Evaluating Industrial Products in an Innovative Visual-Olfactory Environment

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica Bordegoni ◽  
Marina Carulli
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Daily Life ◽  
Experimental Tests ◽  
Sense Of Smell ◽  
Sense Of Presence ◽  
Virtual Prototypes ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Olfactory Display

The sense of smell has a great importance in our daily life. Recently, smells have been used for marketing purposes for improving the people's mood and for communicating information about products as household cleaners and food. However, the scent design discipline can be used for creating a “scent identity” of these products not traditionally associated to a specific smell, in order to communicate their features to customers. In the area of virtual reality (VR), several researches concerned the integration of smells in virtual environments. The research questions addressed in this paper concern if virtual prototypes (VP), including smell simulation, can be used for evaluating products as effectively as studies performed in real environments, and also if smells can enhance the users' sense of presence in virtual environments. For this purpose, a VR experimental framework including a prototype of a wearable olfactory display (wOD) has been set up, and experimental tests have been carried out.

Evaluating Industrial Products in an Innovative Visual-Olfactory Environment

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marina Carulli ◽  
Monica Bordegoni ◽  
Umberto Cugini
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Daily Life ◽  
Experimental Tests ◽  
Sense Of Smell ◽  
Sense Of Presence ◽  
Virtual Prototypes ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Olfactory Display

The sense of smell has a great importance in our daily life. In recent years, smells have been used for marketing purposes with the aim of improving the person’s mood and of communicating information about products as household cleaners and food. However, the scent design discipline can be also applied to any kind of products to communicate their features to customers. In the area of Virtual Reality several researches have focused on integrating smells in virtual environments. The research questions addressed in this work concern whether Virtual Prototypes, including the sense of smell, can be used for evaluating products as effectively as studies performed in real environments, and also whether smells can contribute to increase the users’ sense of presence in the virtual environment. For this purpose, a Virtual Reality experimental framework including a prototype of a wearable olfactory display has been set up, and experimental tests have been performed.

Effect of Virtual Reality Graded Exposure on Heart Rate and Self-Reported Anxiety Levels of Performing Saxophonists

2003 ◽  
Vol 51 (4) ◽  
pp. 302-315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evelyn K. Orman
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Exposure Period ◽  
Sense Of Presence ◽  
Graded Exposure ◽  
Subjective Measurements ◽  
Anxiety Levels ◽  
Exposure Sessions ◽  
Virtual Reality Exposure

This study is an examination of the effect of computer-generated virtual reality graded exposure on the physiological and psychological responses of performing musicians. Eight university saxophone majors, five men and three women, participated in twelve 15- to 20-minute weekly practice sessions during which they were immersed in one of four different virtual environments designed to elicit various anxiety levels. Baseline heart rates and subjective measurements were taken prior to immersion and continued throughout the exposure period. In addition, heart rate and subjective measurements were recorded for three live performances given by each subject before beginning the virtual reality exposure and after completion of the sixth and the twelfth exposure sessions. Findings indicated that the virtual environments did elicit a sense of presence and may have provided the means for desensitization. Heart-rate readings and psychological indications of anxiety did not always correspond.

Me and My VE, Part 5: Applications in Human Factors Research and Practice

2018 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 2051-2055
Author(s):  
Randall Spain ◽  
Benjamin Goldberg ◽  
Jeffrey Hansberger ◽  
Tami Griffith ◽  
Jeremy Flynn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Human Factors ◽  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Virtual Environment ◽  
Human Performance ◽  
Mixed Reality ◽  
Research Training ◽  
Research And Practice ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Human Factors Research

Recent advances in technology have made virtual environments, virtual reality, augmented reality, and simulations more affordable and accessible to researchers, companies, and the general public, which has led to many novel use cases and applications. A key objective of human factors research and practice is determining how these technology-rich applications can be designed and applied to improve human performance across a variety of contexts. This session will demonstrate some of the distinct and diverse uses of virtual environments and mixed reality environments in an alternative format. The session will begin with each demonstrator providing a brief overview of their virtual environment (VE) and a description of how it has been used to address a particular problem or research need. Following the description portion of the session, each VE will be set-up at a demonstration station in the room, and session attendees will be encouraged to directly interact with the virtual environment and ask demonstrators questions about their research and inquire about the effectiveness of using VE for research, training, and evaluation purposes. The overall objective of this alternative session is to increase the awareness of how human factors professionals use VE technologies and increase the awareness of the capabilities and limitations of VE in supporting the work of HF professionals.

