The ethics of virtual reality and telepresence

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannah Maslen ◽  
Julian Savulescu
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Moral Responsibility ◽  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Ethical Principles ◽  
Virtual Experience ◽  
Virtual Experiences ◽  
The Relationship

Present-day biohybrid technologies increasingly allow us to escape the experiential confines of our biological bodies. However, as human agents spend more time in virtual environments, and as the prospects for telepresence become more sophisticated, a number of philosophical and ethical questions arise. This chapter considers a range of examples of virtual reality and telepresence technologies. It examines the value of the virtual experience, asking how virtual experiences contribute to our wellbeing. It asks whether human agents can be authentically “themselves” in virtual environments, and how to understand the relationship between virtual and real acts. It considers the ethical principles governing behavior in virtual environments, addressing how these will or will not differ from the ethical principles governing behavior in non-virtual life. Finally, the chapter addresses the ethical questions raised by the prospect of acting at a distance through telepresence technology, focusing particularly on the moral responsibility of the telepresent agent for her remote acts, and on the harm that might be inflicted on the telepresent agent.

scholarly journals Influence of Virtual Experience Immersion, Product control, and Stimulation on Advertising Effects

2022 ◽  
Vol 30 (9) ◽  
pp. 0-0
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Purchase Intention ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Brand Attitude ◽  
Virtual Experience ◽  
Advertising Effects ◽  
Perceived Enjoyment ◽  
Virtual Experiences ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Product Control

With advances in communication technologies, virtual reality (VR) has become increasing popular. This study investigated the influence of virtual experiences on advertising effects. A 2 (virtual experience immersion: high vs. low) × 2 (virtual experience product control: high vs. low) × 2 (virtual experience product stimulation: high vs. low) between-subjects design was conducted. The results revealed that compared with the low-immersion virtual experience, the high-immersion virtual experience produced better advertisement attitudes. Furthermore, virtual experiences with high product control generated better advertisement attitudes when compared with virtual experiences with low product control. The two-way interactions between virtual experience product stimulation and immersion and between virtual experience product stimulation and virtual experience product control induced better brand attitude and purchase intention. In addition, telepresence and perceived enjoyment mediated the relationship between virtual experience and advertisement attitudes.

Time Flies: Investigating Duration Judgments in Virtual Reality

2018 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 1777-1781
Author(s):  
William G. Volante ◽  
Jessica Cruit ◽  
James Tice ◽  
William Shugars ◽  
Peter A. Hancock
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Time Perception ◽  
Flow State ◽  
Pilot Studies ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
State Scale ◽  
Virtual Game

Virtual reality is becoming increasingly popular in today’s society. With this proliferation it becomes even more important to study the effects such environments may have on one’s perception of reality. Two pilot studies were run in order to provide insight into the relationship between time perception and flow in a virtual environment. In Experiment 1 participants played a music-oriented virtual game for 2 minutes. In Experiment 2 participants played a space-shooter virtual game for 5 minutes. Duration Judgment Ratio (DJR) and Flow State Scale (FSS-2) measures were taken and compared to one another. Though a relationship between DJR and Flow was not found in each experiment individually, insights gained from the comparison of the two experiments may provide additional understandings. The results of this pilot study could aid researchers in developing objective ways to measure components of flow especially with respect to virtual environments. Additional insights and applications are discussed.

What Is the Relationship Among Positive Emotions, Sense of Presence, and Ease of Interaction in Virtual Reality Systems? An On-Site Evaluation of a Commercial Virtual Experience

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 183-201 ◽  
Author(s):  
Federica Pallavicini ◽  
Alessandro Pepe ◽  
Ambra Ferrari ◽  
Giacomo Garcea ◽  
Andrea Zanacchi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Emotional Experience ◽  
Virtual Experience ◽  
Sense Of Presence ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Site Evaluation ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Renewal Project ◽  
Urban Renewal Project

Scientific knowledge is still limited about the effect of commercial virtual reality content, such as experiences developed for advertising purposes, on individual emotional experience. In addition, even though correlations between emotional responses and perceived sense of presence in virtual reality have often been reported, the relationship remains unclear. Some studies have suggested an important effect of ease of interaction on both emotions and the sense of presence, but only a few studies have scientifically explored this topic. Within this context, this study aimed to: (a) test the effect of inducing positive emotions of a commercial virtual experience developed for the promotion of an urban renewal project, (b) investigate the relationship between positive emotions and the perceived sense of presence, and (c) explore the association between the ease of interaction of the virtual experience with positive emotions and the sense of presence reported by the users. Sixty-one participants were recruited from visitors to the 2017 Milan Design Week “Fuorisalone” event. A survey was administered before and after the experience to collect information about users' demographics, positive emotions, sense of presence, and the ease of interaction with the virtual content. Results give evidence that: (a) the commercial virtual reality experience was able to induce positive emotions; (b) the positive emotions reported by users were associated with the sense of presence experienced in the virtual environment, with a directional effect from emotion to sense of presence; and (c) the easier the interaction, the more the sense of presence and positive emotions were reported by users.

