Virtual Reality Approach Research Articles

Developing a Virtual Reality Simulation of the Michelson-Morley Experiment for Physics Education: Design, Validation, and Educational

The Michelson-Morley experiment is a foundational experiment in modern physics that played a critical role in shaping our understanding of space-time and the speed of light. However, reproducing this historically significant experiment in an educational setting poses substantial logistical challenges due to the complexity and precision of the required equipment. This study presents the development and validation of a virtual reality prototype designed to simulate the Michelson-Morley interferometer experiment. Using a research and development methodology, the virtual reality prototype replicated the experimental setup, allowing students to adjust parameters, such as mirror angles and laser types, to observe real-time interference patterns. Validation by three experts, including two experimental physicists and one educational practitioner, yielded an average score of 4.27 out of 5. The prototype excelled in simulation accuracy, educational effectiveness, and curriculum alignment, with perfect scores (5.00) for these indicators. The findings highlight the virtual reality tool’s effectiveness in enhancing students’ understanding of wave interference and light behavior. Despite minor concerns about motion sickness and implementation costs, the virtual reality approach demonstrates considerable promise for enriching physics education

Examining the effects of non-immersive virtual reality game-based training on knee hyperextension control and balance in chronic stroke patients: a single-blind randomized controlled study.

Post-stroke hemiparesis can lead to decreased mobility, gait disturbances, impaired balance, postural instability, limitations in activities of daily living (ADL), and long-term disability. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of non-immersive virtual reality game-based training (nIVRGT) in addition to conventional rehabilitation in stroke patients on dynamic balance, knee hyperextension control, and ADL. Twenty-five chronic stroke patients aged between 51 and 70 were included in the study. Stroke patients were randomized to a control group (n = 12) and a study group (n = 13). Individuals in control group participated conventional physiotherapy and rehabilitation program for 60min, 3 days a week for 6 weeks. individuals in the study group received 40min of conventional physiotherapy and rehabilitation program plus 20min nIVRGT. Functional Reach Test, Timed Up and Go Test, Computerized Gait Evaluation System and Barthel Index were used in the evaluation. The study group improved significantly in dynamic balance, knee control, and ADL (p < 0.05). In the control group, significant improvements were observed in dynamic balance and knee control (p < 0.05), except ADL (p > 0.05). The study group improved in dynamic balance compared with the control group (p < 0.05). Knee control and ADL improved similarly in both groups (p > 0.05). Our results showed that conventional and additional nIVRGT rehabilitation improved dynamic balance and knee hyperextension control in chronic stroke. However, it was observed that the non-immersive virtual reality (nIVR) approach was more effective in improving dynamic balance in stroke patients than conventional rehabilitation alone. NCT05907473.

A Virtual Reality Approach to Overcome Glossophobia among University Students

In the contemporary academic landscape, university students frequently deliver presentations in front of their peers and faculty, often leading to heightened levels of Public Speaking Anxiety (PSA). This study explores the potential of Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (VRET) to alleviate PSA among students. Our study introduces "Manch," a realistic VR environment that simulates classroom public speaking scenarios with lifelike audience interactions and a slide-deck presentation feature. The study was conducted with N=28 participants, showing a significant reduction in PSA levels post-VR exposure, thereby establishing VR's efficacy in mitigating PSA. Additionally, we also incorporated a unique qualitative analysis through participant interviews, offering deeper insights into individual experiences with VRET. Manch shows great promise as a tool for future studies and interventions aimed at reducing PSA, particularly among university students.

From physical feelings to empathy: An immersive virtual reality approach to facilitate physical empathy

Studies have suggested that virtual reality (VR) as an ‘empathy-making machine’ has the potential to trigger historical empathy. Different VR technologies offer different levels of immersion with different educational implications. Higher immersive VR technology has shown promise in enhancing learners’ empathy levels. However, how highly immersive VR promotes learners’ historical empathy in real-life classroom settings has not been explored. Hence, this study focuses on comparing two levels of immersive VR-supported learning for historical empathy acquisition among secondary learners. A total of 49 students were recruited. A quasi-experimental design was employed and the quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed to explore participants’ historical knowledge and empathy. The quantitative data show no significant difference between immersive virtual reality (IVR) approach-supported learning and flatscreen VR-supported learning. However, the qualitative analysis suggests that the students from the IVR group showed stronger ‘physical empathy’. Intriguingly, even though the tests did not demonstrate that the students learned more in IVR-supported learning, they self-reported that they learned better in IVR-supported learning. The paper identifies implications for the connection between ‘physical empathy’ and the level of immersive technology.