scholarly journals Predictors of Smoking Craving During Virtual Reality Exposure

2012 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 423-434
Author(s):  
Marta Ferrer-García ◽  
Olaya García-Rodríguez ◽  
Irene Pericot-Valverde ◽  
Jin H. Yoon ◽  
Roberto Secades-Villa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Nicotine Dependence ◽  
Cue Reactivity ◽  
Virtual Reality Technology ◽  
Promising Tool ◽  
Sense Of Presence ◽  
Individual Variables ◽  
Virtual Reality Exposure ◽  
Cue Exposure Treatment

Cue exposure treatment (CET) consists of controlled and repeated exposure to drug-related stimuli in order to reduce cue-reactivity. Virtual reality (VR) has proved to be a promising tool for exposition. However, identifying the variables that can modulate the efficacy of this technique is essential for selecting the most appropriate exposure modality. The aim of this study was to determine the relation between several individual variables and self-reported craving in smokers exposed to VR environments. Forty-six smokers were exposed to seven complex virtual environments that reproduce typical situations in which people smoke. Self-reported craving was selected as the criterion variable and three types of variables were selected as the predictor variables: related to nicotine dependence, related to anxiety and impulsivity, and related to the sense of presence in the virtual environments. Sense of presence was the only predictor of self-reported craving in all the experimental virtual environments. Nicotine dependence variables added predictive power to the model only in the virtual breakfast at home. No relation was found between anxiety or impulsivity and self-reported craving. Virtual reality technology can be very helpful for improving CET for substance use disorders. However, the use of virtual environments would make sense only insofar as the sense of presence was high. Otherwise, the effectiveness of exposure might be affected.

scholarly journals The Sense of Presence through the Humanization Created by Virtual Environments

Proceedings ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donga ◽  
Marques ◽  
Pereira ◽  
Gomes
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Older People ◽  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Strong Sense ◽  
Sense Of Presence ◽  
School Events

This work focus on the study of solutions that using video 360 and virtual reality that allow children’s and older people that are away of their family environments for various reasons to be able to feel they are participating at family or school events. The solutions proposed should deliver a strong sense of presence to the users and the interface must be friendly. The validation will be made by user observation and inquiries.

Embodiment in Virtual Reality

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-45
Author(s):  
João Martinho Moura ◽  
Né Barros ◽  
Paulo Ferreira-Lopes
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Virtual Space ◽  
Fundamental Aspect ◽  
Sense Of Presence ◽  
Technological Advances

Virtual reality (VR) has been a prominent idea for exploring new worlds beyond the physical, and in recent decades, it has evolved in many aspects. The notion of immersion and the sense of presence in VR gained new definitions as technological advances took place. However, even today, we can question whether the degrees of immersion achieved through this technology are profound and felt. A fundamental aspect is the sense of embodiment in the virtual space. To what extent do we feel embodied in virtual environments? In this publication, the authors present works that challenge and question the embodiment sensation in VR, specifically in the artistic aspect. They present initial reflections about embodiment in virtuality and analyze the technologies adopted in creating interactive artworks prepared for galleries and theater stage, questioning the sensations caused by the visual embodiment in virtual reality under the perspective of both the audience and the performer.

scholarly journals Virtual Reality (VR) Multi-User Lab for Immersive Teaching

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarune Savickaite ◽  
Elliot Millington ◽  
Imants Latkovskis ◽  
Jonathan Failes ◽  
Nathan Kirkwood ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
User Interaction ◽  
Contextual Learning ◽  
Technology In Education ◽  
Collaborative Project ◽  
Set Up ◽  
The University

As VR technology matures, it offers opportunities to provide state of the art learning experiences. The use of this technology in education is not new, however, it can be significantly improved. Situated (or contextual) learning is one of the key pillars of immersive learning. Multi-user interaction in virtual environments has always been one of the goals of VR and this has been represented by the tools developed for it. In this preliminary work, we aim to introduce Project Mobius, which is a collaborative project between Edify.ac and the University of Glasgow. We describe how our multi-user lab has been set up and potential future applications for teaching and learning.

