Perceiving interpersonally-mediated risk in virtual environments

Using virtual reality (VR) to examine risky behavior that is mediated by interpersonal contact, such as agreeing to have sex, drink, or smoke with someone, offers particular promise and challenges. Social contextual stimuli that might trigger impulsive responses can be carefully controlled in virtual environments (VE), and yet manipulations of risk might be implausible to participants if they do not feel sufficiently immersed in the environment. The current study examined whether individuals can display adequate evidence of presence in a VE that involved potential interpersonally-induced risk: meeting a potential dating partner. Results offered some evidence for the potential of VR for the study of such interpersonal risk situations. Participants’ reaction to the scenario and risk-associated responses to the situation suggested that the embodied nature of virtual reality override the reality of the risk’s impossibility, allowing participants to experience adequate situational embedding, or presence.     

Integration of manufacturing services into virtual environments over the internet

Virtual reality (VR) is a rapidly developing technology that has a wide spectrum of industrial and commercial applications. Networked (distributed or shared) virtual environments (VE) are of growing interest to modern manufacturing industry; a dominating use of networked virtual manufacturing environments (VMEs) is on-line visualisation and collaborative control of 3D information. This has to be supported by real-time data transfer. To meet a broad range of common requirements for Internet-based VE communications, particularly for virtual manufacturing and collaborative design and control, this paper presents a networked virtual environment system that is designed to support networked virtual design and manufacturing. The system is implemented with manufacturing message specification (MMS) standards so as to integrate a range of manufacturing services into networked VEs over the Internet.     

Designing presence for real locomotion in immersive virtual environments: an affordance-based experiential approach

This paper describes a framework for designing systems for real locomotion in virtual environments (VEs) in order to achieve an intense sense of presence. The main outcome of the present research is a list of design features that the virtual reality technology should have in order to achieve such a goal. To identify these features, an approach based on the combination of two design strategies was followed. The first was based on the theory of affordances and was utilized to design a generic VE in which the affordances of the corresponding real environment could be evoked. The second was the experiential design applied to VEs and was utilized to create an experience of locomotion corresponding to that achievable in a real environment. These design strategies were chosen because of their potential to enhance the sense of presence. The proposed list of features can be utilized as an instrument that allows VE designers to evaluate the maturity of their systems and to pinpoint directions for future developments. A survey analysis was performed using the proposed framework, which involved three case studies to determine how many features of the proposed framework were present and their status. The result of such analysis represented a measure of the completeness of the systems design, of the affordances provided to the user, and a prediction of the sense of presence.     

Performance of new participants in virtual environments: The Nottingham tool for assessment of interaction in virtual environments (NAÏVE)

There is a need for an assessment tool which reliably distinguishes levels of participant performance in virtual environments (VEs) built within virtual reality (VR) systems. Such screening might be of potential users amongst a company's staff or might be carried out by human factors experimenters prior to the start of experiments in order to provide a base-line of participant competences. The Nottingham Tool for Assessment for Interaction in Virtual Environments (NAÏVE) comprises a set of VE tasks and related tests, with appropriate performance criteria levels, covering the main aspects of navigation (viewpoint) control and object manipulation and operation. Trials with test participants enabled performance levels to be set to distinguish good, adequate and poor performers and tests to be distinguished according to whether performance in the general population is evenly spread or is skewed towards success or failure.     

Height effects in real and virtual environments

The study compared human perceptions of height, danger, and anxiety, as well as skin conductance and heart rate responses and postural instability effects, in real and virtual height environments. The 24 participants (12 men, 12 women), whose average age was 23.6 years, performed "lean-over-the-railing" and standing tasks on real and comparable virtual balconies, using a surround-screen virtual reality (SSVR) system. The results indicate that the virtual display of elevation provided realistic perceptual experience and induced some physiological responses and postural instability effects comparable to those found in a real environment. It appears that a simulation of elevated work environment in a SSVR system, although with reduced visual fidelity, is a valid tool for safety research. Potential applications of this study include the design of virtual environments that will help in safe evaluation of human performance at elevation, identification of risk factors leading to fall incidents, and assessment of new fall prevention strategies.     

