Mobile Virtual Reality Research Articles

Experimental study on the effect of fire alarms on occupants for situational awareness and evacuation decision‐making using a mobile virtual reality head‐mounted display

AbstractFire alarms play a significantrole in situational awareness and decision‐making pertaining to evacuation for fire evacuation safety in office buildings that include small rooms, where many occupants cannot directly see fire or smoke. We conducted experiments using a mobile VR head‐mounted display to examine how individuals perceive the sound of fire alarms in rooms of different sizes. Comparing the cases of hearing the alarm sound in the large room and the small room, approximately 70% of the test participants answered that they wanted to check the situation more when they were in the small room because they could not understand the surrounding situation. Regardless of the room size, when test participants hear the early warning voice, approximately 40% of them would check the neighborhood and evacuate, and when they hear the evacuation directive voice alarm, more than 90% will take the same action. We also discussed the awareness process of occupants considering this result and the configuration of a smoke detection system in Japan. Approximately half of the people in the large room take checking actions; however, the remaining people do not take specific confirmation actions for about 1–3 min and do not check for fires or evacuate.

Wireless Multiplayer Interactive Virtual Reality Game Systems With Edge Computing: Modeling and Optimization

Wireless multiplayer interactive virtual reality (VR) game has the high computing workload of VR and unpredictable interaction among players, which brings severe challenges to the design of wireless communication systems. In this paper, we propose a wireless multiplayer interactive VR game transmission framework based on mobile edge computing (MEC) that is able to model the interaction among players and compute the post-processing procedures at the MEC server or the mobile VR device. In the framework, the absolute delay of each player is used to avoid VR vertigo and the inter-player delay among players is used to model the fairness of the interactive game. Aiming to minimize the average inter-player delay, we optimize the computing resource allocation of the MEC server, the wireless bandwidth allocation and the post-processing decision policy subject to the constraints of the absolute delay requirements, the local energy limits of players, the total bandwidth limit and the computing resources limit. To tackle the non-convex problem efficiently, we design an iterative algorithm based on the NESTT-G algorithm which iteratively optimizes the truncated first-order Taylor approximation of the objective. Numerical results demonstrate the proposed algorithm can reduce the average inter-player delay significantly with lower complexity, and also reveal the impact of different parameters and the channel state conditions on the post-processing decision and edge resource allocation.

Enabling Mobile Virtual Reality with Open 5G, Fog Computing and Reinforcement Learning

Virtual reality (VR) is an emerging technology reshaping interactive experience and can be widely applied in gaming, operation training, and so on. Despite its great potentials, most existing VR solutions suffer from low mobility support, high latency, quick battery drain, as well as high cost of user devices. To overcome these issues, a mobile VR system is designed and implemented. The basic idea is to take advantage of 5G and fog computing to realize high bandwidth and low latency VR service. Meanwhile, our design features the integration of an open 5G base station (BS) and an intelligent controller. With the help of artificial intelligence (AI) and the interfaces provided by the BS and fog VR servers, the controller can wisely adjust both the BS-level and application-level parameters to enhance system performance. Using our prototype system, the impact of various parameters, the superiority of fog computing over cloud computing in supporting VR, and the effectiveness of AI in optimizing system performance are all demonstrated. In addition, multi-dimensional resource optimization for VR delivery and strategy design for VR service migration are identified as two promising future research directions.

Using a mobile Virtual Reality and computer game to improve visuospatial self-efficacy in middle school students

Visuospatial (VS) skills, or one’s ability to mentally manipulate spatial information about objects, are critical to STEM enrollment, retention, and achievement. Low level of VS skills may deter some people from joining the STEM workforce or complicate their learning experience. While there is plenty of evidence suggesting that VS skills can be improved through training, few accessible training programs exist as of now, particularly for younger students. The current study proposes a new direction of VS training focusing on the development of visuospatial self-efficacy (VSSE), or one’s confidence that they can complete specific VS tasks. The collaborative, desktop/mobile Virtual Reality game called [hidden for peer review] (available for download at [hidden for peer review]) was designed to improve VSSE in middle school students. A total of 169 students across 11 classrooms in 3 middle schools in a mid-western city in the United States participated in the intervention. The participants in the experimental condition (n=96, 6 classrooms) played the intervention game during 4 sessions over the course of 2 weeks, while the participants in the control condition (n=73, 5 classrooms) engaged in typical class activities. The results revealed that the intervention significantly increased students’ VS self-efficacy but not their VS performance or STEM performance. The implications and significance of the findings are discussed along with suggestions for further research.

