{"title":"Designing immersive stories with novice VR creators: a study of autobiographical VR storytelling during the COVID-19 pandemic","authors":"Sojung Bahng, Victoria McArthur, Ryan M. Kelly","doi":"10.3389/frvir.2023.1174701","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frvir.2023.1174701","url":null,"abstract":"Virtual reality (VR) is increasingly being used as a tool for eliciting empathy and emotional identification in fact-based stories. However, it may not be clear whether VR stories authentically deliver the protagonists’ perspectives if the works are not created by or with the protagonists themselves. Therefore, it is crucial for the VR community to explore effective methods for democratizing VR storytelling, and to support novice VR designers in creating autobiographical stories. In this paper, we report findings from a collaborative design research project that aimed to create autobiographical stories with novice VR designers who lacked experience in VR storytelling. We collaborated with university students in Canada to design eight individual VR stories that expressed each student’s experiences of lockdown, during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted interviews with the students to understand how VR contributed to conveying their individual experiences. Our findings demonstrate how immersive VR can be used as a meaningful tool for sharing autobiographical stories by delivering the character’s feelings, creating a sense of confinement and isolation, expressing inner worlds, and showing environmental details. Our discussion draws attention to the significance of careful camera positioning and movement in VR story design, the meaningful use of limited interaction and disorienting components, and the balance between spatial and temporal information in a three-dimensional environment. Our study highlights the potential of VR as an autobiographical storytelling tool and demonstrates how VR stories can be created through iterative collaboration between VR experts and novices.","PeriodicalId":73116,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in virtual reality","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44772911","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
M. Johnson-Glenberg, C. S. Yu, F. Liu, Charles Amador, Yueming Bao, Shufan Yu, R. Likamwa
{"title":"Embodied mixed reality with passive haptics in STEM education: randomized control study with chemistry titration","authors":"M. Johnson-Glenberg, C. S. Yu, F. Liu, Charles Amador, Yueming Bao, Shufan Yu, R. Likamwa","doi":"10.3389/frvir.2023.1047833","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frvir.2023.1047833","url":null,"abstract":"Researchers, educators, and multimedia designers need to better understand how mixing physical tangible objects with virtual experiences affects learning and science identity. In this novel study, a 3D-printed tangible that is an accurate facsimile of the sort of expensive glassware that chemists use in real laboratories is tethered to a laptop with a digitized lesson. Interactive educational content is increasingly being placed online, it is important to understand the educational boundary conditions associated with passive haptics and 3D-printed manipulables. Cost-effective printed objects would be particularly welcome in rural and low Socio-Economic (SES) classrooms. A Mixed Reality (MR) experience was created that used a physical 3D-printed haptic burette to control a computer-based chemistry titration experiment. This randomized control trial study with 136 college students had two conditions: 1) low-embodied control (using keyboard arrows), and 2) high-embodied experimental (physically turning a valve/stopcock on the 3D-printed burette). Although both groups displayed similar significant gains on the declarative knowledge test, deeper analyses revealed nuanced Aptitude by Treatment Interactions (ATIs). These interactions favored the high-embodied experimental group that used the MR device for both titration-specific posttest knowledge questions and for science efficacy and science identity. Those students with higher prior science knowledge displayed higher titration knowledge scores after using the experimental 3D-printed haptic device. A multi-modal linguistic and gesture analysis revealed that during recall the experimental participants used the stopcock-turning gesture significantly more often, and their recalls created a significantly different Epistemic Network Analysis (ENA). ENA is a type of 2D projection of the recall data, stronger connections were seen in the high embodied group mainly centering on the key hand-turning gesture. Instructors and designers should consider the multi-modal and multi-dimensional nature of the user interface, and how the addition of another sensory-based learning signal (haptics) might differentially affect lower prior knowledge students. One hypothesis is that haptically manipulating novel devices during learning may create more cognitive load. For low prior knowledge students, it may be advantageous for them to begin learning content on a more ubiquitous interface (e.g., keyboard) before moving them to more novel, multi-modal MR devices/interfaces.","PeriodicalId":73116,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in virtual reality","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45287260","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Feedback in augmented and virtual reality piano tutoring systems: a mini review","authors":"Katie Wilson, Phillip E. Pfeiffer","doi":"10.3389/frvir.2023.1207397","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frvir.2023.1207397","url":null,"abstract":"Researchers in music education are exploring the use of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) to support piano instruction. Beginner piano students tend to receive short, infrequent lessons, which they practice on their own. This lack of instructor feedback creates opportunities for students to develop improper technique. Current strategies for using AR and VR to guide solo practice use moving shapes to help students to identify what notes to play. Improvements in commercial AR/VR technology will be needed to provide more detailed real-time feedback.","PeriodicalId":73116,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in virtual reality","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45342560","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Martin Feick, Donald Degraen, Fabian Hupperich, A. Krüger
{"title":"MetaReality: enhancing tactile experiences using actuated 3D-printed metamaterials in Virtual Reality","authors":"Martin Feick, Donald Degraen, Fabian Hupperich, A. Krüger","doi":"10.3389/frvir.2023.1172381","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frvir.2023.1172381","url":null,"abstract":"During interaction with objects in Virtual Reality haptic feedback plays a crucial role for creating convincing immersive experiences. Recent work building upon passive haptic feedback has looked towards fabrication processes for designing and creating proxy objects able to communicate objects’ properties and characteristics. However, such approaches remain limited in terms of scalability as for each material a corresponding object needs to be fabricated. To create more flexible 3D-printed proxies, we explore the potential of metamaterials. To this aim, we designed metamaterial structures able to alter their tactile surface properties, e.g., their hardness and roughness, upon lateral compression. In this work, we designed five different metamaterial patterns based on features that are known to affect tactile properties. We evaluated whether our samples were able to successfully convey different levels of roughness and hardness sensations at varying levels of compression. While we found that roughness was significantly affected by compression state, hardness did not seem to follow the same pattern. In a second study, we focused on two metamaterial patterns showing promise for roughness perception and investigated their visuo-haptic perception in Virtual Reality. Here, eight different compression states of our two selected metamaterials were overlaid with six visual material textures. Our results suggest that, especially at low compression states, our metamaterials were the most promising ones to match the textures displayed to the participants. Additionally, when asked which material participants perceived, adjectives, such as “broken” and “damaged” were used. This indicates that metamaterial surface textures could be able to simulate different object states. Our results underline that metamaterial design is able to extend the gamut of tactile experiences of 3D-printed surfaces structures, as a single sample is able to reconfigure its haptic sensation through compression. Graphical Abstract The six visual material textures: concrete, wood, plastic, fabric, glass and metal used in the main experiment. In addition, an example how participants interacted with the samples.","PeriodicalId":73116,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in virtual reality","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46830642","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Valentin Bauer, Tifanie Bouchara, Olivier Duris, Charlotte Labossière, Marie-Noëlle Clément, P. Bourdot
{"title":"Head-mounted augmented reality to support reassurance and social interaction for autistic children with severe learning disabilities","authors":"Valentin Bauer, Tifanie Bouchara, Olivier Duris, Charlotte Labossière, Marie-Noëlle Clément, P. Bourdot","doi":"10.3389/frvir.2023.1106061","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frvir.2023.1106061","url":null,"abstract":"Augmented Reality (AR) is promising to complement autism approaches, but so far has mainly focused on training socio-emotional abilities for autistic children with mild learning disabilities. To better consider autistic children with severe learning disabilities and complex needs (SLN), stakeholders advise using collaborative AR sensory-based mediation approaches. Magic Bubbles is a multisensory AR environment created based on stakeholders’ interviews, then adapted for a day hospital setting in collaboration with practitioners, and finally validated in terms of acceptability and usability for autistic children with SLN. In this paper, we report on our latest study that explores three main research questions: 1) To what extent can Magic Bubbles secure autistic children with SLN? 2) To what extent can Magic Bubbles prompt the dyadic relationship between an autistic child with SLN and a practitioner? 