Tailored Reality: Perception-aware Scene Restructuring for Adaptive VR Navigation

2021 ◽  
Vol 40 (5) ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Zhi-Chao Dong ◽  
Wenming Wu ◽  
Zenghao Xu ◽  
Qi Sun ◽  
Guanjie Yuan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Physical Environment ◽  
Virtual Space ◽  
First Person ◽  
Topological Properties ◽  
Virtual Scene ◽  
Head Mounted Displays ◽  
Perceptual Factors

In virtual reality (VR), the virtual scenes are pre-designed by creators. Our physical surroundings, however, comprise significantly varied sizes, layouts, and components. To bridge the gap and further enable natural navigation, recent solutions have been proposed to redirect users or recreate the virtual content. However, they suffer from either interrupted experience or distorted appearances. We present a novel VR-oriented algorithm that automatically restructures a given virtual scene for a user’s physical environment. Different from the previous methods, we introduce neither interrupted walking experience nor curved appearances. Instead, a perception-aware function optimizes our retargeting technique to preserve the fidelity of the virtual scene that appears in VR head-mounted displays. Besides geometric and topological properties, it emphasizes the unique first-person view perceptual factors in VR, such as dynamic visibility and objectwise relationships. We conduct both analytical experiments and subjective studies. The results demonstrate our system’s versatile capability and practicability for natural navigation in VR: It reduces the virtual space by 40% without statistical loss of perceptual identicality.

Virtual Reality (VR) in Pediatrics: Innovative Perspectives With Special Reference To Clinical Applications and Pediatric Rehabilitation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Bittmann
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Virtual Environment ◽  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
Mixed Reality ◽  
Clinical Applications ◽  
Virtual Space ◽  
Data Glove ◽  
Input Devices ◽  
Head Mounted Displays

Virtual reality (VR) is the term used to describe representation and perception in a computer-generated, virtual environment. The term was coined by author Damien Broderick in his 1982 novel “The Judas Mandala". The term "Mixed Reality" describes the mixing of virtual reality with pure reality. The term "hyper-reality" is also used. Immersion plays a major role here. Immersion describes the embedding of the user in the virtual world. A virtual world is considered plausible if the interaction is logical in itself. This interactivity creates the illusion that what seems to be happening is actually happening. A common problem with VR is "motion sickness." To create a sense of immersion, special output devices are needed to display virtual worlds. Here, "head-mounted displays", CAVE and shutter glasses are mainly used. Input devices are needed for interaction: 3D mouse, data glove, flystick as well as the omnidirectional treadmill, with which walking in virtual space is controlled by real walking movements, play a role here.

scholarly journals Using Visual Guides to Reduce Virtual Reality Sickness in First-Person Shooter Games: Correlation Analysis (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kwang-Ho Seok ◽  
YeolHo Kim ◽  
Wookho Son ◽  
Yoon Sang Kim
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Rest Frame ◽  
First Person ◽  
Head Tracking ◽  
Game Controller ◽  
Visual Background ◽  
Head Mounted Displays ◽  
Tracking Direction ◽  
Visual Element ◽  
First Person Shooter

BACKGROUND The virtual reality (VR) content market is rapidly growing due to an increased supply of VR devices such as head-mounted displays (HMDs), whereas VR sickness (reported to occur while experiencing VR) remains an unsolved problem. The most widely used method of reducing VR sickness is the use of a rest frame that stabilizes the user's viewpoint by providing fixed visual stimuli in VR content (including video). However, the earth-fixed grid and natural independent visual background that are widely used as rest frames cannot maintain VR fidelity, as they reduce the immersion and the presence of the user. A visual guide is a visual element (eg, a crosshair of first-person shooter [FPS]) that induces a user's gaze movement within the VR content while maintaining VR fidelity, whereas there are no studies on the correlation of visual guide with VR sickness. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to analyze the correlation between VR sickness and crosshair, which is widely used as a visual guide in FPS games. METHODS Eight experimental scenarios were designed and evaluated, including having the visual guide on/off, the game controller on/off, and varying the size and position of the visual guide to determine the effect of visual guide on VR sickness. RESULTS The results showed that VR sickness significantly decreased when visual guide was applied in an FPS game. In addition, VR sickness was lower when the visual guide was adjusted to 30% of the aspect ratio and positioned in the head-tracking direction. CONCLUSIONS The experimental results of this study indicate that the visual guide can achieve VR sickness reduction while maintaining user presence and immersion in the virtual environment. In other words, the use of a visual guide is expected to solve the existing limitation of distributing various types of content due to VR sickness.