Acceptation of the Developed Mobile Virtual Reality Visualisations of 3D Objects from the Area of the Silk Road

Acceptation of the Developed Mobile Virtual Reality Visualisations of 3D Objects from the Area of the Silk Road

Teaching Disaster Evacuation Management Education to Nursing Students Using Virtual Reality Mobile Game-Based Learning.

The purpose of this study was to explore the effectiveness of a virtual reality mobile game-based application for teaching disaster evacuation management education to nursing students. A pre-test, post-test, and final-test study design was used to compare traditional lecture group and game group instructional knowledge delivery effectiveness and instructional mode satisfaction. The statistical comparison of pre-test and post-test knowledge and decision-making scores did not reveal significant group differences for short-term improvement ( P ≥ .05); however, final test scores revealed that the virtual reality mobile game-based application group had significantly higher knowledge and decision-making retention scores compared with the traditional lecture group ( P = .000). The game group also had significantly higher instructional mode satisfaction scores for course interest and cooperation with others ( P < .05). The virtual reality mobile game-based application was more effective for teaching nursing students about disaster evacuation management educational training than lecture instruction. The greater satisfaction expressed by nursing students when using this instructional mode suggests that it may better facilitate self-initiated lifelong disaster evacuation learning behaviors.

Using Mobile Virtual Reality Simulation to Prepare for In-Person Helping Babies Breathe Training: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial (the eHBB/mHBS Trial).

BackgroundNeonatal mortality accounts for approximately 46% of global under-5 child mortality. The widespread access to mobile devices in low- and middle-income countries has enabled innovations, such as mobile virtual reality (VR), to be leveraged in simulation education for health care workers.ObjectiveThis study explores the feasibility and educational efficacy of using mobile VR for the precourse preparation of health care professionals in neonatal resuscitation training.MethodsHealth care professionals in obstetrics and newborn care units at 20 secondary and tertiary health care facilities in Lagos, Nigeria, and Busia, Western Kenya, who had not received training in Helping Babies Breathe (HBB) within the past 1 year were randomized to access the electronic HBB VR simulation and digitized HBB Provider’s Guide (VR group) or the digitized HBB Provider’s Guide only (control group). A sample size of 91 participants per group was calculated based on the main study protocol that was previously published. Participants were directed to use the electronic HBB VR simulation and digitized HBB Provider’s Guide or the digitized HBB Provider’s Guide alone for a minimum of 20 minutes. HBB knowledge and skills assessments were then conducted, which were immediately followed by a standard, in-person HBB training course that was led by study staff and used standard HBB evaluation tools and the Neonatalie Live manikin (Laerdal Medical).ResultsA total of 179 nurses and midwives participated (VR group: n=91; control group: n=88). The overall performance scores on the knowledge check (P=.29), bag and mask ventilation skills check (P=.34), and Objective Structured Clinical Examination A checklist (P=.43) were similar between groups, with low overall pass rates (6/178, 3.4% of participants). During the Objective Structured Clinical Examination A test, participants in the VR group performed better on the critical step of positioning the head and clearing the airway (VR group: 77/90, 86%; control group: 57/88, 65%; P=.002). The median percentage of ventilations that were performed via head tilt, as recorded by the Neonatalie Live manikin, was also numerically higher in the VR group (75%, IQR 9%-98%) than in the control group (62%, IQR 13%-97%), though not statistically significantly different (P=.35). Participants in the control group performed better on the identifying a helper and reviewing the emergency plan step (VR group: 7/90, 8%; control group: 16/88, 18%; P=.045) and the washing hands step (VR group: 20/90, 22%; control group: 32/88, 36%; P=.048).ConclusionsThe use of digital interventions, such as mobile VR simulations, may be a viable approach to precourse preparation in neonatal resuscitation training for health care professionals in low- and middle-income countries.

