FlashBack

Extended-Reality Technologies: An Overview of Emerging Applications in Medical Education and Clinical Care.

Video games and sport are an essential part in the life of millions of people. With recent advances of immersive virtual reality devices such as the HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, or PlayStation VR, the use of virtual environments (VE) for exergames is becoming more and more popular. An exergame combines a physical activity with video game elements by tracking body movements or reactions of user, attempting to engage users in a more enjoyable system. In this paper, we present the results of a subjective experiment carried out with the aim to compare different kinds of virtual environments with each other. A rowing ergometer, connected either to a virtual reality system using a head-mounted display (HMD) or to a CAVE environment, was used as an exergame device. While for rowing experts, fitness and performance improvements are of major interest, we wanted to focus on the motivation and engagement of non-professionals. By means of a series of questionnaires and a follow-up interview, the Quality of Experience of participants using the system was assessed. Measurements include concepts such as flow, presence, video quality and well-being. Results show significant advantages of the HMD as well as of the CAVE compared to a system without a VE for the overall quality, system feedback, and flow. While the CAVE and HMD system mainly differed in their autotelic experience, the HMD was favored by the majority of participants due to a superior feeling of presence.

This data paper provides a limited overview by example only of body worn cameras, body worn video (BWV), smart glasses, heads up display (HUD), in-sight head mounted display (HMD) augmented and mixed reality technologies that are currently available as restricted, commercially available or public access. Within the context of this research virtual reality head mounted displays (HMD) such as the Oculus Rift, Fove VR or Google Cardboard are not included in this assay, nor are complete vision mediate reality (CMVR) devices technologies, nor digital corneal implants. Links are not provided to manufacturers or resellers as this document serves only as an indication of the range of device types available at the point of publication.

Recently, we have seen an emergence of affordable Head Mounted Displays (HMD) such as the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and the PS4 Project Morpheus which allow users to experience 3D virtual reality (VR). These types of hardware aim to facilitate new and novel experiences for users above and beyond what is possible with traditional audiovisual displays. However, a very limited number of studies exist in the literature to determine the influence of these technologies on user Quality of Experience (QoE). In order to evaluate QoE as users consume VR content, this paper proposes the use of affordable consumer electronics to capture objective physiological metrics: Heart Rate (HR) and ElectroDermal Activity (EDA). Our findings indicate different HR and EDA dependent on VR and non-VR environments. Additionally, we examine the relationship between these objective metrics and user QoE captured via a post-test questionnaire. To the best of the authors knowledge, this is the first work which demonstrates a tangible relationship between the EDA/HR combination and user QoE of immersive VR environments.

Evaluating the effects of collaboration and competition in navigation tasks and spatial knowledge acquisition within virtual reality environments

An increasing number of consumer-oriented head-mounted displays (HMD) for augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) are capable of finger and hand tracking. We report on the accuracy of off-the-shelf VR and AR HMDs when used for touch-based tasks such as pointing or drawing. Specifically, we report on the finger tracking accuracy of the VR head-mounted displays Oculus Quest, Vive Pro and the Leap Motion controller, when attached to a VR HMD, as well as the finger tracking accuracy of the AR head-mounted displays Microsoft HoloLens 2 and Magic Leap. We present the results of two experiments in which we compare the accuracy for absolute and relative pointing tasks using both human participants and a robot. The results suggest that HTC Vive has a lower spatial accuracy than the Oculus Quest and Leap Motion and that the Microsoft HoloLens 2 provides higher spatial accuracy than Magic Leap One. These findings can serve as decision support for researchers and practitioners in choosing which systems to use in the future.

The recent development of virtual reality (VR) devices such as head mounted displays (HMDs) increases opportunities for applications at the confluence of physical activity and gaming. Recently, the fields of sport and fitness have turned to VR, including for locomotor activities, to enhance motor and energetic resources, as well as motivation and adherence. For example, VR can provide visual feedbacks during treadmill running, thereby reducing monotony and increasing the feeling of movement and engagement with the activity. However, the relevance of using VR tools during locomotion depends on the ability of these systems to provide natural immersive feelings, specifically a coherent perception of speed. The objective of this study is to estimate the error between actual and perceived locomotor speed in VE using an enactive approach, i.e. allowing an active control of the environment. Sixteen healthy individuals participated in the experiment, which consisted in walking and running on a motorized treadmill at speeds ranging from 3 to 11 km/h with 0.5 km/h increments, in a randomized order while wearing a HMD device (HTC Vive) displaying a virtual racetrack. Participants were instructed to match VE speed with what they perceived was their ac-tuallocomotion speed (LS), using a handheld Vive controller. They were able to modify the optic flow speed (OFS) with a 0.02 km/h increment/decrement accuracy. An optic flow multiplier (OFM) was computed based on the error between OFS and LS. It represents the gain that exists between the visually perceived speed and the real locomotion speed experienced by participants for each trial. For all conditions, the average of OFM was $1.00\pm.25$ to best match LS. This finding is at odds with previous works reporting an underestimation of speed perception in VR. It could be explained by the use of an enactive approach allowing an active and accurate matching of visually and proprioceptively perceived speeds by participants. But above all, our study showed that the perception of speed in VR is strongly individual, with some participants always overestimating and others constantly underestimating. Therefore, a general OFM should not be used to correct speed in VE to ensure congruence in speed perception, and we propose the use of individual models as recommendations for setting up locomotion-based VR applications.