Gamified Virtual Reality for Library Services: The Effect of Gamification on Enhancing Knowledge Retention and User Engagement

The objective of the present study was to examine the effects of using gamification implemented in immersive virtual reality for the promotion of library services in the university library including knowledge acquisition, knowledge retention and user engagement. In terms of research procedure, we divided the participants into Gamified and Non-Gamified virtual reality groups, and both groups were asked to perform the pretest questionnaire of cognitive assessments. Then, participants were informed to use virtual reality to finish all the levels within one month in the library lab setting of the university. We performed post-tests to evaluate the knowledge acquisition, including a delayed post-test of three months to verify the knowledge retention. We also collected the user data to analyze the participant behavior. Results showed no significant differences among the Gamified and Non-Gamified groups in terms of knowledge acquisition, but showed significant difference in knowledge retention and user engagement. These findings supported the presumption that the gamified virtual reality approach can improve the library user’s access and knowledge retention of library services.

Multifaceted consequences of visual distraction during natural behaviour

Visual distraction is a ubiquitous aspect of everyday life. Studying the consequences of distraction during temporally extended tasks, however, is not tractable with traditional methods. Here we developed a virtual reality approach that segments complex behaviour into cognitive subcomponents, including encoding, visual search, working memory usage, and decision-making. Participants copied a model display by selecting objects from a resource pool and placing them into a workspace. By manipulating the distractibility of objects in the resource pool, we discovered interfering effects of distraction across the different cognitive subcomponents. We successfully traced the consequences of distraction all the way from overall task performance to the decision-making processes that gate memory usage. Distraction slowed down behaviour and increased costly body movements. Critically, distraction increased encoding demands, slowed visual search, and decreased reliance on working memory. Our findings illustrate that the effects of visual distraction during natural behaviour can be rather focal but nevertheless have cascading consequences.

Virtual reality and social avoidance: an exploratory study of acceptance, and feasibility in an inpatient secure environment

PurposeSocial avoidance disorders can be disruptive to the individual as they begin to over-manage their lives, at times avoiding social and work commitments. A potential therapeutic approach is exposure therapy and a virtual reality (VR) treatment approach, gameChange VR, has been developed. This provides an opportunity to test their fears in virtual environments. This study aims to investigate the feasibility of using this VR approach to treat people with social avoidance problems within a secure mental health setting.Design/methodology/approachNine participants completed the gameChange VR sessions. Participants received 30-minute VR sessions for up to six weeks using selected scenarios at five levels of difficulty. Patients’ comments and behaviours were noted and clinical staff also provided feedback on their observations of patients’ use and experience with VR.FindingsOverall, patients felt that the gameChange VR helped them to build their confidence and reduce their overall anxiety as they became more comfortable with the equipment. Both patients and staff generally found the intervention easy to use and the staff reported an overall high level of engagement among the participants. The key issues raised largely related to technical and safety issues.Originality/valueWhile a previous study was carried out using gameChange VR with an outpatient cohort, this was the first using an inpatient group in a secure mental health setting. It has demonstrated that the intervention is viable in this setting, although further studies are required to identify the specific patient population that would benefit optimally from the therapy.