Measurement of postural stability before and after immersion in a virtual environment

Research into the effects of simulators has led to suggestions that postural instability occurring after immersion in a virtual reality virtual environment (VR/VE) may have direct implications for the safety of post-immersion activities such as driving or operating machinery. However, experimental studies have highlighted a lack of standardisation in the postural stability measurement techniques applied and subsequent inconsistencies in the results obtained. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the use of static, dynamic and posturographic postural stability measures in determining the effect of participation in an interactive virtual environment (VE) for 20 min. The results demonstrate differences in the sensitivity of postural stability measurement techniques and variations in inter- and intra-individual responses to measures. The VE immersion was found to produce postural instability only when measured using a posturographic technique under normal stance static posture, and then only mildly and not long-lasting. No associations were found between reported symptoms of simulator sickness and postural stability with postural stability measures. This paper discusses issues relating to postural stability measurement and the implications for evaluation of virtual environment effects.     

Design evaluation and modification of mechanical systems in virtual environments

Design is one of the most important stages in the manufacturing cycle and influences all the subsequent stages of product development. In the context of today’s iterative design methodology, the modification of any design is a process involving many evaluations and improvements to the solutions chosen in earlier stages. For this purpose, in the most recent decade, 3D computer simulations have become common tools used within industry. Whilst virtual reality (VR) technology is seen as the interaction technology of the future, much of the current research in this area is carried out to explore the potential benefits and added value brought by the integration of this into standard software technologies currently used at various stages in manufacturing life cycle. A lot of attention has been given to exploring the usability and benefits of interactive VR for assembly planning, knowledge elicitation and design and simulation. However, little research has focussed on the analytical aspects of the design process, for example in the use of VR as an interface for simulation software in finite element methods and multi-body systems. This paper introduces research focussing on applications of virtual environments (VEs) for interactive design evaluation and modification adapted and used with standard simulation software. The use of such interactive visualisation offers the engineer more realistic real-time representations of the design and advanced facilities to interact with the model during the design process. While design evaluation is based mainly on visualisation; design modification requires interactive changes of the model during the simulation, and the interfaces described here highlights such applications. In this work, two software prototypes have been developed using VR technology. First, a software tool called design evaluation in virtual environments is presented together with an application in civil engineering to illustrate the mode of operation and added value of the use of an interactive visualisation environment. Linking the simulation software with the VE provides real time bi-directional communication of graphical information which can be successfully achieved even within the limits of current computer technology. The tool includes a suite of software modules and a user interface to facilitate the link between the simulation results and the VE. The second tool facilitates the design modification in virtual environments system by providing real time dynamic simulation. Two dynamic approaches are investigated in order to study the real time simulation issues in the context of design modification and system performance: the classic approach based on rigid interconnected bodies, and a new and novel approach developed by the authors based on particles dynamics. Both implementations have been tested and compared on a mechanism application under the same computing conditions. The research applications presented demonstrate the practicality, flexibility and versatility of the visualisation in virtual environment in design evaluation and modification. However, the computer efficiency whilst carrying out real time dynamic simulation is limiting the range of applications to models of moderate size; however, this is an improvement on previous similar applications.     

Spatialized Vibrotactile Feedback Improves Goal-Directed Movements in Cluttered Virtual Environments

Spatial awareness in virtual reality (VR) is a dominant research topic. It plays an essential role in the assessment of human operators’ behavior in simulated tasks, notably for the evaluation of the feasibility of manual maintenance tasks in cluttered industrial settings. In such contexts, it is decisive to evaluate the spatial and temporal correspondence between the operator’s movement kinematics and that of his/her virtual avatar in the virtual environment (VE). Often, in a cluttered VE, direct kinesthetic (force) feedback is limited or absent. We tested whether vibrotactile (cutaneous) feedback would increase visuo-proprioceptive consistency, spatial awareness, and thus the validity of VR studies, by augmenting the perception of the operator’s contact(s) with virtual objects. We present experimental results obtained using a head-mounted display (HMD) during a goal-directed task in a cluttered VE. Results suggest the contribution of spatialized vibrotactile feedback to visuo-proprioceptive consistency.     