Mobile virtual tooth morphology teaching environment for preclinical dental students.

Extended reality as an additional digital learning concept comprises virtual reality (VR), augmented reality, and mixed reality. In particular, VR allows an interaction in the virtual world. The aim of this study was to evaluate the students' attitude toward a mobile VR application for teaching tooth morphologies. Eighty-two first year dental students were enrolled. After using the VR learning environment with mobile VR glasses at home for 1 week, the students were asked to fill in a questionnaire with 21 questions regarding intuitive handling, and supplemental learning information in comparison to the use of conventional textbooks. Nine questions provided predefined answer options, another nine had the form of a visual analog scale (VAS, range 0%-highly negative to 100%-highly positive), and three allowed free text answers. The data were checked for normal distribution (Kolmogorov-Smirnov test) and was analyzed descriptively. Forty-four percent of the students rated their perception of understanding of dental morphologies much better with VR than with conventional learning. The potential of the VR learning environment for further dental topics was assessed with a median VAS score of 75.8%. Its intuitive handling was evaluated with a median VAS score of 67.1%. The haptic, visual, and auditory supplemental learning information was consistently rated positively with VAS scores of 73.9%, 80.0%, and 71.6%, respectively. Overall, a majority of the students (85.5%) recommended the VR learning environment for dental morphology. The VR dental learning environment allows dental students an additional learning opportunity of dental morphologies, recommended by more than 85% of students.

Application of Mobile Virtual Reality Technology Combined with Neural Network in Facial Expression Recognition.

In recent years, in the field of virtual reality, in more and more scenes, users interact with hardware or programs through facial expressions. In order to give full play to the advantages of program interaction between virtual reality devices and users, this paper proposes a mobile virtual reality expression recognition system combined with convolution neural network. Based on the optimized AlexNet network, an expression recognition algorithm is constructed and combined with LBP feature mapping technology to improve the performance of the algorithm. At the same time, according to the nature and characteristics of mobile virtual reality devices, the user face information acquisition algorithm is optimized. The performance test results of the expression recognition system show that the recognition accuracy of the system is higher than that of the traditional convolution neural network expression recognition algorithm, and the maximum difference is greater than 10%. At the same time, the average running speed of the whole system is about 37 ms, which can meet the accuracy and real-time requirements of expression recognition in virtual reality interaction. The experimental results show that the expression recognition system proposed in this paper can be applied to mobile virtual reality devices. At the same time, it also provides new ideas for industry researchers to optimize the identification function.

Refresh Rate and Graphical Benchmarks for Mobile VR Application Development

Virtual reality (VR) technology is quickly becoming more accessible to the general public due to the availability and capabilities of modern smartphone devices. However, such mobile devices are not as powerful as high-end desktop systems where VR is mostly established. Running demanding VR apps leads to performance issues such as lag, excessive heat, and fast battery drainage. To avoid these problems, software factors must be optimised. The user evaluation (N=51)(N=51) involved presenting multiple VR scenes (with varying frame rates), requiring participants to judge which scenes felt smooth; the results indicate that anything below 50 FPS was tolerable at best and nauseating at worst. To also measure the performance impact of various software settings, benchmarks were conducted on different smartphones. The results highlight the effects when varying the number of displayed on-screen objects, as well as outlining which settings should be avoid when specifically targeting mobile VR platforms. Heat and battery life were found to be non-issues at recommended performance levels. The proposed work established valuable guidelines which can be helpful for real time applications in development time reduction and complexity simplification from graphical and refresh rate optimization perspectives.