Making the Visual Tangible: Substituting Lifting Speed Limits for Object Weight in VR

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 68-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Veronica Weser ◽  
Dennis R. Proffitt
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Real World ◽  
World Knowledge ◽  
Interaction Technique ◽  
Speed Limits ◽  
Virtual Objects ◽  
Virtual Experience ◽  
Object Weight ◽  
Weight Illusion ◽  
The Relationship

We developed a novel interaction technique that allows virtual reality (VR) users to experience “weight” when hefting virtual, weightless objects. With this technique the perception of weight is evoked via constraints on the speed with which objects can be lifted. When hefted, heavier virtual objects move slower than lighter virtual objects. If lifters move faster than the lifted object, the object will fall. This constraint causes lifters to move slowly when lifting heavy objects. In two studies we showed that the size-weight illusion (SWI) is evoked when this technique is employed. The SWI occurs when two items of identical weight and different size are lifted and the smaller item is perceived as heavier than the larger item. The persistence of this illusion in VR indicates that participants bring their real-world knowledge of the relationship between size and weight to their virtual experience, and suggests that our interaction technique succeeds in making the visible tangible.

scholarly journals Narrative and Gaming Experience Interact to Affect Presence and Cybersickness in Virtual Reality

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Séamas Weech ◽  
Sophie Kenny ◽  
Markus Lenizky ◽  
Michael Barnett-Cowan
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Negative Association ◽  
Video Gaming ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Two Factors ◽  
Significant Disagreement ◽  
Narrative Context ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Public Museum

AbstractResearch has established a link between presence and cybersickness in virtual environments, but there is significant disagreement regarding the directionality of the relationship (positive or negative) between the two factors, and if the relationship is modulated by other top-down influences. Several studies have revealed a negative association between the factors, highlighting the prospect that manipulating one factor might affect the other. Here we examined if a top-down factor (narrative context) enhances presence, and whether this effect is associated with a decrease in cybersickness. We analyzed the association between responses to questionnaire measures of cybersickness and presence, as well as the degree to which their relationship was affected by the administration of an ‘enriched’ or ‘minimal’ verbal narrative context. The results of the first experiment, conducted in a controlled laboratory environment, revealed that enriched narrative was associated with increased presence, but that the reductive effect of narrative on cybersickness depended on video gaming experience. We also observed the expected negative association between presence and cybersickness, but only in the enriched narrative group. In a second experiment, conducted with a diverse sample at a public museum, we confirmed our previous finding that presence and cybersickness are negatively correlated, specifically when participants experienced an enriched narrative. We also confirmed the interaction between narrative and gaming experience with respect to cybersickness. These results highlight the complexity of the presence-cybersickness relationship, and confirm that both factors can be modulated in a beneficial manner for virtual reality users by means of top-down interventions.

scholarly journals The Plausibility Paradox for Resized Users in Virtual Environments

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matti Pouke ◽  
Katherine J. Mimnaugh ◽  
Alexis P. Chambers ◽  
Timo Ojala ◽  
Steven M. LaValle
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Similar Amount ◽  
Realistic Condition ◽  
Perceived Realism ◽  
Physics Simulation ◽  
Within Subjects ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Simple Interaction ◽  
Perceptual Phenomenon

This paper identifies and confirms a perceptual phenomenon: when users interact with simulated objects in a virtual environment where the users’ scale deviates greatly from normal, there is a mismatch between the object physics they consider realistic and the object physics that would be correct at that scale. We report the findings of two studies investigating the relationship between perceived realism and a physically accurate approximation of reality in a virtual reality experience in which the user has been scaled by a factor of ten. Study 1 investigated perception of physics when scaled-down by a factor of ten, whereas Study 2 focused on enlargement by a similar amount. Studies were carried out as within-subjects experiments in which a total of 84 subjects performed simple interaction tasks with objects under two different physics simulation conditions. In the true physics condition, the objects, when dropped and thrown, behaved accurately according to the physics that would be correct at that either reduced or enlarged scale in the real world. In the movie physics condition, the objects behaved in a similar manner as they would if no scaling of the user had occurred. We found that a significant majority of the users considered the movie physics condition to be the more realistic one. However, at enlarged scale, many users considered true physics to match their expectations even if they ultimately believed movie physics to be the realistic condition. We argue that our findings have implications for many virtual reality and telepresence applications involving operation with simulated or physical objects in abnormal and especially small scales.