The virtual playground: an educational virtual reality environment for evaluating interactivity and conceptual learning

The research presented in this paper aims at investigating user interaction in immersive virtual learning environments, focusing on the role and the effect of interactivity on conceptual learning. The goal has been to examine if the learning of young users improves through interacting in (i.e. exploring, reacting to, and acting upon) an immersive virtual environment (VE) compared to non-interactive or non-immersive environments. Empirical work was carried out with more than 55 primary school students between the ages of 8 and 12, in different between-group experiments: an exploratory study, a pilot study, and a large-scale experiment. The latter was conducted in a virtual environment designed to simulate a playground. In this “Virtual Playground,” each participant was asked to complete a set of tasks designed to address arithmetical “fractions” problems. Three different conditions, two experimental virtual reality (VR) conditions and a non-VR condition, that varied the levels of activity and interactivity, were designed to evaluate how children accomplish the various tasks. Pre-tests, post-tests, interviews, video, audio, and log files were collected for each participant, and analysed both quantitatively and qualitatively. This paper presents a selection of case studies extracted from the qualitative analysis, which illustrate the variety of approaches taken by children in the VEs in response to visual cues and system feedback. Results suggest that the fully interactive VE aided children in problem solving but did not provide a strong evidence of conceptual change as expected; rather, it was the passive VR environment, where activity was guided by a virtual robot, that seemed to support student reflection and recall, leading to indications of conceptual change.     

Walk-up VR: virtual reality beyond projection screens

Today, VR research and development efforts often focus on the continual innovation of interaction styles and metaphors for virtual environments (VEs). New tools and interaction devices aim to increase the immersive experience rather than support seamless integration with real work scenarios. Even though users may soon perceive odours within VEs, real, task-oriented interaction within these environments will continue to lag behind. Combining these efforts can result in new user interfaces that reduce the cumbersome barriers prevalent in VEs today, finally unleashing the latent impact of this technology in everyday life. Implementing this vision requires an interdisciplinary and applied approach to integrate VR into the workplace. Mixed-reality display capabilities, useful multimodal interaction and perceptual, intuitive interfaces are major components of such an application-oriented and human-centered approach, for which we coined the term walk-up VR. The paper discusses augmented and virtual reality as contributing technologies     

Teleporting through virtual environments: benefits of navigational feedback and practice

Virtual Reality - Virtual environments (VEs) can be infinitely large, but movement of the virtual reality (VR) user is constrained by the surrounding real environment. Teleporting has become a...     

The physiological mirror—a system for unconscious control of a virtual environment through physiological activity

This paper introduces a system for real-time physiological measurement, analysis, and metaphorical visualization within a virtual environment (VE). Our goal is to develop a method that allows humans to unconsciously relate to parts of an environment more strongly than to others, purely induced by their own physiological responses to the virtual reality (VR) displays. In particular, we exploit heart rate, respiration, and galvanic skin response in order to control the behavior of virtual characters in the VE. Such unconscious processes may become a useful tool for storytelling or assist guiding participants through a sequence of tasks in order to make the application more interesting, e.g., in rehabilitation. We claim that anchoring of subjective bodily states to a virtual reality (VR) can enhance a person’s sense of realism of the VR and ultimately create a stronger relationship between humans and the VR.     

集成虚拟现实环境在工程设计分析中的应用 *

虚拟现实技术在工程设计与分析上有很大的应用潜力。可是 ,虚拟环境的创建时间长、成本高,极大地限制了虚拟现实技术在工程上的应用。为此 ,提出了虚拟现实脚本生成器的概念,将虚拟现实技术与过程的设计、分析集成化,创造性地提出了一种自上而下的设计方法———VR-IEDA,以便高效、快速地创建虚拟原型,提高计算机虚拟复杂系统工程的性价比。在 VR-IEDA中复杂系统的结构和行为被计算机捕捉并自动生成可执行的 VR仿真代码 ,从而减少了创建虚拟环境的时间,便利了基于仿真的过程分析和设计。最后 ,以武器系统的维修过程为     

A hardware-independent virtual reality development system

Simulating virtual reality (VR) hardware allows programs to be written in a desktop environment without constant use of limited VR resources. Rather than shifting constantly between VR and workstation environments, developers at the Electronic Visualization Laboratory (EVL) wanted to be able to test VR applications on the normal workstation console. We therefore created a software simulator for VR development. It simulates various VR system features with an interface that runs on an ordinary workstation. The simulator is implemented as part of the CAVE library, the programming library originally written to support the CAVE hardware. It can, however, be used to develop applications for several VR systems, including ImmersaDesks and head-coupled displays. The library itself has been designed so that use of the simulator or any supported hardware is entirely transparent to application code     