A Social Virtual Reality Mobile Application for Learning and Practicing English

Many studies promise that virtual reality (VR) applications will be one of the most used tools in foreign language learning. This is because VR keeps learners engaged, motivated, and prepared with better communication skills due to the simulation of real-life environments. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing, it became difficult to use and practice newly learned language skills with real people directly. This paper proposes a social VR mobile application that can be used anytime anywhere to offer a set of different VR environments that simulate real-life situations in order to learn and practice the English language. The application aims to improve speaking skills by offering a private session with a native speaker tutor or a community of learners to practice speaking. It combines the benefits of mobile learning, social networks, and VR. Initial usability testing results showed that the application is simple and easy to use, with some problems discovered and resolved. The application demonstrates that applying VR tools could contribute positively to learning English among the language learners using it.

Extending a learning ecology with virtual reality mobile technology: oral proficiency outcomes and students’ perceptions

ABSTRACT Purpose This paper aimed to explore the potential of virtual reality (VR) to develop the oral proficiency of English as Foreign Language (EFL) students and their perceptions of using VR mobile technology in EFL learning. Design/methodology/approach Drawn from an ecological perspective utilizing a mixed methods design, 23 students in an undergraduate English language program were invited to take part in a VR intervention with pre- and post-test assessments on oral proficiency, followed by individual face-to-face interviews. Findings and originality/value The quantitative findings showed that there were significant changes in overall oral proficiency, with notable differences in fluency and coherence, lexical resource, and pronunciation, and a slightly significant difference in grammatical range and accuracy. Interviews with the students revealed detailed affordances of VR in supporting the language learning process. Findings also indicated potential challenges and limitations that can arise from the use of VR mobile technology in EFL classrooms.

Performance Analysis of an Adaptive Rate Scheme for QoE-Assured Mobile VR Video Streaming

The emerging 5G mobile networks are essential enablers for mobile virtual reality (VR) video streaming applications assuring high quality of experience (QoE) at the end-user. In addition, mobile edge computing brings computational resources closer to the user equipment (UE), which allows offloading computationally intensive processing. In this paper, we consider a network architecture for mobile VR video streaming applications consisting of a server that holds the VR video content, a mobile edge virtualization with prefetching (MVP) unit that handles the VR video packets, and a head-mounted display along with a buffer, which together serve as the UE. Several modulation and coding schemes with different rates are provided by the MVP unit to adaptively cope with the varying wireless link conditions to the UE and the state of the UE buffer. The UE buffer caches VR video packets as needed to compensate for the adaptive rates. A performance analysis is conducted in terms of blocking probability, throughput, queueing delay, and average packet error rate. To capture the effect of fading severity, the analytical expressions for these performance metrics are derived for Nakagami-m fading on the wireless link from the MVP unit to the UE. Numerical results show that the proposed system meets the network requirements needed to assure the QoE levels of different mobile VR video streaming applications.

The Investigation of Mobile Virtual Reality Application Instructional Content in Geography Education: Academic Achievement, Presence, and Student Interaction

In this study, we created an interactive Virtual Reality (VR) instructional application for geography education. The sample consisted of 9th grade students as 20 students in the control group and 20 students in the experimental group. Expository Instruction Methods, one of the traditional teaching methods, were applied to the control group, and the teacher on the slide explained the “Shape and Movements of the Earth” as the subject. The students in the experimental group used the VR-based interactive teaching environment we designed for the same subject under the supervision of a teacher. We explored the relationship between students’ level of presence and their academic achievement and received students’ opinions. The students’ academic scores in the experimental group were higher with a statistically significant difference than the control group, and we found that the motivation was higher in the experimental group. The research aims to show the effect of using VR interactive teaching materials in geography education, specifically for “Shape and Movements of the Earth”.

Mobile Virtual Reality Versus Mobile 360° Video to Promote Enrollment in the Diabetes Prevention Program Among Hispanic Adults: Pilot Study.

