Immersive Virtual Reality Experience Research Articles

Place attachment theory and virtual reality: the case of a rural tourism destination

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore from a place attachment (PA) theory perspective the extent to which and how, a fully immersive virtual reality (VR) experience enhances tourists’ attachment level on-site at a rural destination. Design/methodology/approach This study applied an exploratory mixed method approach. Respondents were tourists visiting the Lake District National Park who were asked to try a VR experience. In Study 1, interviews were conducted to explore new themes and to develop an enhanced PA framework in VR. Study 1 confirmed existing variables from the literature and highlighted new variables (themes) to be included in the new framework on how PA is formed. In Study 2, surveys were conducted, and the proposed framework analyzed using structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). To fully understand how VR had an impact on enhancing PA, the moderating effect of tourists’ pre-existing PA was considered. Findings The findings revealed “Accessibility”, “Memories” and “Increased Place Knowledge” as new themes (variables) and confirmed that these and established variables “Aesthetics” and “Presence” enhance PA, leading to increased loyalty. Significant moderating effects of existing PA were found. Practical implications VR serves as a complementary and substitutional tool for tourism. Tailored VR experiences for diverse tourist needs may enhance destination marketing and competitiveness. For tourists with low PA, destinations should focus on promoting activities and highlights to enhance engagement and the experiential understanding of the destination. For tourists with high PA, VR experiences should focus on providing a comprehensive view of the destination and unveiling new places. In both cases, the VR experience leads to deeper engagement with the destination and an increase in PA. Originality/value Research on the impact of VR on tourists’ PA is limited. To address this gap, this study’s theoretical contribution lies in developing and testing a PA framework within a VR and tourism context. This also includes the validation of new measurement items developed in relation to the new themes.

Leaving loneliness alone: a brief research report on the pathways to (digital) solutions involving older adults

Purpose Older adults often experience loneliness as a vicious circle, in which loneliness builds more loneliness. Breaking this cycle is key to minimize the experience of loneliness. MOAI LABS is a European project that adopts a codesign process to develop digital solutions to address loneliness in older adults. This study aims to adopt a solution-based approach to capture solutions that community-dwelling older Portuguese adults who feel loneliness already experience in their lives. Design/methodology/approach Six individuals (aged 64–86 years) answered two solution-based questions: miracle and exceptions. Findings were obtained from one group discussion session that was audio-recorded, transcribed and submitted to qualitative analysis. Findings Main findings suggest that participants feel comfort in imagining their desired scenarios that involve being with their loved ones, better health conditions, adequate housing settings and contact with nature. Originality/value The findings highlight that leaving loneliness alone seems to be a path that may be facilitated by digital solutions that display solution-based questions, such as online platforms for social connection, virtual care and monitoring, design of smart home devices and the creation of immersive virtual reality experiences to explore nature, complemented by psychosocial support.

Modeling the Impact of Head-Body Rotations on Audio-Visual Spatial Perception for Virtual Reality Applications.

Humans perceive the world by integrating multimodal sensory feedback, including visual and auditory stimuli, which holds true in virtual reality (VR) environments. Proper synchronization of these stimuli is crucial for perceiving a coherent and immersive VR experience. In this work, we focus on the interplay between audio and vision during localization tasks involving natural head-body rotations. We explore the impact of audio-visual offsets and rotation velocities on users' directional localization acuity for various viewing modes. Using psychometric functions, we model perceptual disparities between visual and auditory cues and determine offset detection thresholds. Our findings reveal that target localization accuracy is affected by perceptual audio-visual disparities during head-body rotations, but remains consistent in the absence of stimuli-head relative motion. We then showcase the effectiveness of our approach in predicting and enhancing users' localization accuracy within realistic VR gaming applications. To provide additional support for our findings, we implement a natural VR game wherein we apply a compensatory audio-visual offset derived from our measured psychometric functions. As a result, we demonstrate a substantial improvement of up to 40% in participants' target localization accuracy. We additionally provide guidelines for content creation to ensure coherent and seamless VR experiences.