scholarly journals Virtual Reality Physics Lab

10.29007/8s9w ◽  
2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Munoz ◽  
Christopher Lewis ◽  
Nicholas Bolling ◽  
William Zandbergen ◽  
Connor Scully-Allison ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Stem Education ◽  
Future Development ◽  
Interactive Simulation ◽  
Popular Entertainment ◽  
Educational Tools ◽  
Physics Concepts ◽  
Virtual Experiences ◽  
Virtual Reality Application

Virtual Reality has become a popular entertainment medium; however, it could also potentially be useful in creating interactive experiences that act as educational tools for students. Through the use of this technology, virtual experiences facilitate the learning of various concepts through interactive simulation. This project focuses on the development of a virtual reality application that can be used to help teach different physics concepts to young students, in engaging virtual environments and further promote STEM education principles. Each level developed for the game instructs on concepts such as force, acceleration, velocity, position, etc. This paper will discuss both the specifications and design of the project as well as discuss the initial demo results and future development.

Intellectual Difficulty and Moral Responsibility

2017 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Moral Responsibility ◽  
To Come ◽  
The Relationship

This chapter considers the relationship between intellectual difficulty and moral responsibility. It focuses on this question: if it is difficult for us to come to believe the truth about some matter, and we do not in fact come to believe it, so that we are ignorant of that matter, does that affect our responsibility if we then act from our ignorance? Answering this question requires getting clearer on both intellectual difficulty and moral responsibility for actions done from ignorance. This chapter takes up both tasks, distinguishing three different kinds of intellectual difficulty—skill-related difficulty in performing, effort-related difficulty in performing, and difficulty in trying—and two different families of views regarding moral responsibility: agential control views and agential revelation views. The chapter then considers the interaction between these different kinds of intellectual difficulty and these different views of moral responsibility, focusing particularly on the familiar case of the Ancient Slaveholder.

scholarly journals Back to reality: transition techniques from short HMD-based virtual experiences to the physical world

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin Horst ◽  
Ramtin Naraghi-Taghi-Off ◽  
Linda Rau ◽  
Ralf Dörner
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
Visual Cues ◽  
User Study ◽  
Physical World ◽  
Direct Communication ◽  
Common Presentation ◽  
Presentation Media ◽  
Virtual Experiences ◽  
Short Times

AbstractEvery Virtual Reality (VR) experience has to end at some point. While there already exist concepts to design transitions for users to enter a virtual world, their return from the physical world should be considered, as well, as it is a part of the overall VR experience. We call the latter outro-transitions. In contrast to offboarding of VR experiences, that takes place after taking off VR hardware (e.g., HMDs), outro-transitions are still part of the immersive experience. Such transitions occur more frequently when VR is experienced periodically and for only short times. One example where transition techniques are necessary is in an auditorium where the audience has individual VR headsets available, for example, in a presentation using PowerPoint slides together with brief VR experiences sprinkled between the slides. The audience must put on and take off HMDs frequently every time they switch from common presentation media to VR and back. In a such a one-to-many VR scenario, it is challenging for presenters to explore the process of multiple people coming back from the virtual to the physical world at once. Direct communication may be constrained while VR users are wearing an HMD. Presenters need a tool to indicate them to stop the VR session and switch back to the slide presentation. Virtual visual cues can help presenters or other external entities (e.g., automated/scripted events) to request VR users to end a VR session. Such transitions become part of the overall experience of the audience and thus must be considered. This paper explores visual cues as outro-transitions from a virtual world back to the physical world and their utility to enable presenters to request VR users to end a VR session. We propose and investigate eight transition techniques. We focus on their usage in short consecutive VR experiences and include both established and novel techniques. The transition techniques are evaluated within a user study to draw conclusions on the effects of outro-transitions on the overall experience and presence of participants. We also take into account how long an outro-transition may take and how comfortable our participants perceived the proposed techniques. The study points out that they preferred non-interactive outro-transitions over interactive ones, except for a transition that allowed VR users to communicate with presenters. Furthermore, we explore the presenter-VR user relation within a presentation scenario that uses short VR experiences. The study indicates involving presenters that can stop a VR session was not only negligible but preferred by our participants.

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