3) What is the overall quality of experience for autistic children with SLN when using Magic Bubbles? To answer these questions, seven autistic children with SLN participated in at least six weekly sessions over three months in a day hospital setting. Data collection and analysis used qualitative and quantitative methods, mainly drawing upon grounded theory to evaluate their experiences. Findings validate the three research questions, offer a detailed account of children’s experiences with AR, and outline future directions.","PeriodicalId":73116,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in virtual reality","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46584656","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Arne Kildahl-Andersen, E. F. Hofstad, Hanne Sorger, T. Amundsen, T. Langø, H. O. Leira, G. Kiss
{"title":"Bronchoscopy using a head-mounted mixed reality device—a phantom study and a first in-patient user experience","authors":"Arne Kildahl-Andersen, E. F. Hofstad, Hanne Sorger, T. Amundsen, T. Langø, H. O. Leira, G. Kiss","doi":"10.3389/frvir.2023.940536","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frvir.2023.940536","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Bronchoscopy for peripheral lung lesions may involve image sources such as computed tomography (CT), fluoroscopy, radial endobronchial ultrasound (R-EBUS), and virtual/electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy. Our objective was to evaluate the feasibility of replacing these multiple monitors with a head-mounted display (HMD), always providing relevant image data in the line of sight of the bronchoscopist. Methods: A total of 17 pulmonologists wearing a HMD (Microsoft® HoloLens 2) performed bronchoscopy with electromagnetic navigation in a lung phantom. The bronchoscopists first conducted an endobronchial inspection and navigation to the target, followed by an endobronchial ultrasound bronchoscopy. The HMD experience was evaluated using a questionnaire. Finally, the HMD was used in bronchoscopy inspection and electromagnetic navigation of two patients presenting with hemoptysis. Results: In the phantom study, the perceived quality of video and ultrasound images was assessed using a visual analog scale, with 100% representing optimal image quality. The score for video quality was 58% (95% confidence interval [CI] 48%–68%) and for ultrasound image quality, the score was 43% (95% CI 30%–56%). Contrast, color rendering, and resolution were all considered suboptimal. Despite adjusting the brightness settings, video image rendering was considered too dark. Navigation to the target for biopsy sampling was accomplished by all participants, with no significant difference in procedure time between experienced and less experienced bronchoscopists. The overall system latency for the image stream was 0.33–0.35 s. Fifteen of the pulmonologists would consider using HoloLens for navigation in the periphery, and two would not consider using HoloLens in bronchoscopy at all. In the human study, bronchoscopy inspection was feasible for both patients. Conclusion: Bronchoscopy using an HMD was feasible in a lung phantom and in two patients. Video and ultrasound image quality was considered inferior to that of video monitors. HoloLens 2 was suboptimal for airway and mucosa inspection but may be adequate for virtual bronchoscopy navigation.","PeriodicalId":73116,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in virtual reality","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48824176","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jacob Moore, Harald Scheirich, Shreeraj Jadhav, A. Enquobahrie, B. Paniagua, Andrew Wilson, Aaron Bray, G. Sankaranarayanan, Rachel B. Clipp
{"title":"The interactive medical simulation toolkit (iMSTK): an open source platform for surgical simulation","authors":"Jacob Moore, Harald Scheirich, Shreeraj Jadhav, A. Enquobahrie, B. Paniagua, Andrew Wilson, Aaron Bray, G. Sankaranarayanan, Rachel B. Clipp","doi":"10.3389/frvir.2023.1130156","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frvir.2023.1130156","url":null,"abstract":"Introduction: Human error is one of the leading causes of medical error. It is estimated that human error leads to between 250,000 and 440,000 deaths each year. Medical simulation has been shown to improve the skills and confidence of clinicians and reduce medical errors. Surgical simulation is critical for training surgeons in complicated procedures and can be particularly effective in skill retention. Methods: The interactive Medical Simulation Toolkit (iMSTK) is an open source platform with position-based dynamics, continuous collision detection, smooth particle hydrodynamics, integrated haptics, and compatibility with Unity