The Perceptual Quality of the Oculus Rift for Immersive Virtual Reality

There are major concerns about the suitability of immersive virtual reality (VR) systems (i.e., head-mounted display; HMD) to be implemented in research and clinical settings, because of the presence of nausea, dizziness, disorientation, fatigue, and instability (i.e., VR induced symptoms and effects; VRISE). Research suggests that the duration of a VR session modulates the presence and intensity of VRISE, but there are no suggestions regarding the appropriate maximum duration of VR sessions. The implementation of high-end VR HMDs in conjunction with ergonomic VR software seems to mitigate the presence of VRISE substantially. However, a brief tool does not currently exist to appraise and report both the quality of software features and VRISE intensity quantitatively. The Virtual Reality Neuroscience Questionnaire (VRNQ) was developed to assess the quality of VR software in terms of user experience, game mechanics, in-game assistance, and VRISE. Forty participants aged between 28 and 43 years were recruited (18 gamers and 22 non-gamers) for the study. They participated in 3 different VR sessions until they felt weary or discomfort and subsequently filled in the VRNQ. Our results demonstrated that VRNQ is a valid tool for assessing VR software as it has good convergent, discriminant, and construct validity. The maximum duration of VR sessions should be between 55 and 70 min when the VR software meets or exceeds the parsimonious cut-offs of the VRNQ and the users are familiarized with the VR system. Also, the gaming experience does not seem to affect how long VR sessions should last. Also, while the quality of VR software substantially modulates the maximum duration of VR sessions, age and education do not. Finally, deeper immersion, better quality of graphics and sound, and more helpful in-game instructions and prompts were found to reduce VRISE intensity. The VRNQ facilitates the brief assessment and reporting of the quality of VR software features and/or the intensity of VRISE, while its minimum and parsimonious cut-offs may appraise the suitability of VR software for implementation in research and clinical settings. The findings of this study contribute to the establishment of rigorous VR methods that are crucial for the viability of immersive VR as a research and clinical tool in cognitive neuroscience and neuropsychology.

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The Use of Portable EEG Devices in Development of Immersive Virtual Reality Environments for Converting Emotional States into Specific Commands

Proceedings ◽

10.3390/proceedings2020054043 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 54 (1) ◽

pp. 43

Author(s):

Catarina Sá ◽

Paulo Veloso Gomes ◽

António Marques ◽

António Correia

Keyword(s):

Virtual Reality ◽

Portable Devices ◽

Immersive Virtual Reality ◽

Emotional States ◽

Social Functions ◽

Interactive Environments ◽

Oculus Rift ◽

Non Invasive ◽

Brain Signals

The application of electroencephalography electrodes in Virtual Reality (VR) glasses allows users to relate cognitive, emotional, and social functions with the exposure to certain stimuli. The development of non-invasive portable devices, coupled with VR, allows for the collection of electroencephalographic data. One of the devices that embraced this new trend is Looxid LinkTM, a system that adds electroencephalography to HTC VIVETM, VIVE ProTM, VIVE Pro EyeTM, or Oculus Rift STM glasses to create interactive environments using brain signals. This work analyzes the possibility of using the Looxid LinkTM device to perceive, evaluate and monitor the emotions of users exposed to VR.

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Guidelines for the Development of Immersive Virtual Reality Software for Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuropsychology: The Development of Virtual Reality Everyday Assessment Lab (VR-EAL), A Neuropsychological Test Battery in Immersive Virtual Reality.

10.36227/techrxiv.13857515.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Panagiotis Kourtesis ◽

Danai Korre ◽

Simona Collina ◽

Leonidas A. A. Doumas ◽

Sarah E. MacPherson

Keyword(s):

Virtual Reality ◽

Software Development ◽

User Experience ◽

Cognitive Neuroscience ◽

Neuropsychological Test ◽

Neuropsychological Testing ◽

Full Time ◽

Immersive Virtual Reality ◽

Game Mechanics

Virtual reality (VR) head-mounted displays (HMD) appear to be effective research tools, which may address the problem of ecological validity in neuropsychological testing. However, their widespread implementation is hindered by VR induced symptoms and effects (VRISE) and the lack of skills in VR software development. This study offers guidelines for the development of VR software in cognitive neuroscience and neuropsychology, by describing and discussing the stages of the development of Virtual Reality Everyday Assessment Lab (VR-EAL), the first neuropsychological battery in immersive VR. Techniques for evaluating cognitive functions within a realistic storyline are discussed. The utility of various assets in Unity, software development kits, and other software are described so that cognitive scientists can overcome challenges pertinent to VRISE and the quality of the VR software. In addition, this pilot study attempts to evaluate VR-EAL in accordance with the necessary criteria for VR software for research purposes. The VR neuroscience questionnaire (VRNQ; Kourtesis et al., 2019b) was implemented to appraise the quality of the three versions of VR-EAL in terms of user experience, game mechanics, in-game assistance, and VRISE. Twenty-five participants aged between 20 and 45 years with 12-16 years of full-time education evaluated various versions of VR-EAL. The final version of VR-EAL achieved high scores in every sub-score of the VRNQ and exceeded its parsimonious cut-offs. It also appeared to have better in-game assistance and game mechanics, while its improved graphics substantially increased the quality of the user experience and almost eradicated VRISE. The results substantially support the feasibility of the development of effective VR research and clinical software without the presence of VRISE during a 60-minute VR session.