Immersive virtual reality experiences: boosting potential visitor engagement and attractiveness of natural world heritage sites

ABSTRACT Natural world heritage sites as destinations can have multiple orientations, namely cognitive (learning), affective (hedonism), and sustainability (nature). This study investigates how potential visitors can be attracted to such destinations using virtual reality (VR). Using the Sundarbans mangrove forest (Bangladesh) as a case, and adopting customer engagement and TAM as underlying theories, we collect data from 316 subjects to investigate how ease of use, perceived usefulness, and enjoyment of VR experiences affect intention to visit. In doing so, we reveal that psychological, but not behavioural, engagement serves as a mediator in explaining intention to visit in the context of VR.

Power and vertical locations: A socioecological perspective

High-rise construction increasingly dominates the contemporary urban landscape. We show that the physical built environment is linked to lay theories about social power. In five experiments (N = 1091), we comprehensively test the bi-directional causal link between floor location in high-rises and perceived social power. First, using immersive virtual reality (VR) experience of floor location within a physical urban environment (Experiment 1) and traditional experimental designs (Experiments 2–3), we demonstrate that information about a person's floor location affects perceptions regarding that individual's social power. Second, we find that information about a person's social power influences inferences about that individual's location on higher floors (Experiment 4) and encourages greater monetary outlays for the higher locations of powerful employees (Experiment 5). These findings carry important implications for social hierarchies and inequality, individual choices and policy implications in the urban environment, and the use of VR in environmental perception and cognition research.

Research and recommendations on user immersion in Virtual Reality (VR) technology based on data mining

This paper describes the applications and challenges of virtual reality (VR) technology, with a focus on how to improve users' sense of experience in VR environments. In order to better understand users' sense of experience in VR environments, this paper uses a variety of methods for data analysis. The findings show that the older and longer the duration, the more immersive the user is and the higher the immersion with Oculus Rift. 30-36 year old males, 32-35 year old females, and 34-40 year olds experienced higher immersion, while 34-44 year olds had the lowest motion sickness but the best experience. Men with HTC Vive experience higher immersion, while women and others with Oculus Rift experience higher immersion. According to the study, the HTC Vive is best for users under the age of 30, the Playstation VR is best for users aged 30-50, and the Oculus Rift is best for users over 50. In terms of duration, the Oculus Rift provides the best experience for users under 10 minutes and over 40 minutes, while the HTC Vive is better in the 10-40 minute duration. Male users are most immersed at 23-31 minutes, female users are most immersed at 23-31 minutes, and other users are most immersed at 26-33 minutes. Motion sickness was lowest, but the best duration of the experience was 31 minutes.HTC Vive users felt higher immersion at 25-32 minutes, Playstation VR users at 21-28 minutes, and Oculus Rift users at 25-34 minutes. These conclusions provide an important reference basis for improving users' experience in the VR environment. At the same time, this paper puts forward targeted recommendations based on the conclusions drawn from the statistical analysis of the data, which can largely help users to improve the sense of VR experience and bring users an immersive virtual reality experience.

Omnidirectional Image Super-resolution via Bi-projection Fusion

With the rapid development of virtual reality, omnidirectional images (ODIs) have attracted much attention from both the industrial community and academia. However, due to storage and transmission limitations, the resolution of current ODIs is often insufficient to provide an immersive virtual reality experience. Previous approaches address this issue using conventional 2D super-resolution techniques on equirectangular projection without exploiting the unique geometric properties of ODIs. In particular, the equirectangular projection (ERP) provides a complete field-of-view but introduces significant distortion, while the cubemap projection (CMP) can reduce distortion yet has a limited field-of-view. In this paper, we present a novel Bi-Projection Omnidirectional Image Super-Resolution (BPOSR) network to take advantage of the geometric properties of the above two projections. Then, we design two tailored attention methods for these projections: Horizontal Striped Transformer Block (HSTB) for ERP and Perspective Shift Transformer Block (PSTB) for CMP. Furthermore, we propose a fusion module to make these projections complement each other. Extensive experiments demonstrate that BPOSR achieves state-of-the-art performance on omnidirectional image super-resolution. The code is available at https://github.com/W-JG/BPOSR.