Development and testing of immersive virtual reality environment for safe unmanned aerial vehicle usage in construction scenarios

Robotics and autonomous systems are increasingly being used on construction sites to complete tasks and complement human effort. One such autonomous system is unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), although their wrong use could be potentially hazardous to humans and the environment. Given its relative novelty in construction, there remains a dearth of knowledge about safety risks associated with their use as well as knowledge on skills and protocols for their safe operation. With construction being one of the most dangerous and accident-prone sectors, there is even more impetus to develop UAV safety competence. In this study, we explore the application of immersive virtual reality (VR) use for purposes of safety training pertaining to the use of UAVs in construction scenarios. Whereas, previous studies, focussed on effectiveness of VR as a tool for training individuals on UAV operations and safety risks in general, this study evaluates its effectiveness across distinctive themes of safety in order to compare its effectiveness in different domains of UAV safety. The study adopts design science for development of bespoke UAV safety training tool in VR using Building Information Modelling (BIM) and game engine-driven virtual prototyping. The immersive training tool was then applied in an experiment of participants (n = 100) with (n = 50) constituting a control group using more traditional training methods and a series of pre/post-test assessments. The findings confirmed the relative superiority of VR training over traditional methods, improving performance and retention by up to 22 % on average. The immersive VR was found to be most effective on participants retention of knowledge in general flight preparation, air traffic documentation, visibility management and warning signals. Further usability tests were performed on all participants (n = 100) revealing general presence and positive attitudes towards VR based UAV safety training when compared to traditional training. From a practice perspective this research proofs the effectiveness of a VR approach as more cost effective and safe approach to UAV training for both academia and practice with added advantage of being more realistic simulation of the UAV risk scenarios.

Enhancing Disaster Preparedness for Junior High School Students at SMPN 24 Padang City Using Virtual Reality Method

Indonesia frequently experiences earthquakes, resulting in significant financial losses and casualties, especially in Padang. A major factor contributing to the high number of victims is the general public's lack of knowledge and preparedness for such disasters. Teenagers, including middle school students, are particularly vulnerable. Consequently, at SMPN 24 in Padang, virtual reality (VR) technology has been introduced to educate students about disaster preparedness. This simulation provided a realistic learning experience, allowing students to practice for emergencies without endangering themselves. At SMPN 24 in Padang, 32 students underwent an earthquake simulation using the VR approach. The results indicated an enhanced understanding of disaster preparedness among the students, with the median comprehension score rising from 59.00 to 60.50. Evaluations suggest that VR technology effectively increases students' disaster awareness and readiness. In summary, thanks to the virtual reality (VR) training, students at SMPN 24 in Padang feel better equipped to face potential earthquake disasters.

The impact of fantasy on young children’s recall: a virtual reality approach

The impact of fantasy on young children’s recall: a virtual reality approach

Revolutionizing construction engineering education : A virtual reality approach for enhanced training and optimization

This research explores an innovative approach in construction engineering education, leveraging virtual reality for enhanced training and optimization. Traditional methods in this field often face difficulties offering hands-on experiences and practical simulations. The proposed method uses VR technologies to generate immersive and interactive learning environments, giving students authentic scenarios to refine their abilities. By integrating VR simulations into the curriculum, learners can participate in virtual construction projects, allowing experiential learning without constraints of physical space or safety issues. The optimization aspect focuses on refining educational processes, adapting material to individual learning styles, and incorporating real-time feedback mechanisms. This study aims to revolutionize construction engineering education, providing a dynamic, efficient, and safe platform for skill development, ultimately producing well-prepared professionals ready to address the complexities of the industry. The research contributes to the ongoing discussion on creative educational methodologies and their application to address challenges in construction engineering training.

Balancing complexity and restoration in virtual interior environments: user perceptions of organized complexity in biophilic design

PurposeThere is a growing interest in applying the principles of biophilic design to hotel lobbies to enhance positive user experiences. However, there is little empirical research in this area, particularly for abstract or indirect biophilic approaches. The current study analyzed the biophilic strategy of “organized complexity” (which entails structured hierarchical patterns) in a hotel lobby in relation to attention restoration outcomes.Design/methodology/approachA virtual reality approach was used to create three lobby designs, differing only in their degree of organized complexity. A between-subjects study was conducted with 91 participants, evaluating reactions to the lobby designs in terms of perceived attention restoration, perceived environmental complexity and environmental preferences.FindingsA strong positive relationship was found between participants' perception of environmental complexity and feelings of restoration. However, no statistically significant correlation was found between restoration and the objective measures of organized complexity. This suggests that individual preferences or baseline responses may play a crucial role in the benefits associated with this aspect of biophilic design.Originality/valueThe findings suggest a novel possibility – that responses to organized complexity may not be universal but may instead depend on an individual’s background and personal preferences. While the study found that perceived complexity was associated with restoration, the objective features of the environment that incited these perceptions were different for different participants. This indicates that more research is needed into potentially relevant personal factors.