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Research on Correlation Between Underground Squares’ Interface Morphology and Spatial Experience Based on Virtual Reality

International Journal of Pattern Recognition and Artificial Intelligence ◽

10.1142/s0218001420500044 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 34 (03) ◽

pp. 2050004

Author(s):

Liang Sun ◽

Le Feng ◽

Yiyun Zhang ◽

Xiang Ji ◽

Han Wong ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Virtual Reality ◽

Large Scale ◽

Field Research ◽

Underground Space ◽

Immersive Virtual Reality ◽

Interface Morphology ◽

Virtual Reality System ◽

Spatial Experience ◽

Spatial Design

Underground square, as a recreation and activity place for citizens, represents the underground space quality of a city, so its spatial experience is of great significance. This research discussed the influence and effects of underground squares’ interface morphology on spatial experience. By field research of ten large-scale urban underground spaces, the basic elements and related numerical interval of underground squares’ interface morphology were summarized, and on basis of this, underground square virtual models with different interface morphology were built. Based on the platform of immersive virtual reality system (IVRS), combing the isovist method and the SD method, this paper made a quantitative analysis on the relevance between interface morphology and spatial experience, and the relevant compliance indicators of interface morphology were summarized. The experimental results show that the spatial experience is good at the interface density of 0.402 and interface opening’s aspect ratio of 2–3. This can provide reference and foundation for urban underground spatial design in future.

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A Subjective Study on User Perception Aspects in Virtual Reality

Applied Sciences ◽

10.3390/app9163384 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (16) ◽

pp. 3384 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Huyen T. T. Tran ◽

Nam P. Ngoc ◽

Cuong T. Pham ◽

Yong Ju Jung ◽

Truong Cong Thang

Keyword(s):

Virtual Reality ◽

Perceptual Quality ◽

Affecting Factors ◽

Head Mounted Display ◽

Number Of Factors ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Subjective Experiment ◽

The Difference ◽

Subjective Study

Three hundred and sixty degree video is becoming more and more popular on the Internet. By using a Head-Mounted Display, 360-degree video can render a Virtual Reality (VR) environment. However, it is still a big challenge to understand Quality of Experience (QoE) of 360-degree video since user experience during watching 360-degree video is a very complex phenomenon. In this paper, we aim to investigate four QoE aspects of 360-degree video, namely, perceptual quality, presence, cybersickness, and acceptability. In addition, four key QoE-affecting factors of encoding parameters, content motion, rendering device, and rendering mode are considered in our study. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work that covers a large number of factors and QoE aspects of 360-degree video. In this study, a subjective experiment is conducted using 60 video versions generated from three original 360-degree videos. Based on statistical analysis of the obtained results, various findings on the impacts of the factors on the QoE aspects are provided. In particular, regarding the impacts of encoding parameters, it is found that the difference of QoE is negligible between video versions encoded at 4 K and 2.5 K resolutions. Also, it is suggested that 360-degree video should not be encoded at HD resolution or lower when watching in VR mode using Head Mounted Display. In addition, the bitrate for good QoE varies widely across different video contents. With respect to the content motion factor, its impact is statistically significant on the perceptual quality, presence, and cybersickness. In a comparison of two rendering device sets used in this study, there is no statistically significant difference found for the acceptability and cybersickness. However, the differences of the perceptual quality and presence are indicated to be statistically significant. Regarding the rendering mode, a comparison between VR and non-VR modes is also conducted. Although the non-VR mode always achieves higher perceptual quality scores and higher acceptability rates, more than a half of the viewers prefer the VR mode to the non-VR mode when watching versions encoded at the resolutions of fHD or higher. By contrast, the non-VR mode is preferred at the HD resolution.