Crime scene evidence collection as a Virtual Reality use case

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Mills ◽  
Tabitha Dwyer ◽  
Jennie Ablanedo ◽  
Tamara Griffith ◽  
Elwin Collins ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Crime Scene ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Virtual Space ◽  
Use Case ◽  
Software Developers ◽  
Head Mounted Displays ◽  
Commercial Technology ◽  
Evidence Collection ◽  
Vr Training

"Virtual Reality (VR) is an interface strategy that completely immerses the user into a virtual environment. Users with head mounted displays (HMD) see and hear the immersive space as if they are no longer in the real world. Instead they are fully wrapped in the surroundings of the virtual space. While VR has been around for many years, recent advances in commercial technology have provided a surge of costeffective devices to mainstream end-users. With this surge in hardware availability, software developers have been exploring ways to make use of VR to design engaging training experiences. This paper describes the creation of a VR simulation to train the investigative mindset relative to evidence collection tasks at a crime scene. Spatial orientation within a crime scene is critical to understand blood splatter, munitions trajectory and to conceptually re-create events in the crime scene. This paper will explain the challenges and solutions of developing this VR experience. Finally, the paper will provide lessons learned and recommended future development involving this VR training application."

scholarly journals Using Visual Guides to Reduce Virtual Reality Sickness in First-Person Shooter Games: Correlation Analysis

10.2196/18020 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. e18020
Author(s):  
Kwang-Ho Seok ◽  
YeolHo Kim ◽  
Wookho Son ◽  
Yoon Sang Kim
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Rest Frame ◽  
First Person ◽  
Head Tracking ◽  
Game Controller ◽  
Visual Background ◽  
Head Mounted Displays ◽  
Tracking Direction ◽  
Visual Element ◽  
First Person Shooter

Background The virtual reality (VR) content market is rapidly growing due to an increased supply of VR devices such as head-mounted displays (HMDs), whereas VR sickness (reported to occur while experiencing VR) remains an unsolved problem. The most widely used method of reducing VR sickness is the use of a rest frame that stabilizes the user's viewpoint by providing fixed visual stimuli in VR content (including video). However, the earth-fixed grid and natural independent visual background that are widely used as rest frames cannot maintain VR fidelity, as they reduce the immersion and the presence of the user. A visual guide is a visual element (eg, a crosshair of first-person shooter [FPS]) that induces a user's gaze movement within the VR content while maintaining VR fidelity, whereas there are no studies on the correlation of visual guide with VR sickness. Objective This study aimed to analyze the correlation between VR sickness and crosshair, which is widely used as a visual guide in FPS games. Methods Eight experimental scenarios were designed and evaluated, including having the visual guide on/off, the game controller on/off, and varying the size and position of the visual guide to determine the effect of visual guide on VR sickness. Results The results showed that VR sickness significantly decreased when visual guide was applied in an FPS game. In addition, VR sickness was lower when the visual guide was adjusted to 30% of the aspect ratio and positioned in the head-tracking direction. Conclusions The experimental results of this study indicate that the visual guide can achieve VR sickness reduction while maintaining user presence and immersion in the virtual environment. In other words, the use of a visual guide is expected to solve the existing limitation of distributing various types of content due to VR sickness.

scholarly journals Cybersickness in current-generation virtual reality head-mounted displays: systematic review and outlook

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Polona Caserman ◽  
Augusto Garcia-Agundez ◽  
Alvar Gámez Zerban ◽  
Stefan Göbel
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Subjective Evaluation ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Current Generation ◽  
Research Areas ◽  
Head Mounted Displays ◽  
Skin Response ◽  
Golden Standard

AbstractCybersickness (CS) is a term used to refer to symptoms, such as nausea, headache, and dizziness that users experience during or after virtual reality immersion. Initially discovered in flight simulators, commercial virtual reality (VR) head-mounted displays (HMD) of the current generation also seem to cause CS, albeit in a different manner and severity. The goal of this work is to summarize recent literature on CS with modern HMDs, to determine the specificities and profile of immersive VR-caused CS, and to provide an outlook for future research areas. A systematic review was performed on the databases IEEE Xplore, PubMed, ACM, and Scopus from 2013 to 2019 and 49 publications were selected. A summarized text states how different VR HMDs impact CS, how the nature of movement in VR HMDs contributes to CS, and how we can use biosensors to detect CS. The results of the meta-analysis show that although current-generation VR HMDs cause significantly less CS ($$p<0.001$$ p < 0.001 ), some symptoms remain as intense. Further results show that the nature of movement and, in particular, sensory mismatch as well as perceived motion have been the leading cause of CS. We suggest an outlook on future research, including the use of galvanic skin response to evaluate CS in combination with the golden standard (Simulator Sickness Questionnaire, SSQ) as well as an update on the subjective evaluation scores of the SSQ.