Using immersive virtual reality technology to enhance nursing education: A comparative pilot study to understand efficacy and effectiveness

The U.S. faces a national shortage of nurses. The emergence of human-centered digital technologies has directly impacted nursing education. Using immersive Virtual Reality related digital technology to assist and enhance nurse education is promising but not yet fully understood. This study aims to understand the effectiveness and efficacy of immersive Virtual Reality nursing education approaches through a comparative pilot study. Three immersive Virtual Reality scenarios based on basic nursing skills were developed. A traditional video lecture approach including the same contents was used as a comparable approach to investigate the effectiveness and efficacy performance of the proposed immersive Virtual Reality approach. 22 participants were recruited from a college. Effectiveness was measured through motivation and knowledge gain, while efficacy was evaluated through simulation sickness, user experience, and system usability. The results showed that the VR approach has above “acceptable” efficacy performance, which indicates participants are willing to accept this novel education approach. The effectiveness results indicate that the VR approach has similar performance with the video approach in delivering nursing contents. One limitation of this investigation is that the sample size is relatively small and further larger sample sizes are needed for future analysis.

Adopting Virtual Reality for Education: Exploring Teachers’ Perspectives on Readiness, Opportunities, and Challenges

Virtual reality (VR) can be adapted to teach many topics and may be particularly effective for complex concepts. However, little is known about teacher readiness on adopting VR in the classroom. Accordingly, 189 higher education teachers were surveyed to explore perceptions on adopting VR. Findings revealed the adoption of VR vectored on teachers perceived readiness confidence in technology skill and belief that VR has potential to benefit student learning. Moreover, understanding students cognitive experience in the immersive VR environment remains underdeveloped and may influence teacher’s perception of readiness to adopt VR for teaching. However, there is an opportunity to influence educational models by providing a VR approach to knowledge creation centred around cognitive processes students use to make sense of the real world. But there remain perceived challenges centered around costs, technical issues, content availability, and pedagogical integration. This study concludes any successful adoption of VR for teaching will require careful planning for teacher readiness with primary focus on technology competence and pedagogical matters. Although more research is needed to understand teachers’ readiness, VR is likely forthcoming and has potential to be an important resource in the educator’s toolkit.

An immersive multisensory virtual reality approach to the study of human-built environment interactions: Technical workflows

Virtual Reality technology has gained increased attention due to its capacity to provide immersive and interactive experiences to its users. Although increasing evidence has suggested that incorporating multisensory components in VR can promote the sense of presence and improve user performance, most of the current VR applications are limited to visual and auditory senses. In this article, a novel method of integrating thermal-related devices (heat lamps and fans) into Virtual Reality was developed. Automated interaction with the thermal-related devices was achieved using Arduino-based control module with its program embedded into the VR platform-Unity. The functions, hardware and software requirements of the multisensory Virtual Reality system as well as the step-by-step procedures are detailed to provide a reproducible workflow for future applications.•A practical workflow to integrate thermal apparatus into Virtual Reality.•Dynamic airflow and radiative heating incorporated into Virtual Reality.•Automated process to allow user interaction with the thermal components in Virtual Reality.

Exocentric control scheme for robot applications: An immersive virtual reality approach.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) exhibit great agility but usually require an experienced pilot to operate them in certain applications such as inspection for disaster scenarios or buildings. The reduction of cognitive overload when driving this kind of aerial robot becomes a challenge and several solutions can be found in the literature. A new virtual control scheme for reducing this cognitive overload when controlling an aerial robot is proposed in this paper. The architecture is based on a novel interaction Drone Exocentric Advanced Metaphor (DrEAM) located in a Cave Automated Virtual Environment (CAVE) and a real robot containing an embedded controller based on quaternion formulation. The testing room, where real robots are evolving, is located away from the CAVE and they are connected via UDP in a ground station. The user controls manually a virtual drone through the DrEAM interaction metaphor, and the real robot imitates autonomously in real time the trajectory imposed by the user in the virtual environment. Experimental results illustrate the easy implementation and feasibility of the proposed scheme in two different scenarios. Results from these tests show that the mental effort when controlling a drone using the proposed virtual control scheme is lower than when controlling it in direct view. Moreover, the easy maneuverability and controllability of the real drone is also demonstrated in real time experiments.

