Virtual reality (VR) is a promising tool to promote motor (re)learning in healthy users and brain-injured patients. However, in current VR-based motor training, movements of the users performed in a ...three-dimensional space are usually visualized on computer screens, televisions, or projection systems, which lack depth cues (2D screen), and thus, display information using only monocular depth cues. The reduced depth cues and the visuospatial transformation from the movements performed in a three-dimensional space to their two-dimensional indirect visualization on the 2D screen may add cognitive load, reducing VR usability, especially in users suffering from cognitive impairments. These 2D screens might further reduce the learning outcomes if they limit users’ motivation and embodiment, factors previously associated with better motor performance. The goal of this study was to evaluate the potential benefits of more immersive technologies using head-mounted displays (HMDs). As a first step towards potential clinical implementation, we ran an experiment with 20 healthy participants who simultaneously performed a 3D motor reaching and a cognitive counting task using: (1) (immersive) VR (IVR) HMD, (2) augmented reality (AR) HMD, and (3) computer screen (2D screen). In a previous analysis, we reported improved movement quality when movements were visualized with IVR than with a 2D screen. Here, we present results from the analysis of questionnaires to evaluate whether the visualization technology impacted users’ cognitive load, motivation, technology usability, and embodiment. Reports on cognitive load did not differ across visualization technologies. However, IVR was more motivating and usable than AR and the 2D screen. Both IVR and AR rea ched higher embodiment level than the 2D screen. Our results support our previous finding that IVR HMDs seem to be more suitable than the common 2D screens employed in VR-based therapy when training 3D movements. For AR, it is still unknown whether the absence of benefit over the 2D screen is due to the visualization technology per se or to technical limitations specific to the device.
Immersive virtual reality (VR) applications require ultra-high data rate and low-latency for smooth operation. Hence in this paper, aiming to improve VR experience in multi-user VR wireless video ...streaming, a deep-learning aided scheme for maximizing the quality of the delivered video chunks with low-latency is proposed. Therein the correlations in the predicted field of view (FoV) and locations of viewers watching 360° HD VR videos are capitalized on to realize a proactive FoV-centric millimeter wave (mmWave) physical-layer multicast transmission. The problem is cast as a frame quality maximization problem subject to tight latency constraints and network stability. The problem is then decoupled into an HD frame request admission and scheduling subproblems and a matching theory game is formulated to solve the scheduling subproblem by associating requests from clusters of users to mmWave small cell base stations (SBSs) for their unicast/multicast transmission. Furthermore, for realistic modeling and simulation purposes, a real VR head-tracking dataset and a deep recurrent neural network (DRNN) based on gated recurrent units (GRUs) are leveraged. Extensive simulation results show how the content-reuse for clusters of users with highly overlapping FoVs brought in by multicasting reduces the VR frame delay in 12%. This reduction is further boosted by proactiveness that cuts by half the average delays of both reactive unicast and multicast baselines while preserving HD delivery rates above 98%. Finally, enforcing tight latency bounds shortens the delay-tail as evinced by 13% lower delays in the 99th percentile.
The use of Virtual Worlds (VWs) has increased in the last decade. VWs are used for communication, education, community building, creative arts, and more. A good deal of research has been conducted ...into learning and VWs, but other areas remain ripe for investigation. Factors from technological platforms to the nature and conventions of the communities that use VWs must be considered, in order to achieve the best possible interaction between virtual spaces and their users. Making Sense of Space focuses on the background to these issues, describing a range of case studies conducted by the authors. The book investigates the innovative and creative ways designers employ VWs for research, performance-making, and audience engagement. Secondly, it looks into how educators use these spaces to support their teaching practice. Lastly, the book examines the potential of VWs as new methods of communication, and the ways they are changing our perception of reality. This book is structured into four chapters. An introduction provides a history and outline of important themes for VWs, and subsequent chapters consider the design of virtual spaces, experience of virtual spaces, and communication in virtual spaces. * Written by two experienced academics and practitioners in the field, offering different perspectives * Uses a multidisciplinary approach, drawing on: education; scenography; performance studies; disaster management; and computer science * Provides multiple viewpoints on the topic, gained through interviews and contributions from a range of experts, as well as several co-authored chapters
Zum Titelbild: Das Projekt hidden structures – Ingenieurbaukunst Berlin nutzt gezielt die Möglichkeiten von Digitalisierung und Virtual Reality für eine neue Dimension der interaktiven Vermittlung ...historischer wie heutiger Ingenieurbauleistungen. Ein Beispiel, dass das Potenzial der Web‐Darstellung und ihrer interaktiven Erkundung aufzeigen soll, ist das Shell‐Haus. Bis zu elf Etagen hoch war das 1932 vollendete Hochhaus, eines der ersten in Berlin. Mit seiner wellenförmig aufsteigenden Fassade, der horizontal durchlaufenden Travertinverkleidung und den eingebetteten Fensterbändern gilt es noch heute als das eleganteste Bürohaus der Stadt. Weitere Informationen lesen Sie im Beitrag auf S. 320 ff.
Foto: Wolfgang Bittner
Abstract Simulations have been used for decades to teach physics concepts. Virtual Reality (VR) opens new avenues: the benefits of acting out physis (embodiment) can be combined with the affordances ...of a simulated environment. This paper aims to demonstrate how to create physics-education simulations in VR with comparatively small effort beyond 2D-simulations, using the Unity game development environment in connection with consumer-grade VR gear.