BackgroundHispanic adults are at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes; however, the rate of enrollment is very low.ObjectiveThe goal of this pilot project was to determine whether presenting brief motivational mobile videos in virtual reality vs 360° video has differential effects on risk perceptions and enrollment in the DPP.MethodsAdults with prediabetes were recruited at a clinic serving a low-income Hispanic community. After consenting, the participants completed a baseline survey that collected information about demographics and risk perceptions. All participants then viewed 2 videos. Per random assignment, the videos were presented either using the participant’s smartphone alone (360° video) or were viewed with their smartphone in a virtual reality (VR) cardboard headset. Two weeks later, a follow-up survey collected measures of enrollment in the DPP, risk perceptions, health literacy, the importance of contextual factors related to the decision of whether to enroll in the DPP (eg, distance to the class), and qualitative feedback on the interventions. We used logistic regression to determine whether enrollment in the DPP differed by intervention mode, while accounting for health literacy and contextual factors related to the DPP. We used unpaired t tests to examine differences in change in risk perceptions between groups. Paired t tests were used to examine within-subject changes in risk perceptions.ResultsA total of 116 participants provided complete data. Most participants were middle-aged (mean age 44.6 years; SD 11.9) Hispanic (114/116), female (79/116), with low health literacy (mean score 12.3/20; SD 3.4). Enrollment in the DPP was 44/116 (37.9%) overall but did not differ by group (odds ratio for enrolling in VR group 1.78, 95% CI 0.75-4.3; P=.19). Individuals who rated the distance needed to travel to attend the DPP as more important were less likely to enroll in the DPP (odds ratio 0.56, 95% CI 0.33-0.92; P=.03). Risk perceptions did not differ by group (mean change in 360° video group -0.07, mean change in VR group 0.03, t=0.6, P=.54) and did not change within subjects (mean 0.02, t=0.21, P=.83). Participant feedback suggested that the videos are emotionally engaging and educational.ConclusionsThe videos presented in 360° video and mobile VR had equal efficacy in promoting enrollment in the DPP. Future work to rigorously evaluate this intervention, its mechanism of action, and potential moderators of the efficacy are discussed.

The Influence of Social Function of Mobile Game Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Environment on Mobile Phone Users’ Addiction

The study explores the influence of social function in mobile game augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) environments on mobile phone users’ addiction. This study uses the mixed research method of social function on the basis of enhancement and VR and mathematical statistics analysis to study the situation of mobile game addiction. In this research work, a collision detection algorithm (CDA) with machine learning is proposed. The collision detection algorithm aids in the detection of the intersection of two objects in the virtual environment and is implemented in games that support augmented reality and virtual reality technologies. It is assumed that the intuition for playing games is obtained from social networking sites, which may lead to the person becoming addicted to playing. This research focused on the analysis of AR and VR-related games by considering mean, standard deviation, and error parameters.

A gaze‐based interaction method for large‐scale and large‐space disaster scenes within mobile virtual reality

AbstractA three‐dimensional (3D) visualization of disaster scenes based on mobile virtual reality (VR) can improve the application scenarios and emergency service capabilities of traditional 3D visualization of disaster scenes. Because a smartphone needs to be placed into a mobile head‐mounted display, conventional touch scene interaction cannot be used by mobile VR, and the user's gaze usually serves as the default scene interaction method. However, the existing gaze‐based interaction methods for mobile VR scenes are passive scene interaction methods and cannot meet the basic interaction requirement for actively roaming through and exploring large‐scale and large‐space disaster scenes. Therefore, this study focuses on gaze‐based mobile VR interactions to satisfy the various interaction requirements of large‐scale and large‐space disaster scenes. First, a dynamic user interface (UI) generation method for gaze interaction in large‐scale and large‐space disaster scenes is proposed to solve the problem of the active exploration of mobile VR disaster scenes. Second, disaster scene exploration and disaster information query methods based on a dynamic UI and gaze are proposed. Finally, using a flood disaster as an example, a prototype system and associated experiments are discussed. As indicated by the experimental results, the gaze‐based mobile VR interaction methods addressed in this study can effectively support users in actively roaming through and exploring large‐scale and large‐space disaster scenes, disaster simulation analysis, and the interactive querying of disaster information within mobile VR, making the effective interaction of mobile VR disaster scenes possible.