and Unreal, among others. iMSTK provides a wide range of real-time simulation capabilities with a flexible open-source license (Apache 2.0) that encourages adoption across the research and commercial simulation communities. iMSTK uses extended position-based dynamics and an established collision and constraint implementations to model biological tissues and their interactions with medical tools and other tissues. Results: The platform demonstrates performance, that is, compatible with real-time simulation that incorporates both visualization and haptics. iMSTK has been used in a variety of virtual simulations, including for laparoscopic hiatal hernia surgery, laparoscopic cholecystectomy, osteotomy procedures, and kidney biopsy procedures. Discussion: iMSTK currently supports building simulations for a wide range of surgical scenarios. Future work includes expanding Unity support to make it easier to use and improving the speed of the computation to allow for larger scenes and finer meshes for larger surgical procedures.","PeriodicalId":73116,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in virtual reality","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45835208","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
So-youn Jang, Jisook Park, M. Engberg, B. MacIntyre, J. Bolter
{"title":"RealityMedia: immersive technology and narrative space","authors":"So-youn Jang, Jisook Park, M. Engberg, B. MacIntyre, J. Bolter","doi":"10.3389/frvir.2023.1155700","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frvir.2023.1155700","url":null,"abstract":"In this paper, we treat VR as a new writing space in the long tradition of inscription. Constructing Virtual Reality (VR) narratives can then be understood as a process of inscribing text in space, and consuming them as a process of “reading” the space. Our research objective is to explore the meaning-making process afforded by spatial narratives—to test whether VR facilitates traditional ways of weaving complex, multiple narrative strands and provides new opportunities for leveraging space. We argue that, as opposed to the linear space of a printed book, a VR narrative space is similar to the physical space of a museum and can be analyzed on three distinct levels: (1) the architecture of the space itself, (2) the collection, and (3) the individual artifacts. To provide a deeper context for designing VR narratives, we designed and implemented a testbed called RealityMedia to explore digital remediations of traditional narrative devices and the spatial, immersive, and interactive affordances of VR. We conducted task-based user study using a VR headset and follow-up qualitative interviews with 20 participants. Our results highlight how the three semantic levels (space, collection, and artifacts) can work together to constitute meaningful narrative experiences in VR.","PeriodicalId":73116,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in virtual reality","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47399850","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Being where, with whom, and when it happens: spatial, interpersonal, and temporal presence while viewing live streaming of collegiate sports in virtual reality","authors":"Andrew Vincent, P. Frewen","doi":"10.3389/frvir.2023.1167051","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frvir.2023.1167051","url":null,"abstract":"Introduction: Although virtual reality (VR) is most popularly known for its applications to gaming, other entertainment applications are increasingly being explored including in the sports media industry, but little research has so far examined the experiences induced by VR viewing of a live sporting event. Materials and methods: Participants (n = 93) were university students who were approached in the context of a field study from a nearby community eatery area on the university campus to watch brief segments of a 360° live stream of the home games of their university volleyball and basketball teams both while wearing and not wearing an inexpensive smart-phone based head-mounted display (HMD). Immediately afterward, participants then reported on their relative experience of spatial, interpersonal, and temporal presence, as well as their satisfaction-preference with each of the two viewing modalities, in response to brief face-valid screening questions. Results: The majority of participants experienced greater presence while wearing the VR headset, and approximately one in every two reported preferring to watch the games in VR. Participants’ experience of spatial presence independently correlated with preferring to watch the games in VR. Discussion: Media vendors should offer VR viewing of sports including via inexpensive, smart-phone mediated VR as an additional, cost-effective alternative means of heightening fans’ experience of virtual presence at the games when fans are unable to go to the games in person.","PeriodicalId":73116,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in virtual reality","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46984360","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}