Upper Extremity Rehabilitation Using Fully Immersive Virtual Reality Games With a Head Mount Display: A Feasibility Study.

Commercial virtual reality (VR) systems have become increasingly popular, affordable, and accessible in recent years. Resultantly, recreational activities involving VR are providing new ways to engage in leisure experiences and innovative treatments in the health care arena. Little is known, however, regarding the usability of commercial VR systems for recreational therapists and their clients. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the usability of a popular commercial VR system, the HTC Vive, in terms of its potential use in recreational therapy practice. Using a cross-sectional design, data were collected from recreational therapy professionals (N = 8) working in diverse service settings. Following exposure to the HTC Vive equipment through a professional workshop that included didactic instruction and clinical role-play activities, participants evaluated the system’s usability for themselves as well as for the clients they serve. Data collected through both an online survey and a focus group discussion revealed strong agreement from the therapists that the HTC Vive is a usable commercial VR system for themselves as well as their clients. Specific comments related to the head-mounted display (HMD), controllers, sensors/base stations, positioning, and Steam software provide valuable insights on features viewed positively, possible adaptations for specific client groups, and unique considerations by service setting.

Virtual reality, the idealized next step in both gaming and simulations. With the rise of Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Sony's Project Morpheus and the recent One plus Cardboard virtual reality is beginning to find a place in the consumer household, rather than with only arcades and technology enthusiasts.Such massive market potential is likely the driving force behind the broad range of companies jumping on the VR scene. Everyone from Sony to Valve are currently developing or have released early products, such a range of heavy hitting gaming companies is a sign that Virtual Reality Company Singaporehas a place. Whilst this anticipated growth is impressive, it remains to be seen if this new technology will be purely a passing fad or a long-term gaming option. According to this report the constant increase in technology, such as 3D effects and motion tracking are pushing the rise of virtual reality. Whilst increasing disposable incomes are letting more and more households give this new technology a try. On the flip-side the cost of these technologies, demonstrated by Valve stating that their HTC Vive is aimed at the high-end consumer is expected to harm growth and widespread adoption. The worldwide spread of VR is obviously concentrated within North America and Europe, with both representing 69% of the revenue share. Though surprisingly Asia is slated as the region of highest potential due to the growing online involvement and presence of Sony, who have easy to Asia for their Project Morpheus. This single report highlights that VR has huge potential, both for the companies producing them and the consumers. Yet ultimately it will depend on the content that will be available for these machines and the cost of them. At the current time an average consumer will not spend the equivalent of an Xbox One or PlayStation 4 for a machine that offers only a limited range of games. Though if games such as the Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes demonstrate anything, it is that the right sort of game style can work seamlessly with headset VR. We look forward to the day that Call of Duty can be played on a Best Virtual Reality Companiesmachine, or maybe that wouldn't be such a good idea.Source URL : - https://penzu.com/p/0fa011fcFor more info : - Best Augmented Reality Companies

Underestimation of egocentric distances in immersive virtual environments using various head-mounted displays (HMDs) has been a puzzling topic of research interest for several years. As more commodity-level systems become available to developers, it is important to test the variation of underestimation in each system since reasons for underestimation remain elusive. In this article, we examine several different systems in two experiments and comparatively evaluate how much users underestimate distances in each one. To observe distance estimation behavior, a standard indirect blind walking task was used. An Oculus Rift DK1, weighted Oculus Rift DK1, Oculus Rift DK1 with an artificially restricted field of view, Nvis SX60, Nvis SX111, Oculus Rift DK2, Oculus Rift consumer version (CV1), and HTC Vive were tested. The weighted and restricted field of view HMDs were evaluated to determine the effect of these factors on distance underestimation; the other systems were evaluated because they are popular systems that are widely available. We found that weight and field of view restrictions heightened underestimation in the Rift DK1. Results from these conditions were comparable to the Nvis SX60 and SX111. The Oculus Rift DK1 and CV1 possessed the least amount of distance underestimation, but in general, commodity-level HMDs provided more accurate estimates of distance than the prior generation of HMDs.