How does VR differ from renderings in human perception of office layout design? A quantitative evaluation of a full-scale immersive VR

Virtual reality (VR) technology provides immersive and interactive user experiences in office layout design. However, the mechanism of how VR impacts human perception in layout selections and how such mechanism differs from the traditional rendering-based exhibition remain unclear. Hence, this research proposes an experience-based full-scale immersive VR-based approach and investigates its quantitative effectiveness when conducting user-centered office layout design and evaluation. Comparative experiments (N=57) with three office designs are conducted, where subjective surveys and objective Stroop tests are utilized to statistically analyze (1) the quantitative difference in user layout satisfaction between using VR and traditional approaches in terms of psychological perceptions and environmental design features, and (2) the consistency between the layout perceptions using VR and the underlying design principles. The results reveal that the influence of VR varies from different design indicators. The significant difference in the satisfaction variation does not exist in the psychological perceptions (i.e., privacy, communication, and concentration) but does exist in the environmental design features (i.e., workspace enclosure, storage, rearrangement), probably because VR can help the end-users visualize the distinct characteristics of office layouts and further rectify their cognition when experiencing daily-life scenarios. In addition, the effectiveness of the VR approach is verified, where the layout perceptions are mostly in line with the design principles. The findings of this research are expected to extend the existing knowledge of VR-based office design and evaluation by providing quantitative evidence and analytical insight into human behaviors in user-centered layout evaluation.

Cultivating Self-Efficacy Through an Immersive Virtual Reality Approach

Facilitating quality clinical experiences for students is a significant challenge in nursing education. Employers of new graduates expect them to be equipped with clinical skills that will enhance bedside practice and improve the care delivered to patients.

An immersive multisensory virtual reality approach to the study of human-built environment interactions

Although human-built environment interaction has been studied extensively, the scope has been mostly limited to a single sensory domain instead of multimodal conditions. This knowledge gap results partially from the intrinsic complexity of multisensory experiments in the field of built environment.This paper develops a novel method for studying human-built environment interaction under multimodal (visual, auditory and thermal) conditions using virtual reality technology. It enables dynamic interaction between the subjects and the virtual environment while collecting a comprehensive array of data regarding the human-environment interaction. A proof-of-concept study was conducted with the developed method in a semi-outdoor environmental context.The method can simultaneously maximise both internal and ecological validity. Furthermore, it enables a holistic understanding of the psychological, behavioural and physiological processes of the human-environment interaction. It can be applied to further research questions involving multisensory experience in the built environment, bridging the gap between empirical evidence and design implementation.

Effectiveness of Virtual Reality on Chinese as a second language vocabulary learning: perceptions from international students

This study explores the effectiveness of Virtual Reality (VR) in Chinese as a second language (CSL) vocabulary learning from the international students’ perspective. A new theoretical framework of VR-based vocabulary learning was designed and verified to serve the investigation. A total of 30 international students learning CSL in a Chinese university participated in the study. Data were collected through vocabulary tests, a VR-based vocabulary learning questionnaire, and semi-structured interviews. Findings indicate that the VR approach can effectively facilitate students’ vocabulary learning and retention, as well as a positive learning experience. VR provides an authentic and repetition-enabled learning context. In an immersive environment, a higher rate of engagement in interactions and multimodal, immediate, and learner-friendly scaffolding benefit students’ VR-based vocabulary learning. Results also indicate that VR can motivate students to be actively involved in learning and build their language skills despite some challenges. Investigation of a wider range of learners with different backgrounds and language levels, and the differences between VR-based learning and traditional learning is recommended for future research. Additionally, CSL teachers’ perceptions are worthy of consideration.