‘It Feels Really Vulnerable and a Little Dangerous’: When Words Are Not Enough

ABSTRACT Imagine being given the immense responsibility and gift as a researcher to deliver a person’s final nature experience. People living with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are often sheltered from nature experiences due to their disease status; however, they have rich memories of past nature experiences. The goals of this overall journey of co-creation were two-fold: (1) co-create personalized nature-based utilizing immersive 360-degree virtual reality (VR) experiences based on participants’ experiences in outdoor spaces; (2) utilize a narrative approach to explore the lived realities of people living with severe COPD. Throughout this collaborative research process, I made home visits, phone calls, and many trips to four people’s personalized outdoor places in the Upstate of South Carolina. In doing so, I lived the experience of person-centered research. This essay focuses specifically on one participant, David, his wife and caregiver, Anne, and the co-creation of David’s last virtual trip to his most cherished places in nature. Re-gifting David’s last nature experience in his favorite outdoor places profoundly changed my research approach. This essay considers how I reconciled the disconnect between the “scientific” language used in health research and the lived experience of being a researcher during end-of-life processes, specifically attending to the terms: attrition, participant, and researcher.

A systematic review of wearable biosensor usage in immersive virtual reality experiences

Wearable biosensors are increasingly incorporated in immersive Virtual Reality (iVR) applications. A trend that is attributed to the availability of better quality, less costly, and easier-to-use devices. However, consensus is yet to emerge over the most optimal combinations. In this review, the aim is to clarify the best examples of biosensor usage in combination with iVR applications. The high number of papers in the review (560) were classified into the following seven fields of application: psychology, medicine, sports, education, ergonomics, military, and tourism and marketing. The use of each type of wearable biosensor and Head-Mounted Display was analyzed for each field of application. Then, the development of the iVR application is analyzed according to its goals, user interaction levels, and the possibility of adapting the iVR environment to biosensor feedback. Finally, the evaluation of the iVR experience was studied, considering such issues as sample size, the presence of a control group, and post-assessment routines. A working method through which the most common solutions, the best practices, and the most promising trends in biofeedback-based iVR applications were identified for each field of application. Besides, guidelines oriented towards good practice are proposed for the development of future iVR with biofeedback applications. The results of this review suggest that the use of biosensors within iVR environments need to be standardized in some fields of application, especially when considering the adaptation of the iVR experience to real-time biosignals to improve user performance.

Relationship between demographic and social variables and performance in virtual reality among healthcare personnel: an observational study

BackgroundVirtual reality is emerging as an important component of medical education. Although the benefits of virtual reality are apparent, the optimal strategy to orient to or differentiate learners in the virtual space have not been delineated. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between demographic variables, social variables, and self-perceived comfort with technology to performance on a standardized non-medical virtual reality experience.MethodsThis observational study was performed at the International Meeting on Simulation in Healthcare in 2022. This conference includes medical and non-medical attendees. Participants provided demographic information and participated in a scored non-medical VR experience due to the heterogeneity of the sample. Participants then completed a System Usability Index and NASA Task Load Index form. Participants were dividedintolow scoring, medium scoring, and high scoring groups according to their final game score for further analysis.Results95 participants were included in final analysis. 55 (57.9%) of participants had prior virtual reality experience. Higher scores were associated with younger age (11.09, p < 0.001), identifying as male (11.09, p < 0.001), and a higher frequency of playing video games in the past (18.96, p < 0.001). The high score group was more likely to report comfort with virtual reality (6.29, p = 0.003) as well as comfort with new technology (4.61, p = 0.012). NASA Task Load Index scores trended down and System Usability Index scores trended up with increasing score. Being a nurse was a positive predictor of a higher score when compared to physicians in the multivariate analysis. ConclusionPerformance during an immersive virtual reality experience was most closely related to age, gender, and frequency of playing video games. Self-perceived comfort with virtual reality was more predictive of score than prior virtual reality experience.