Creating Real-Time Embodied Autonomous Agents

A challenging research area for computer graphics and virtual environments (VE) is training interpersonal interactions. In such a system, at least one person is the VE participant, while several more virtual human agents (represented by human-like, embodied models) are engaged in activities in the same virtual space. The participants, whether live or virtual, should interact as if all were real. This means that the virtual agents must have several characteristics afforded to real people, including the following:     

A virtual reality keyboard with realistic haptic feedback in a fully immersive virtual environment

This study presents a 3D virtual reality (VR) keyboard system with realistic haptic feedback. The system uses two five-fingered data gloves to track finger positions and postures, uses micro-speakers to create simulated vibrations, and uses a head-mounted display (HMD) for 3D display. When users press a virtual key in the VR environment, the system can provide realistic simulated key click haptic feedback to users. The results of this study show that the advantages of the haptic VR keyboard are that users can use it when wearing HMDs (users do not need to remove HMDs to use the VR keyboard), the haptic VR keyboard can pop-up display at any location in the VR environments (users do not need to go to a specific location to use an actual physical keyboard), and the haptic VR keyboard can be used to provide realistic key click haptic feedback (which other studies have shown enhances user performance). The results also show that the haptic VR keyboard system can be used to create complex vibrations that simulate measured vibrations from a real keyboard and enhance keyboard interaction in a fully immersive VR environment.     

Intelligent virtual agents keeping watch in the battlefield

One of the first areas where virtual reality found a practical application was military training. Two fairly obvious reasons have driven the military to explore and employ this kind of technique in their training; to reduce exposure to hazards and to increase stealth. Many aspects of combat operations are very hazardous, and they become even more dangerous if the combatant seeks to improve his performance. Some smart weapons are autonomous, while others are remotely controlled after they are launched. This allows the shooter and weapon controller to launch the weapon and immediately seek cover, thus decreasing his exposure to return fire. Before launching a weapon, the person who controls that weapon must acquire/perceive as much information as he can, not only from its environment, but also from the people who inhabits that environment. Intelligent virtual agents (IVAs) are used in a wide variety of simulation environments, especially in order to simulate realistic situations as, for example, high fidelity virtual environment (VE) for military training that allows thousands of agents to interact in battlefield scenarios. In this paper, we propose a perceptual model, which seeks to introduce more coherence between IVA perception and human being perception, increasing the psychological coherence between the real life and the VE experience. Agents lacking this perceptual model could react in a non-realistic way, hearing or seeing things that are too far away or hidden behind other objects. The perceptual model, we propose in this paper introduces human limitations inside the agents perceptual model with the aim of reflecting human perception.     

A research on an intelligent multipurpose fuzzy semantic enhanced 3D virtual reality simulator for complex maritime missions

In this article, the idea of multipurpose fuzzy semantic enhanced 3D virtual reality simulator for the evaluation of maritime robot algorithms, and for the analysis of maritime missions is presented. The simulator uses the digital mockup technology in blending with semantic domain knowledge of the system, to analyze the tasks remotely. The 3D virtual reality (VR) is proposed to help the operators provide the detailed information and guidance during real-time tele-operations, and the incorporation of fuzzy semantic knowledge makes the virtual environment intelligent and automatic. The integration of fuzzy scene independent ontology with the virtual environment (VE) engenders a knowledge driven inter operable virtual environment which eases the user in natural language querying, personalization, interpretations and manipulation. The distinctive semantic VR scene builder utility of the proposed system draws the VR environment automatically while getting the high level specification of the system for the client. The proposed simulator can be effectively used for real-time robots trainings and for the evaluation of AI based algorithms designed for intelligent vessels and AUV’s without knowing the complex underlying VR scene building technologies. Furthermore, it provides the benefits to optimize the pre-process physical environment operations to mimic the real world into a virtual environment. The remote operations and feasibility analysis performed on virtual simulator can efficiently save the cost, time and claims to provide the operators a preprocessor information and guide.