QoE-Aware Edge Computing Through Service Function Chaining

Mobile multimedia Internet services, such as mobile virtual reality (VR), request for advanced quality of experience (QoE) provision. In the future Internet, such a QoE provision will be leveraged through edge computing, which can be facilitated through advanced programmable frameworks, such as service function chaining (SFC). To this direction, we provide in this work, the design, development, and experimentation of a QoE-aware edge computing framework using SFC. In particular, the QoE-aware edge computing is provided by a network function virtualization-enabled SFC architecture. The SFC architecture provides adaptive media services through programmable service functions (SFs). Our solution provides multimedia dynamic adaptive streaming HTTP services with QoE under certain network conditions. The proposed QoE-aware edge computing is guaranteed with both data and computation offloading techniques, including a required QoE-aware edge resource management. Specific use cases are designed in order to test our solution that shows better QoE in comparison with the baseline use case, where neither data nor computational offloading is considered.

Mobile-Health based physical activities co-production policies towards cardiovascular diseases prevention: findings from a mixed-method systematic review

BackgroundCardiovascular disease (CVD) is the first cause of death globally, with huge costs worldwide. Most cases of CVD could be prevented by addressing behavioural risk factors. Among these factors, there is physical and amateur sports activity (PASA), which has a linear negative correlation with the risk of CVD. Nevertheless, attempts to encourage PASA, as exercise prescription programmes, achieved little impact at the community-wide level. A new frontier to promote PASA is represented by mobile health tools, such as exergaming, mobile device apps, health wearables, GPS/GIS and virtual reality. Nevertheless, there has not yet been any evident turnabout in patient active involvement towards CVD prevention, and inactivity rates are even increasing. This study aims at framing the state of the art of the literature about the use of m-health in supporting PASA, as a user-centric innovation strategy, to promote co-production health policies aiming at CVD prevention.MethodsA mixed-method systematic literature review was conducted in the fields of health and healthcare management to highlight the intersections between PASA promotion and m-health tools in fostering co-produced services focused on CVD prevention. The literature has been extracted by the PRISMA logic application. The resulting sample has been first statistically described by a bibliometric approach and then further investigated with a conceptual analysis of the most relevant contributions, which have been qualitatively analysed.ResultsWe identified 2,295 studies, on which we ran the bibliometric analysis. After narrowing the research around the co-production field, we found 10 papers relevant for the concept analysis of contents. The interest about the theme has increased in the last two decades, with a high prevalence of contributions from higher income countries and those with higher CVD incidence. The field of research is highly multi-disciplinary; most of documents belong to the medical field, with only a few interconnections with the technology and health policy spheres. Although the involvement of patients is recognized as fundamental for CVD prevention through PASA, co-design schemes are still lacking at the public management level.ConclusionsWhile the link between the subjects of motor activity, medicine and technology is clear, the involvement of citizens in the service delivery process is still underinvestigated, especially the issue concerning how “value co-creation” could effectively be applied by public agencies. In synthesis, the analysis of the role of co-production as a system coordination method, which is so important in designing and implementing preventive care, is still lacking.

Evaluation of Visual Acuity Measurement Based on the Mobile Virtual Reality Device

Job-related vision standards have become an increasing concern in recent years. Mobile visual acuity measurements enable early detection and diagnosis of visual impairments and are being used around the world. However, the reliability of mobile visual acuity testing has not yet been fully demonstrated. A simple virtual reality (VR) system combining a mobile phone and a VR cardboard device has the potential as a reliable visual acuity evaluation system due to its fully controlled environment. Visual acuity measurements taken via this type of VR system were evaluated by comparing them with those obtained using the traditional Snellen chart. This study gathered data according to different parameters, including right or left eye, with or without corrective vision devices, and the learning effects of the system. The results showed that the VR system had an accuracy of up to 96.43% and 92.86% for the left and right eyes, respectively, for participants not using corrective devices. In the same group, the proposed system provided significant correlation results for Spearman’s r parameters for the left and right eyes (0.7342 and 0.8188, respectively), as compared to those obtained using a traditional approach. Therefore, despite some limitations, a mobile VR system has potential as a self-diagnostic tool for rapid, low-cost visual acuity measurements in a fully controlled environment as well as for providing historical vision data and tracing for the early detection of visual impairments or conditions.