A Conceptual Framework for Immersive Acoustic Auralisation: Investigating the Key Attributes

In architectural acoustics, the assessment of sound propagation in interior and/or environmental conditions has now become progressively more prominent throughout the past few decades, as a response to the development of advanced prediction tools. Within the adaptation of virtual reality (VR) systems, it is necessary to considerably expedite the prediction and simulation software as well as to enable flexible and responsive data analysis during simulation and 3D audio sensory projection. To generate ideal immersion in a simulated virtual environment, the generated stimulus across all senses should therefore be coherent. Accordingly, in the domain of acoustic in virtual reality, the system sound simulation must be constructed efficiently in order to convey the auditory stimuli to the user in an appropriate manner. This necessitates the implementation of virtual reality system as an advanced prediction tool that can accurately anticipate and replicate realistic audio experiences. Therefore, this study explores the realm of acoustic virtual reality (AVR) through a critical review with the purpose of elucidating design attributes and determining factors in generating immersive acoustic VR experiences. In light of these findings, the aim of this paper is to develop a comprehensive conceptual framework that will serve as a beneficial guide and road map for future researchers and developers in the field.

Novel neurodigital interface reduces motion sickness in virtual reality

Virtual reality (VR) is a computer-created 3D environment with a focus on realistic scenes and pictures created for entertainment, medical and/or educational and training purposes. One of the major side effects of VR immersion reported in the scientific literature, media and social media is Visually Induced Motion Sickness (VIMS), with clinical symptoms such as disorientation, nausea, and oculomotor discomfort. VIMS is mostly caused by the discrepancy between the visual and vestibular systems and can lead to dizziness, nausea, and disorientation. In this study, we present one potential novel solution to combat motion sickness in VR, showcasing a significant reduction of nausea in VR users employing the META Quest 2 headsets in conjunction with a whole-body controller. Using a neurodigital approach, we facilitate a more immersive and comfortable VR experience. Our findings indicate a marked reduction in VR-induced nausea, paving the way to promote VR technology for broader applications across various fields.

Evaluating effectiveness of immersive virtual reality in promoting students’ learning and engagement: a case study of analytical biotechnology engineering course

We conducted an immersive virtual reality (IVR) intervention in an analytical biotechnology course to evaluate its effectiveness in promoting student learning and engagement. The objective was to assess the impact of an IVR tool on learning infrared (IR) spectroscopy and academic engagement. The IVR experience was integrated into the course sessions, which included theoretical framework, IR spectra exercises, an individual quiz, and competition games. Students were immersed in a first-person IVR experience simulating an analytical room, where they performed sample analysis and operated a virtual IR spectrometer. The quiz and survey assessed their understanding and perception of the IVR experience. When compared to control groups, IVR intervention group achieved higher scores on midterm exam questions related to IR spectroscopy and reported greater academic engagement according to the satisfaction survey. The findings highlighted the effectiveness of IVR in enhancing learning outcomes, curiosity, motivation, and engagement among students. Moreover, our research provides empirical evidence of IVR’s positive impact on student learning and engagement in the context of biotechnology engineering. Based on the study’s implications, educators in engineering fields should consider integrating IVR as an instructional tool, particularly for laboratory-related topics with limited equipment accessibility and overcrowded courses. Future research should explore the generalizability of these findings across different subjects and educational levels. Additionally, investigating the underlying factors influencing the effectiveness of IVR in promoting academic engagement would further enhance the understanding and implementation of this technology in educational settings.