scholarly journals Physically Based Soap Bubble Synthesis for VR

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 3090
Author(s):  
Sangwook Yoo ◽  
Cheongho Lee ◽  
Seongah Chin
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Virtual Space ◽  
Soap Bubble ◽  
Temporal Constraints ◽  
High Expectations ◽  
Soap Bubbles ◽  
Physical Motion ◽  
Head Mounted Display ◽  
Interesting Topic ◽  
Physically Based

To experience a real soap bubble show, materials and tools are required, as are skilled performers who produce the show. However, in a virtual space where spatial and temporal constraints do not exist, bubble art can be performed without real materials and tools to give a sense of immersion. For this, the realistic expression of soap bubbles is an interesting topic for virtual reality (VR). However, the current performance of VR soap bubbles is not satisfying the high expectations of users. Therefore, in this study, we propose a physically based approach for reproducing the shape of the bubble by calculating the measured parameters required for bubble modeling and the physical motion of bubbles. In addition, we applied the change in the flow of the surface of the soap bubble measured in practice to the VR rendering. To improve users’ VR experience, we propose that they should experience a bubble show in a VR HMD (Head Mounted Display) environment.

scholarly journals Revealing Hidden Local Cultural Heritage through a Serious Escape Game in Outdoor Settings

Information ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 10
Author(s):  
Stavroula Tzima ◽  
Georgios Styliaras ◽  
Athanasios Bassounas
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Augmented Reality ◽  
Cultural Heritage ◽  
Physical Environment ◽  
Local History ◽  
Educational Context ◽  
Virtual Reality Technology ◽  
The Real ◽  
Hybrid Type ◽  
Game Mechanics

Escape Rooms are presently considered a very popular social entertainment activity, with increasing popularity in education field, since they are considered capable of stimulating the interest of players/students and enhancing learning. The combined game mechanics have led to blended forms of Escape Rooms, the Serious Escape Games (SEGs) and the hybrid type of Escape Rooms that uses Augmented Reality (AR)/Virtual Reality technology, a type that is expected to be widely used in the future. In the current study, the MillSecret is presented, a multi-player Serious Escape Game about local cultural heritage, where the players must solve a riddle about the cultural asset of watermills. MillSecret uses AR technology and it was designed to be conducted in the real-physical environment and in an informal educational context. The paper describes the game, its implementation, the playing process, and its evaluation, which aimed to study the feasibility of game conduction in outdoor settings and the views and experience of players with the game, the local cultural heritage and local history. Evaluation results reveal, among other findings, a very positive first feedback from players that allows us to further evolve the development of the game.

scholarly journals Virtual Reality Technology and Remote Digital Application for Tele-Simulation and Global Medical Education: An Innovative Hybrid System for Clinical Training

2021 ◽  
pp. 104687812110082
Author(s):  
Omamah Almousa ◽  
Ruby Zhang ◽  
Meghan Dimma ◽  
Jieming Yao ◽  
Arden Allen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Education ◽  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Global Education ◽  
Clinical Training ◽  
Simulation Training ◽  
Virtual Space ◽  
Control Panel ◽  
Clinical Simulation ◽  
Clinical Scenarios

Objective. Although simulation-based medical education is fundamental for acquisition and maintenance of knowledge and skills; simulators are often located in urban centers and they are not easily accessible due to cost, time, and geographic constraints. Our objective is to develop a proof-of-concept innovative prototype using virtual reality (VR) technology for clinical tele simulation training to facilitate access and global academic collaborations. Methodology. Our project is a VR-based system using Oculus Quest as a standalone, portable, and wireless head-mounted device, along with a digital platform to deliver immersive clinical simulation sessions. Instructor’s control panel (ICP) application is designed to create VR-clinical scenarios remotely, live-stream sessions, communicate with learners and control VR-clinical training in real-time. Results. The Virtual Clinical Simulation (VCS) system offers realistic clinical training in virtual space that mimics hospital environments. Those VR clinical scenarios are customizable to suit the need, with high-fidelity lifelike characters designed to deliver interactive and immersive learning experience. The real-time connection and live-stream between ICP and VR-training system enables interactive academic learning and facilitates access to tele simulation training. Conclusions. VCS system provides innovative solutions to major challenges associated with conventional simulation training such as access, cost, personnel, and curriculum. VCS facilitates the delivery of academic and interactive clinical training that is similar to real-life settings. Tele-clinical simulation systems like VCS facilitate necessary academic-community partnerships, as well as global education network between resource-rich and low-income countries.

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