Interactive Media Institute

This study explores the intersection of serious games and geogames in cybersecurity (CS) and disaster management (DM), examining implementations and applications at this convergence. Through a systematic review of 100 games (53 for cybersecurity and 47 for disaster management), it analyzes their genres, learning objectives, spatial features, target audience, and publishing contexts. The results reveal that while both domains heavily utilize simulation, cybersecurity games tend to emphasize individual awareness through puzzles and quizzes, whereas disaster management games prioritize systemic thinking and collaboration via strategy and role-playing. The key finding of this study is the underutilization of geospatial elements in cybersecurity games, despite their relevance for critical infrastructure protection. In contrast, disaster management games often embed spatial thinking as a core mechanic. This gap highlights an opportunity to develop “cybergeogames” that integrate geographic data and spatial reasoning to simulate real-world cyber-physical threats. The paper calls for a new generation of serious geogames that bridge digital and physical domains to enhance preparedness for complex, location-bound disruptions.

Medical extended reality (MXR) has emerged as a dynamic field at the intersection of health care and immersive technology, encompassing virtual, augmented, and mixed reality applications across a wide range of medical disciplines. Despite its rapid growth and recognition by regulatory bodies, the field lacks a standardized taxonomy to categorize its diverse research and applications. This American Medical Extended Reality Association guideline, authored by the editorial board of the Journal of Medical Extended Reality, introduces a comprehensive taxonomy for MXR, developed through a multidisciplinary and international collaboration of experts. The guideline seeks to standardize terminology, categorize existing work, and provide a structured framework for future research and development in MXR. An international and multidisciplinary panel of experts was convened, selected based on publication track record, contributions to MXR, and other objective measures. Through an iterative process, the panel identified primary and secondary topics in MXR. These topics were refined over several rounds of review, leading to the final taxonomy. The taxonomy comprises 13 primary topics that jointly expand into 180 secondary topics, demonstrating the field's breadth and depth. At the core of the taxonomy are five overarching domains: (1) technological integration and innovation; (2) design, development, and deployment; (3) clinical and therapeutic applications; (4) education, training, and communication; and (5) ethical, regulatory, and socioeconomic considerations. The developed taxonomy offers a framework for categorizing the diverse research and applications within MXR. It may serve as a foundational tool for researchers, clinicians, funders, academic publishers, and regulators, facilitating clearer communication and categorization in this rapidly evolving field. As MXR continues to grow, this taxonomy will be instrumental in guiding its development and ensuring a cohesive understanding of its multifaceted nature.

Virtual reality (VR) pain distraction has been applied across medical, surgical, and behavioral healthcare domains, marking a shift in pain attenuation practices. However, there is little research that has been performed to compare the efficacy of traditional head-mounted displays (HMDs) versus portable VR devices. The present study evaluated 44 outpatients in need of lipoma resection. Randomized into two groups-HMD versus mobile phone VR-participants navigated pain distraction virtual environments while undergoing surgery. Vital signs and subjective pain measurements via a visual analog scale were taken before, during, and after the surgery. Results indicate that the HMD group reported greater pain reduction than the Mobile group. Overall, this study points to the efficacy of nonpharmacological pain attenuation practices. Although both systems reduced pain during surgery, the clinically validated VR environments seen in the HMD group were more effective. This study does show that inexpensive solutions can work in surgical settings. Future research should be performed to identify the most effective VR pain distraction systems.

The 90s and 00s saw great hopes that virtual reality was poised to sweep health care and change everything. But it didn't. Though researchers could immerse themselves in more complex virtual environments, the chasm between that digital experience and the complexity of real life - using a VR system in an hospital without a dedicated technician was a real challenge - just was too great. Now the situation is changing quickly. The rise of Oculus Rift and the shift of virtual reality from PC to mobile phones thanks to both the Oculus designed Gear VR headsets for Samsung phones and the Google Cardboard project are going to transform health care tools and experiences.

In this paper, we discuss findings from a study that used panoramic video-based virtual environments (PVVEs) to induce self-reported anger. The study assessed "immersiveness" and physiological correlates of anger arousal (i.e., heart rate, blood pressure, galvanic skin response [GSR], respiration, and skin temperature). Results indicate that over time, panoramic video-based virtual scenarios can be, at the very least, physiologically arousing. Further, it can be affirmed from the results that hypnotizability, as defined by the applied measures, interacts with group on physiological arousal measures. Hence, physiological arousal appeared to be moderated by participant hypnotizability and absorption levels.