scholarly journals Designing Immersive Virtual Environments for Human Behavior Research

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Rong Jeffrey Neo ◽  
Andrea Stevenson Won ◽  
Mardelle McCuskey Shepley
Keyword(s):  
Social Interactions ◽  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Human Behavior ◽  
Haptic Feedback ◽  
Sensory Information ◽  
Level Of Detail ◽  
Immersive Virtual Environments ◽  
Computational Costs ◽  
Contextual Element ◽  
Computer Controlled

What are strategies for the design of immersive virtual environments (IVEs) to understand environments’ influence on behaviors? To answer this question, we conducted a systematic review to assess peer-reviewed publications and conference proceedings on experimental and proof-of-concept studies that described the design, manipulation, and setup of the IVEs to examine behaviors influenced by the environment. Eighteen articles met the inclusion criteria. Our review identified key categories and proposed strategies in the following areas for consideration when deciding on the level of detail that should be included when prototyping IVEs for human behavior research: 1) the appropriate level of detail (primarily visual) in the environment: important commonly found environmental accessories, realistic textures, computational costs associated with increased details, and minimizing unnecessary details, 2) context: contextual element, cues, and animation social interactions, 3) social cues: including computer-controlled agent-avatars when necessary and animating social interactions, 4) self-avatars, navigation concerns, and changes in participants’ head directions, and 5) nonvisual sensory information: haptic feedback, audio, and olfactory cues.

scholarly journals Cartographic Scale in Immersive Virtual Environments

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Florian Hruby ◽  
Irma Castellanos ◽  
Rainer Ressl
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Short Review ◽  
Temporal Scale ◽  
Level Of Detail ◽  
Immersive Virtual Reality ◽  
Conceptual Integration ◽  
Immersive Virtual Environments ◽  
High Level ◽  
Immersive Visualization

Abstract Scale has been a defining criterion of mapmaking for centuries. However, this criterion is fundamentally questioned by highly immersive virtual reality (VR) systems able to represent geographic environments at a high level of detail and, thus, providing the user with a feeling of being present in VR space. In this paper, we will use the concept of scale as a vehicle for discussing some of the main differences between immersive VR and non-immersive geovisualization products. Based on a short review of diverging meanings of scale we will propose possible approaches to the issue of both spatial and temporal scale in immersive VR. Our considerations shall encourage a more detailed treatment of the specific characteristics of immersive geovisualization to facilitate deeper conceptual integration of immersive and non-immersive visualization in the realm of cartography.

Immersive Virtual Environments, Avatars, and Agents for Health

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sun Joo (Grace) Ahn ◽  
Jesse Fox
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Sensory Information ◽  
Physical World ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Current Treatment ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Immersive Virtual Environments ◽  
Treatment Regimens

Immersive virtual environments (IVEs) are systems comprised of digital devices that simulate multiple layers of sensory information so that users experience sight, sound, and even touch like they do in the physical world. Users are typically represented in these environments in the form of virtual humans and may interact with other virtual representations such as health-care providers, coaches, future selves, or treatment stimuli (e.g., phobia triggers, such as crowds of people or spiders). These virtual representations can be controlled by humans (avatars) or computers algorithms (agents). Embodying avatars and interacting with agents, patients can experience sensory-rich simulations in the virtual world that may be difficult or even impossible to experience in the physical world but are sufficiently real to influence health attitudes and behaviors. Avatars and agents are infinitely customizable to tailor virtual experiences at the individual level, and IVEs are able to transcend the spatial and temporal boundaries of the physical world. Although still preliminary, a growing number of studies demonstrate IVEs’ potential as a health promotion and therapy tool, complementing and enhancing current treatment regimens. Attempts to incorporate IVEs into treatments and intervention programs have been made in a number of areas, including physical activity, nutrition, rehabilitation, exposure therapy, and autism spectrum disorders. Although further development and research is necessary, the increasing availability of consumer-grade IVE systems may allow clinicians and patients to consider IVE treatment as a routine part of their regimen in the near future.

scholarly journals Multimodality with Eye tracking and Haptics: A New Horizon for Serious Games?

2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shujie Deng ◽  
Julie A. Kirkby ◽  
Jian Chang ◽  
Jian Jun Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Eye Tracking ◽  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Serious Games ◽  
Haptic Feedback ◽  
Current Understanding ◽  
Immersive Virtual Environments ◽  
New Applications ◽  
And Training

The goal of this review is to illustrate the emerging use of multimodal virtual reality that can benefit learning-based games. The review begins with an introduction to multimodal virtual reality in serious games and we provide a brief discussion of why cognitive processes involved in learning and training are enhanced under immersive virtual environments. We initially outline studies that have used eye tracking and haptic feedback independently in serious games, and then review some innovative applications that have already combined eye tracking and haptic devices in order to provide applicable multimodal frameworks for learning-based games. Finally, some general conclusions are identified and clarified in order to advance current understanding in multimodal serious game production as well as exploring possible areas for new applications.

Visual, Haptic, and Bimodal Perception of Size and Stiffness in Virtual Environments

1999 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wan-Chen Wu ◽  
Cagatay Basdogan ◽  
Mandayam A. Srinivasan
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Visual Feedback ◽  
Haptic Perception ◽  
Haptic Feedback ◽  
Sensory Information ◽  
Visual Images ◽  
Varying Length ◽  
Haptic Cues ◽  
Visual Bias

Abstract Human psychophysical experiments were designed and conducted to investigate the effect of 3D perspective visual images on the visual and haptic perception of size and stiffness in multimodal virtual environments (VEs). Virtual slots of varying length and buttons of varying stiffness were displayed to the subjects, who then were asked to discriminate their size and stiffness respectively using visual and/or haptic cues. The results of the size experiments show that under vision alone, farther objects are perceived to be smaller due to perspective cues and the addition of haptic feedback reduces this visual bias. Similarly, the results of the stiffness experiments show that compliant objects that are farther are perceived to be softer when there is only haptic feedback and the addition of visual feedback reduces this haptic bias. Hence, we conclude that our visual and haptic systems compensate for each other such that the sensory information that comes from visual and haptic channels is fused in an optimal manner.

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