scholarly journals A Comparative Study of Sense of Presence of Virtual Reality and Immersive Environments

2016 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Max M. North ◽  
Sarah M. North
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Virtual Environment ◽  
Head Tracking ◽  
Virtual Reality Environment ◽  
Sense Of Presence ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Environment Simulation ◽  
Immersive Environment ◽  
Tracking Device

The study of sense of presence experienced in virtual reality environments has become an important area of research. The continued advancement of immersive technology offers more opportunities to examine how a subject becomes immersed in and interacts with a variety of virtual environments. The primary purpose of this research is to study the sense of presence while interacting with a traditional Virtual Reality Environment (Helmet-based system with a Head-tracking device) and compare it with a virtual reality environment using an Immersive Environment (Spherical-based Visualization environment). Two empirical experiments were investigated in this study, each consisting of thirty-five subjects. A virtual airplane scenario was created and simulated for the participants of both environments. Participants were given several questionnaires after completing the simulation. This study mainly focused on question 9 and 10 of that survey, which dealt with how much the participant felt present in the virtual environment, and if the presence of the real world could still be experienced while in the virtual environment. We found that the subjects felt more involved with the virtual environment while using the Immersive Environment simulation versus using the traditional helmet-based Virtual Reality Environment. There was a statistically significant difference in questions 9 and 10 between the Immersive Environment and traditional Virtual Reality Environment when those questions are considered in isolation. However there was not a significant difference in the total sense of presence between the two environments after analyzing the questions together. The primary differences between the questions were analyzed using the overall mean and the standard deviation. The Immersive Environment has a smaller deviation than the traditional Virtual Reality Environment, implying that the sense of presence response is more concentrated. However, the overall results demonstrate that both environments are almost equally effective, with the Immersive Environment having several slight advantages.

scholarly journals Listening, Corporeality, Place and Presence

2010 ◽  
pp. 113-127
Author(s):  
Susan Turner
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Film Studies ◽  
Sense Of Presence ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Being There

This chapter considers the role of sound, and more specifically, listening, in creating a sense of presence (of “being there”) in “places” recreated by virtual reality technologies. We first briefly review the treatment of sound in place and presence research. Here we give particular attention to the role of sound in inducing a sense of presence in virtual environments that immerse their users in representations of particular places. We then consider the phenomenology of listening, the nature of different types of listening, and their application: listening is active, directed, intentional hearing, and is not merely egocentric, it is body-centric. A classification of modes of listening that draws on work in film studies, virtual reality, and audiology is then proposed as a means of supporting the design of place-centric virtual environments in providing an effective aural experience. Finally, we apply this to a case study of listening in real and simulated soundscapes, and suggest directions for further applications of this work

Performing Ergonomic Analysis in Virtual Environments: A Structured Protocol to Assess Humans Interaction

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maura Mengoni ◽  
Margherita Peruzzini ◽  
Ferruccio Mandorli ◽  
Monica Bordegoni ◽  
Giandomenico Caruso
Keyword(s):  
Human Factors ◽  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Haptic Interfaces ◽  
Specific Analysis ◽  
Virtual Prototypes ◽  
Time Savings ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Ergonomic Analysis ◽  
Emotional Agents ◽  
Analysis Protocol

Virtual Reality (VR) systems provide new modes of human computer interaction that can support several industrial design applications improving time savings, reducing prototyping costs, and supporting the identification of design errors before production. Enhancing the interaction between humans and virtual prototypes by involving multiple sensorial modalities, VR can be adopted to perform ergonomic analysis. The main problems deal with the evaluation both of functional and cognitive sample users behavior as VR interfaces influence the perception of the ergonomic human factors. We state that ergonomic analysis performed in virtual environment can be successful only if supported with a structured protocol for the study both of functional and cognitive aspects and with the proper VR technologies combination that answers to the specific analysis tasks. An ergonomic analysis protocol is presented. It allows the assessment of the consumers’ response in term of behavioral and cognitive human factors, comprehending both operational and emotional agents. The protocol is also used to identify the best combination of visualization and haptic interfaces to perform the analysis. An experimental example, belonging to house appliances field is adopted to investigate the application of the protocol in the virtual set up.

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