•VR interventions are shown to be effective adjunct or alternative pain therapies for both children and adults.•VR analgesia can operate on different levels, to mediate simple distraction, focus ...shifting or self-regulation of pain.•The evidence for impact of VR analgesia on chronic pain is under-investigated, compared to impacts on acute pain.•More research is needed to support the long-term benefits of using VR for managing pain, particularly for chronic pain.•Future research should address the impact of interactivity and personalization on the efficacy of VR analgesia.
Virtual Reality (VR) is now consumer ready and nearing ubiquity. In terms of clinical applications, several studies suggest that VR can be effective as a complementary adjunct or alternative non-pharmacologic analgesic in a range of pain-inducing procedures and in management of chronic pain. The increasing affordability and quality of portable VR headsets and the ongoing utility of pain therapy signals an exciting future for the use of VR for analgesia. However, further research is needed to establish its long-term benefits if VR is to be adopted into mainstream protocols for analgesia management. This research requires a range of study designs with collection of patient self-report and clinical data together to develop bespoke interventions for different cohorts.
Through its unique sensory synchronized design, virtual reality (VR) provides a convincing, user‐centred experience of highly controllable scenarios. Importantly, VR is a promising modality for ...healthcare, where treatment efficacy has been recognized for a range of conditions. It is equally valuable across wider research disciplines. However, there is a lack of suitable criteria and consistent terminology with which to define VR technology. A considerable number of studies have misclassified VR hardware (e.g. defining laptops as VR), hindering validity and research comparisons. This review addresses these limitations and establishes a standardized VR qualification framework. As a result of a comprehensive theoretical and literature review, the hardware‐based VR qualification matrix is proposed. The matrix criteria consist of (1) three‐dimensional (3D) synchronized sensory stimulation; (2) degrees of freedom tracking; and (3) visual suppression of physical stimuli. To validate the model and quantify the current scale/diversity of VR misclassification, a 2019 sectional review of health‐related studies was conducted. Of the 115 studies examined against standardized criteria, 35.7% utilized VR, 31.3% misclassified VR, 18.3% were considered quasi‐VR, and 14.8% omitted critical specifications. The proposed model demonstrates good validity and reliability for qualifying and classifying VR.
Key Practitioner Messages
Virtual reality (VR) therapy has gained rapid empirical support, although many practitioners do not understand the difference between genuine and less‐realistic VR variations.
That has resulted from an evident lack of suitable criteria to define VR across a range of studies and protocols.
Our proposed hardware‐based virtual reality qualification matrix addresses issues to do with misclassification, via the introduction of standardised criteria.
Applying the matrix to existing literature has revealed that more than 30% of VR studies use hardware that does not fit the high standards of rigour required for immersion in a simulated space.
The model is a practical tool researchers and practitioners can use to quality and verify VR standards across research studies.
Background:
While research on Virtual Reality’s potential for education continues to advance, research on its support for Collaborative Learning is small in scope. With remote collaboration and ...distance learning becoming increasingly relevant for education (especially since the COVID-19 pandemic), an understanding of Virtual Reality’s potential for Collaborative Learning is of importance. To establish how this immersive technology can support and enhance collaboration between learners, this systematic literature review analyses scientific research on Virtual Reality for Collaborative Learning with the intention to identify 1) skills and competences trained, 2) domains and disciplines addressed, 3) systems used and 4) empirical knowledge established.
Method:
Two scientific databases—Scopus and Web of Science—were used for this review. Following the PRISMA method, a total of 139 articles were analyzed. Reliability of this selection process was assessed using five additional coders. A taxonomy was used to classify these articles. Another coder was used to assess the reliability of the primary coder before this taxonomy was applied to the selected articles
Results:
Based on the literature reviewed, skills and competences developed are divided into five categories. Educational fields and domains seem interested in Virtual Reality for Collaborative Learning because of a need for innovation, communities and remote socialization and collaboration between learners. Systems primarily use monitor-based Virtual Reality and mouse-and-keyboard controls. A general optimism is visible regarding the use of Virtual Reality to support and enhance Collaborative Learning
Conclusion:
Five distinct affordances of Virtual Reality for Collaborative Learning are identified: it 1) is an efficient tool to engage and motivate learners, 2) supports distance learning and remote collaboration, 3) provides multi- and interdisciplinary spaces for both learning and collaborating, 4) helps develop social skills and 5) suits Collaborative Learning-related paradigms and approaches. Overall, the reviewed literature suggests Virtual Reality to be an effective tool for the support and enhancement of Collaborative Learning, though further research is necessary to establish pedagogies.
Advances in computer graphics algorithms and virtual reality (VR) systems, together with the reduction in cost of associated equipment, have led scientists to consider VR as a useful tool for ...conducting experimental studies in fields such as neuroscience and experimental psychology. In particular virtual body ownership, where the feeling of ownership over a virtual body is elicited in the participant, has become a useful tool in the study of body representation in cognitive neuroscience and psychology, concerning how the brain represents the body. Although VR has been shown to be a useful tool for exploring body ownership illusions, integrating the various technologies necessary for such a system can be daunting. In this paper, we discuss the technical infrastructure necessary to achieve virtual embodiment. We describe a basic VR system and how it may be used for this purpose, and then extend this system with the introduction of real-time motion capture, a simple haptics system and the integration of physiological and brain electrical activity recordings.
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