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Immersive Virtual Reality System for Treatment of Phantom Limb Pain (PLP)

Volume 1: 37th Computers and Information in Engineering Conference ◽

10.1115/detc2017-68228 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Mario Covarrubias Rodriguez ◽

Beatrice Aruanno ◽

Monica Bordegoni ◽

Mauro Rossini ◽

Franco Molteni

Keyword(s):

Virtual Reality ◽

Phantom Limb Pain ◽

Sensor Data ◽

Phantom Limb ◽

Motion Sensor ◽

Immersive Virtual Reality ◽

Virtual Reality System ◽

Limb Pain ◽

Oculus Rift ◽

Head Mounted Display

This paper presents an immersive virtual reality system (IVRS) that has been designed for unilateral amputees in order to reduce the phantom limb pain (PLP). The patient’s healthy limb is tracked by using a motion sensor. Data of the limb in motion are used as input parameters to move the phantom limb in the immersive virtual reality system. In this way, the patient has the illusion of moving the phantom limb while moving the real and contra-lateral limb. The system has been implemented by using low cost and open technologies, and combines the Oculus Rift SDK2 device, the LeapMotion device, a motion sensor, and an engine for interactive 3D content and gaming generation (Unity 3D). The Oculus Rift head mounted display is used to provide the immersive experience.

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Quality of Grasping and the Role of Haptics in a 3-D Immersive Virtual Reality Environment in Individuals With Stroke

IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering ◽

10.1109/tnsre.2014.2387412 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 23 (6) ◽

pp. 1047-1055 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

Mindy F. Levin ◽

Eliane C. Magdalon ◽

Stella M. Michaelsen ◽

Antonio A. F. Quevedo

Keyword(s):

Virtual Reality ◽

Immersive Virtual Reality ◽

Virtual Reality Environment

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Immersive Virtual Reality for the Management of Pain in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

OTJR Occupation Participation and Health ◽

10.1177/1539449218817291 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 39 (2) ◽

pp. 90-96 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Sara Benham ◽

Minhee Kang ◽

Namrata Grampurohit

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Older Adults ◽

Virtual Reality ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

World Health ◽

Immersive Virtual Reality ◽

Quality Of Life Scale ◽

Patient Reported ◽

Community Dwelling Older Adults

Immersive virtual reality (VR) can provide a high level of engagement and distraction analgesia to address pain. However, community-based applications of this technology for older adults have not been studied. The objective of this study was to examine the applicability and effectiveness of an immersive VR intervention for pain, depression, and quality of life (QOL) in older adults. This pretest–posttest, mixed-methods design included senior center members ( n = 12) with pain that interfered with daily functioning. The outcomes included the Numeric Pain Rating Scale, Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS®) depression scale, World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale Brief Version (WHO QOL-BREF), and open-ended questions. The VR intervention (15- to 45-min sessions, 12 sessions over 6 weeks) was well accepted with no dropouts. There was a significant decrease in pain ( p = .002, d = −1.54) with no effect on depression and QOL. There were no adverse effects, and positive perceptions of VR were reported. The 6-week immersive VR intervention was applicable and effective in reducing pain intensity for community-dwelling older adults.

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Guidelines for the Development of Immersive Virtual Reality Software for Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuropsychology: The Development of Virtual Reality Everyday Assessment Lab (VR-EAL), A Neuropsychological Test Battery in Immersive Virtual Reality.

10.36227/techrxiv.13857515 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Panagiotis Kourtesis ◽

Danai Korre ◽

Simona Collina ◽

Leonidas A. A. Doumas ◽

Sarah E. MacPherson

Keyword(s):

Virtual Reality ◽

Software Development ◽

User Experience ◽

Cognitive Neuroscience ◽

Neuropsychological Test ◽

Neuropsychological Testing ◽

Full Time ◽

Immersive Virtual Reality ◽

Game Mechanics

Virtual reality (VR) head-mounted displays (HMD) appear to be effective research tools, which may address the problem of ecological validity in neuropsychological testing. However, their widespread implementation is hindered by VR induced symptoms and effects (VRISE) and the lack of skills in VR software development. This study offers guidelines for the development of VR software in cognitive neuroscience and neuropsychology, by describing and discussing the stages of the development of Virtual Reality Everyday Assessment Lab (VR-EAL), the first neuropsychological battery in immersive VR. Techniques for evaluating cognitive functions within a realistic storyline are discussed. The utility of various assets in Unity, software development kits, and other software are described so that cognitive scientists can overcome challenges pertinent to VRISE and the quality of the VR software. In addition, this pilot study attempts to evaluate VR-EAL in accordance with the necessary criteria for VR software for research purposes. The VR neuroscience questionnaire (VRNQ; Kourtesis et al., 2019b) was implemented to appraise the quality of the three versions of VR-EAL in terms of user experience, game mechanics, in-game assistance, and VRISE. Twenty-five participants aged between 20 and 45 years with 12-16 years of full-time education evaluated various versions of VR-EAL. The final version of VR-EAL achieved high scores in every sub-score of the VRNQ and exceeded its parsimonious cut-offs. It also appeared to have better in-game assistance and game mechanics, while its improved graphics substantially increased the quality of the user experience and almost eradicated VRISE. The results substantially support the feasibility of the development of effective VR research and clinical software without the presence of VRISE during a 60-minute VR session.

Download Full-text