varying levels of immersion, there remains a crucial lack of understanding regarding what level of immersion is best suited for interactions with patient-specific flow models. We conducted a quantitative user evaluation with multiple VR devices testing an important use of hemodynamic simulations-analysis of surface parameters within complex patient-specific geometries. This task was compared for the semi-immersive zSpace 3D monitor and the fully immersive HTC Vive system. The semi-immersive device was more accurate than the fully immersive device. The two devices showed similar results for task duration and performance (accuracy/duration). The accuracy of the semi-immersive device was also higher for arterial geometries of greater complexity and branching. This assessment demonstrates that the level of immersion plays a significant role in the accuracy of assessing arterial flow models. We found that the semi-immersive VR device was a generally optimal choice for arterial visualization.

Developing measures of immersion and motivation for learning technologies in healthcare simulation: a pilot study.

Introduction: Medical education has benefitted from the introduction of new technology within recent years. Immersive devices, such as, 360-degree films and virtual reality have become new ways of simulating clinical experiences. The aim of the study was to validate and test reliability of a new measure of engagement.Methods: A between-participants design of 2 groups viewing a clinical consultation on a 360-degree headset or 2D monitor was conducted following computer random allocation of 40 healthcare professionals recruited from scheduled teaching. Twenty-three were assigned to 360-degree and 17 to 2D Medias. Adapted Immersion Experience Questionnaire (AIEQ) and Abridged Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (AIMI) were modified to match factors relating to clinical encounters. AIEQ and AIMI were utilised as the data collection tool by each group following video viewing. Spearman’s rank correlation was used to assess relationship between immersion and motivation. Comparisons between 360-degree and 2D media responses were made using Wilcoxon’s signed ranks test. Internal reliability coefficients of adapted measures were calculated with Cronbach alpha scores.Results: Total immersion scores were statistically higher in those experiencing 360 (p<0.05), with a median difference of 14.50 (95% CI 6.50-22.00). A positive correlation existed between the total AIEQ and total score of the AIMI in both groups (rs =0.88, n=17, p<0.001). Internal consistency and reliability was demonstrated with a high Cronbach alpha score for the AIEQ (α= 0.91). AIMI subscale alpha value was also high at (α= 0.95) which shows the measures to be of high internal reliability.Conclusions: Adaptation and validation of existing measures for use in healthcare education can be used to quantify levels of immersion and motivation. Standardising measures for use in evaluating new Technology Enhanced Learning is a step to aid understanding on how we develop these tools in medical education and how we might learn from immersive technology.

Simplified Virtual Reality System Can Be Used to Evaluate the Temporal Discrimination Ability in Softball Batting as in the Real Environment

Recently, virtual reality (VR) technology has developed rapidly and has increasingly come to be used in the sports field. VR technology ranges from large, highly immersive devices to simple devices such as smartphones, and the respective usefulness and shortcomings of different device types have been debated. Simple devices have advantages such as portability, but also provide only a weak sense of realism. It is important to understand the purpose and extent to which VR technologies can be used. Our purpose in this study was to briefly measure one of the cognitive-motor abilities used in softball batting: temporal discrimination ability in swing onset when a batter faces two types of balls thrown at different speeds. We investigated whether a simplified head-mounted display (HMD) system can evaluate such cognitive-motor ability to the same extent as in a real environment. Ten elite female softball batters swung at fastballs and slowballs randomly thrown by the same pitcher in both real and 3D VR environments, with the same range of trajectories. We then compared the temporal discrimination ability of swing onset analyzed by video analysis between environments. We found that the discrimination ability in VR is almost the same as in reality. In addition, questionnaire items on the VR system related to user experience and cybersickness showed overall promising responses. However, we also found that the system had some issues that need to be considered, such as leading to early swing onset and large variability in it. We discussed the usefulness and limitations of the VR system by combining the results for swing onset with the questionnaire responses. By understanding the characteristics of VR technology and using it as an efficient evaluation and training of players, the sports field can make significant progress.

Experimental investigation of mechanical characteristics of coal samples at different drying temperatures

The drying and mechanical properties of long flame coal and anthracite after exposure to various drying temperatures were investigated in this study. Coal samples were processed and screened, treated with a nondestructive water immersion device, and dried separately at different temperatures. Uniaxial compression experiment, acoustic emission tests, and fractal dimension calculation were then conducted. Experimental results show that the degree of drying of coal samples rose as the drying temperature increased. Peak stress and elastic modulus decreased while the damage variables and brittleness rose in dried anthracite samples with increasing drying temperature. The Acoustic emission characteristics were consistent with the mechanical characteristics. The stress-strain curves changed from stepped type to perpendicular type in the post-peak stage. This was accompanied by intense damage of the coal samples and increases in the fractal dimension of the broken blocks. Our findings shed light on how coal samples dry and provide recommendations for enhancing drying methods in laboratory mechanics tests.