Networked multiplayer cooperative interaction using decoupled motion control method in a shared virtual environment with haptic,visual and movement feedback

This paper focuses on multiplayer cooperative interaction in a shared haptic environment based on a local area network. Decoupled motion control, which allows one user to manipulate a haptic interface to control only one‐dimensional movement of an avatar, is presented as a new type haptic‐based cooperation among multiple users. Users respectively move an avatar along one coordinate axis so that the motion of the avatar is the synthesis of movements along all axes. It is different from previous haptic cooperation where all users can apply forces on an avatar along any direction to move it, the motion of which completely depends on the resultant force. A novel concept of movement feedback is put forward where one user can sense other users’ hand motions through his or her own haptic interface. The concept can also be explained wherein one person who is required to move a virtual object along only one axis can also feel the motions of the virtual object along other axes. Movement feedback, which is a feeling of motion, differs from force feedback, such as gravity, collision force and resistance. A spring‐damper force model is proposed for the computation of motion feedback to implement movement transmission among users through haptic devices. Experimental results validate that movement feedback is beneficial for performance enhancement of such kind of haptic‐based cooperation, and the effect of movement feedback in performance improvement is also evaluated by all subjects.Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

How level of realism influences anxiety in virtual reality environments for a job interview

This study describes how the level of graphical realism required in a virtual social simulation setting can be therapeutically useful in reducing job interview anxiety through exposure. We developed a virtual job interview simulation at a university career service to help student populations faced with the prospect of their first job interview. The virtual job interview simulation can deliver a realistic mock job interview within a high-quality immersive system that is similar to professional virtual reality (VR) systems. We conducted two experimental studies with a common theme: the role of graphical reality of the virtual interviewer and the immersive visual display in the virtual job interview simulation. The results are presented in this study based on a psycho-physiological approach, revealing variation in the distribution of participants′ anxiety state across various VR conditions. The overall conclusion of this study is that the sense of anxiety is less correlated to the graphical realism in VR environment even though the more graphically detailed the virtual human was, the more it provoked a sense of presence. In addition, at least some degree of physical immersion is needed to maintain anxiety levels over the course of VR exposure.     

Impact of multimodal feedback on simulated ergonomic measurements in a virtual environment: A case study with manufacturing workers

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of multimodal feedback on ergonomic measurements in a virtual environment (VE) for a typical simulated drilling task. In total, sixty male manufacturing industry workers were divided into five groups. One group performed the working task in a real environment (RE), and ergonomic measurements for this group were used as the baseline for evaluation. The other four groups performed the same task in a virtual environment with different feedback treatments (visual with or without auditory and/or tactile feedback). Five indices – task completion time, maximum force capacity reduction, body part discomfort, rated perceived exertion, and rated task difficulty – were used to evaluate the measurements of each of the four treatments in VE in comparison to the baseline group in RE. The results indicate that the five indices for each of the four treatment groups were significantly higher than those of the RE group. Moreover, the indices of the visual‐only group were significantly higher than those of the other three groups with auditory and/or tactile feedback treatments. The findings of this study can provide a guideline for ergonomic evaluations of work designs in VE and for establishing a virtual reality simulation system. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Immersive virtual reality in the age of the Metaverse: A hybrid-narrative review based on the technology affordance perspective

Immersive virtual reality (VR) that utilizes head-mounted displays (HMD) is one of the key emerging technologies of the 21st century and has drawn keen attention from consumers, practitioners, and scholars in various disciplines. Nevertheless, the information systems (IS) discipline has neglected immersive VR, given that only a handful of studies have been published in mainstream IS journals. However, the recent advancements in immersive VR technology provide new opportunities for organizations and IS researchers. In light of these points, we reviewed the immersive VR literature to provide a holistic view of opportunities and challenges for organizations and future research directions for the IS field. By examining the technical capabilities of immersive VR and the previous literature, we identified five affordances: embodiment, interactivity, navigability, sense-ability, and create-ability. Our review of the 151 studies from the IS and related fields synthesized how these affordances were utilized in various research domains. Guided by the affordance-actualization theory, we also identified the strategic opportunities and challenges that come with implementing VR. The actualization of immersive VR affordances in organizations is indeed a fruitful area for IS scholars as there are various venues to move the IS field as well as the VR research in the organizational context forward.