Passive Haptics and Conversational Avatars for Interacting with Ancient Egypt Remains in High-Fidelity Virtual Reality Experiences

As Extended Reality (XR) continues to grow, new possibilities arise to provide users with novel ways to experience cultural heritage (CH). In particular, applications based on Virtual Reality (VR) like, e.g., virtual museums, have gained increasing popularity, since they can offer new ways for preserving and presenting CH content that are not feasible in physical museums. Despite the numerous benefits, the level of immersion and presence provided by VR experiences still present challenges that could hinder the effectiveness of this technology in the CH context. In this perspective, it is crucial to provide the users with high-fidelity experiences, in which also the interaction with the objects and the characters populating virtual environments are realistic and natural. This paper focuses on this challenge and specifically investigates how the combined use of tangible and speech interfaces can help to improve the overall experience. To this aim, a immersive VR experience is proposed, which allows the users to manipulate virtual objects belonging to a museum collection (in the specific case, Ancient Egypt remains) by physically operating on 3D printed replicas and to talk with a curator’s avatar to get explanations by using their voice. A user study was conducted to evaluate the impact of the considered interfaces on immersion, presence, user experience, usability, and intention to visit, comparing the richest configuration against simpler setups obtained by either removing the tangible interface, the speech interface or both (and using only handheld controllers). The results showed that the combined use of the two interfaces can effectively contribute at making the CH experience in VR more engaging.

Evaluation of the novelty effect in immersive Virtual Reality learning experiences

In this study, the novelty effect or initial fascination with new technology is addressed in the context of an immersive Virtual Reality (iVR) experience. The novelty effect is a significant factor contributing to low learning outcomes during initial VR learning experiences. The aim of this research is to measure the effectiveness of a tutorial at mitigating the novelty effect of iVR learning environments among first-year undergraduate students. The iVR tutorial forms part of the iVR learning experience that involves the assembly of a personal computer, while learning the functions of the main components. 86 students participated in the study, divided into a Control group (without access to the tutorial) and a Treatment group (completing the tutorial). Both groups showed a clear bimodal distribution in previous knowledge, due to previous experience with learning topics, giving us an opportunity to compare tutorial effects with students of different backgrounds. Pre- and post-test questionnaires were used to evaluate the experience. The analysis included such factors as previous knowledge, usability, satisfaction, and learning outcomes categorized into remembering, understanding, and evaluation. The results demonstrated that the tutorial significantly increased overall satisfaction, reduced the learning time required for iVR mechanics, and improved levels of student understanding, and evaluation knowledge. Furthermore, the tutorial helped to homogenize group behavior, particularly benefiting students with less previous experience in the learning topic. However, it was noted that a small number of students still received low marks after the iVR experience, suggesting potential avenues for future research.

IMMERSIVE VIRTUAL REALITY FOR DARK HERITAGE INTERPRETATION: THE CASE OF ŽANIS LIPKE MEMORIAL

The article will focus on the use of immersive virtual reality experiences in the interpretation of the dark heritage for young audiences. Here, through a case study of the Žanis Lipke Memorial, a new virtual reality experience was tested with young people, evaluating the benefits and shortcomings of this tool in conveying the story of the largest Jewish rescue mission at the time of the Holocaust in Latvia. Given that every heritage institution aims to pass on the heritage to future generations, it is also essential for them to keep up with the practices of the new generation of the digital natives in their information-seeking, education and leisure-time habits, given that technology plays a pivotal role in their daily life. While virtual reality is often associated with the entertainment and gaming industries, it is also increasingly used in educational processes, in this case – as an interpretive tool in educating people about the Jewish rescue mission and Holocaust at the Memorial. Young people in the focus groups acknowledged the emotional, embodied and implicit learning aspects of the virtual reality experience, but also pointed out some spatial and technological shortcomings of it. While some had relatively low initial expectations about the innovativeness of the Memorial, in the end, most recognised that the high-quality, realistic and historically accurate immersive virtual reality experience, combined with a physical tour at the Memorial, provided a deeper understanding of the historical event in question.

