Latest Virtual Reality Technologies Research Articles

Virtual Reality Campuses as New Educational Metaverses

This paper focuses on the potential value and future prospects of using virtual reality (VR) technology in online education. In detailing online education and the latest VR technology, we focus on metaverse construction and artificial intelligence (AI) for educational VR use. In particular, we describe a virtual university campus in which on-demand VR lectures are conducted in virtual lecture halls, automated evaluations of student learning and training using machine learning, and the linking of multiple digital campuses.

A comprehensive statistical assessment framework to measure the impact of immersive environments on skills of higher education students: a case study

Universities are facing the challenge of updating the contents of their current study programs and adopting novel education strategies in order to prepare the next generation of engineers who can adapt to the highly competitive labor market of Industry 4.0. This new industrial era requires skills and competencies in state-of-the-art technologies which are constantly and rapidly evolving. This research presents an alternative approach to the current teaching–learning methodologies, focusing on the use of Virtual Reality (VR) as an educational tool and its contribution towards the upcoming industrial challenges, via what we call interactive education for future engineers (IE). Our IE strategy is supported by interactive simulation using the latest VR technologies, currently being Facebook’s Oculus Rift hardware and software. With this approach, we seek to enhance the “know-how” of our students by training them in the practical skills they will need for the technological innovations of the evolving labor market. Our work has been implemented in engineering courses at Tecnologico de Monterrey in Mexico, aligning with the university’s educational model “TEC21” which aims to increase the students’ self-learning capabilities using interactive teaching and hands-on practical work to develop new abilities and competencies in an expanded variety of domains. So far, our results have shown that the use of IE not only improves the way professors teach, but reinforces skills, competencies, enhances creativity and strongly motivates the students in their daily learning.

Planning participants’ preferential differences under immersive virtual reality and conventional representations: An experiment of street renewal

Immersive virtual reality is a promising technology for planning participation. The paper contributes to the literature by comparing the latest virtual reality technology using head-mounted display with conventional graphic representation (pictures of rendered three-dimensional environments in this case) in terms of the effects on the participants’ preferences for the plans and their underlying decision mechanisms. Using a stated choice experiment based on a real-world project of street renewal, we collected choice data from 48 university students from non-design majors. We found significant quantitative but limited qualitative differences between the aggregate preferences under virtual reality and conventional graphic representation, and some generally unappealing features under conventional graphic representation were more favored under virtual reality. Results of the discrete choice modeling showed the individual decision mechanisms became more homogeneous under virtual reality. Virtual reality had stronger impacts on the female participants than the male participants. The females had more aggregate preference reversals, larger preference differences, and stronger changes in the decision mechanism. But the mechanisms of the two genders converged under virtual reality. The findings can be used to design better participatory processes with virtual reality and conventional graphic representation properly applied according to their capabilities.

The effect of virtual reality forest and urban environments on physiological and psychological responses

Previous studies used pictures or movies to investigate the impact of virtual nature environments on physiological and psychological health, providing inferior immersive experiences. The latest virtual reality (VR), launched in 2016, allows users to be fully immersed in simulated surroundings. However, the effects of the simulated environments created by the latest VR technology on health were not yet known. This study employed both cross-over and pretest-posttest design to examine the influence of forest and urban VR environments on restoration (N = 30). Both physiological and psychological responses were collected. The results show that participants’ systolic blood pressure and heart rate decreased with time, regardless of environmental differences. About psychological responses, an increased level of fatigue and a decreased level of self-esteem were reported in simulated urban environments. In contrast, an increased level of vigor and a decreased level of negative emotions (i.e., confusion, fatigue, anger-hostility, tension, and depression) were observed in simulated forest environments. In sum, greater benefits were found when immersing in forest settings. The latest VR technology can serve as an alternative way to access nature environments for restoration.

Virtual reality for showcasing sustainable engineering design

One of the goals of national parks is to promote sustainable development and environmental education. This paper presents a study to further the goal by demonstrating the value of virtual reality and augmented reality in the construction of a FRP (Fiber Reinforced Polymer or Plastics) pedestrian bridge in Taiwan’s national park. The purposes are three-fold. First, the bridge serves to educate visitors about the infrastructure of the park. Second, it attracts the attention of the public and raises interest in conservation and sustainability. Third, it allows to showcase sustainable engineering design with the latest virtual reality technology. The example described in this paper is based on the same principles of e-learning and mobile learning. The experience is valuable in encouraging and promoting tourism opportunities and sustainable resource use in national parks.

The Latest Virtual-Reality Technology and Its Feasibility of Clinical Applications

The Latest Virtual-Reality Technology and Its Feasibility of Clinical Applications