Virtual reality after stroke: Identifying important characteristics when designing experiences to improve engagement in upper limb rehabilitation

Objective Virtual reality (VR) has been used to improve upper limb function after stroke but there is little to guide product developers in building experiences that engage users in the sustained, repetitive training required. This research sought to understand the characteristics of VR scenarios best suited to engaging someone with a stroke during recovery to achieve therapeutic outcomes. Methods Five creative immersive VR scenarios were designed by an experienced VR content creator containing unique combinations of VR characteristics. The usefulness of the scenarios was reviewed by expert clinicians experienced in stroke rehabilitation. Following this review, seven stroke survivors participated in each experience and reported on their engagement and motivation. Outcome measures were the User Satisfaction Evaluation Questionnaire and the modified Intrinsic Motivation Inventory. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five participants following their immersive VR experience and analysed thematically. Results Expert clinicians reported potential therapeutic value in the immersive VR scenarios by providing opportunities for repeated and graded practice of upper limb movements. Stroke survivors reported varied levels of enjoyment and engagement for each scenario. They recommended changes to the experiences, primarily relating to the tailoring of the scenarios to match varied upper limb capacities. Conclusion This study highlights the characteristics of immersive VR scenarios that are important in sustaining motivation and providing high-repetition task-specific movement experiences. Differences in the experience and preferences of stroke participants regarding the characteristics of immersive VR experiences indicate that a variety of experiences are necessary to engage and sustain participation in an immersive VR-related therapy programme.

Exploring the Virtual Frontier: The Impact of Virtual Reality on Undergraduate Biology Education at the American University in Dubai

Virtual Reality (VR) technology is revolutionizing education, providing unique opportunities for immersive and interactive learning. This study explores the potential of VR to enhance undergraduate biology education—a pioneering endeavor within the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This research follows a structured three-stage approach which includes: pre-assessments, immersive VR experiences, and postassessments that evaluate the impact of VR on students’ knowledge and skills. This is complemented by a Likert-scale comprehensive learning survey designed to assess the students’ level of engagement and satisfaction. Using VR, students navigate a detailed 3D model of the human body and its organs and findings suggest that immersive VR holds substantial promise as an educational tool in UAE undergraduate biology education. Pre-assessments and post-assessments demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in biology assessment scores, indicating enhanced comprehension of complex concepts after a single VR session. Furthermore, the learning survey results suggest high levels of student engagement and satisfaction in the VR environment. The introduction of VR technology into undergraduate biology education is innovative, shedding light on its untapped potential. This study provides insights into the broader applicability of immersive VR in science education and its potential to transform learning experiences, benefiting both students and educators.

HapticPilot

The emergence of vibrotactile feedback in hand wearables enables immersive virtual reality (VR) experience with whole-hand haptic rendering. However, existing haptic rendering neglects inconsistent sensations caused by hand postures. In our study, we observed that changing hand postures alters the distribution of vibrotactile signals which might degrade one's haptic perception. To address the issues, we present HapticPilot which allows an in-situ haptic experience design for hand wearables in VR. We developed an in-situ authoring system supporting instant haptic design. In the authoring tool, we applied our posture-adaptive haptic rendering algorithm with a novel haptic design abstraction called phantom grid. The algorithm adapts phantom grid to the target posture and incorporates 1D &amp; 2D phantom sensation with a unique actuator arrangement to provide a whole-hand experience. With this method, HapticPilot provides a consistent haptic experience across various hand postures is available. Through measuring perceptual haptic performance and collecting qualitative feedback, we validated the usability of the system. In the end, we demonstrated our system with prospective VR scenarios showing how it enables an intuitive, empowering, and responsive haptic authoring framework.

Effectiveness of Virtual Reality on Learning Engagement

With its immersive, interactive, and creative capabilities, virtual reality (VR) has been widely used in educational settings to provide students with challenging real-world experiences. As a result, interest in its effectiveness has grown. The goal of this meta-analysis is to examine how VR technology affects students' motivation to study. A comprehensive analysis of the literature up to December 2022 revealed 15 randomized controlled trials or quasi-experimental studies. These studies were also coded to examine the moderating effects of their features, such as types of learner engagement, learner stages, learning domains, types of VR technology, and the moderating effect of knowledge types. The results indicate a large effect of VR on student engagement in learning (g=0.85). Furthermore, the findings of the moderator analysis demonstrate that VR has a more significant impact on cognitive engagement, higher education learners, immersive VR experiences, the field of art education, and procedural knowledge learning.