This work provides an immersive visualization of oil & gas relevant systems and enhanced oil recovery (EOR) processes at the nanoscale by coupling molecular dynamics (MD) simulations with gamming virtual reality (VR) technologies. The main objective is to understand oil/brine/rock interfaces at molecular level and identify the underlying EOR mechanisms at the atomic scale. Within this immersive experience, the user can directly interact and enhance its perception of atomic environment for EOR applications. The experiences cover nano-EOR, nano-IOR and low-salt processes at nanoscale based on MD calculations of nanoparticles at oil-brine interfaces, oil-brine at silica nanopores and calcite-brine-oil interfaces, respectively. The MD simulations are performed with the Lammps package. The visualizations were done with an HTC Vive and Oculus Rift virtual reality headsets with the Nomad VR and Unitymol software. For the Nomad VR, the trajectories are previously saved from a Lammps molecular dynamics simulation, whereas, for the Unitymol, the simulation with Lammps is performed on-the-fly through the iMD (interactive MD) plugin. The user can visualize and navigate through the trajectories using the Nomad VR. Furthermore, the Unitymol also allows the user apply forces on selected molecules on real time during the VR experience. As means of comparison, the visualization was also performed with cell-phone based VR headsets with the Nomad VR application. Our demonstrations show that VR combined with molecular simulations can be an interesting and attractive way to improve the perception of the nanoscale for the general public. Additionally, it is an emergent tool to characterize, improve the understanding and provide molecular insights about nanosystems and the EOR methods, and also to be integrated with on-going digitalization processes within the oil & gas industry.

In this paper, we evaluated and compared the integral quality of different omnidirectional contents for two head mounted displays (HMDs), namely HTC Vive and Oculus Rift. We also investigated motion sickness and head-movements. To this aim, we categorized omnidirectional contents into three categories based on the degree of motion: high, medium and low motion. For assessing simulator sickness, we used the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire for each of the contents in both HMDs. The viewing direction for subjects while watching the contents were recorded in terms of the three coordinates yaw, roll and pitch. Experimental results show that HTC Vive offers better integral quality compared to Oculus Rift. We also compared simulator sickness scores along with the behavioral data for different contents and HMDs and discussed the results in the paper.

Since the metaverse was introduced, virtual reality (VR) head-mounted displays (HMDs) are increasingly being used for VR gaming, sports and 3D films. Additionally, the Pancake optical module has made HMDs smaller and lighter, which greatly increased its comfortability. However, during real use, there will inevitably be a lot of user head mouvements, such as shaking, lowering and raising, etc., which will cause certain displacement of the HMDs due to its inertia. Then the relative displacement of HMDs may affect the pressure and pressure-bearing area of the head, which leads to user discomfort.Currently, the research on the comfort of HMDs primarily focuses on the static scenarios without mouvement. This paper investigated the relative displacement and user comfort of the HMDs in motion. The main purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between HMDs' displacement and the contact area in order to provide design guidances and insights for HMDs, particularly the binding area. This paper also proposed an effective experimental method for measuring the relative displacement of HMDs, which can be used to assess the dynamic stability.A simple VR environment was bulit to guide the participant’s head movements by moving circular lightened dots, for simulating the head mouvements in daily life. At the same time, a wearable ruler sticker was designed to measure the displacement of the HMDs relative to the head.The experimenter took measurements of participants’ heads and assisted them to get familiar with the HMDs, and then pasted ruler stickers on the participants’ faces. The participants put on the HMD and adjust it to a comfortable position. Then they completed the head movement under the guidance of the VR environment and repeated it for 5 times. The same procedure was repeated after changing the contact area of the binding with 40mm*40mm foam cotton pieces. The HMD’s position was recorded before and after the mouvement.The results shows that, the HMDs exhibit a significant displacement relative to the head, after performing typical head motions, which causes some slight discomfort. Meanwhile, after doing a data correlation with SPSS, it can be found that the contact area of the binding is one of the main reasons for HMDs’ displacement. And the displacement can be greatly reduced and the pressure comfort rarely changes when the contact area of the bindings is increased, which has a positive impact on the overall comfort evaluation. Besides, we believe that in addition to the contact area, the mass distribution, pressure, and materials also have an effect on the relative displacement of HMDs, which might be the focus of future research. In future, new prototypes will be developed to increase the accuracy of environmental variables control and the evaluation of different factors.

With the exponential growth in availability of Virtual Reality (VR) head-mounted displays (HMDs), this study aims to discuss Health & Safety advisory information provided by VR products and observe the extent to which each platform considers accessibility and inclusive and culturally informed design. To this end, five commercially available PC-based VR HMDs, and their corresponding setup applications were assessed in this study - the Oculus Quest 2, Oculus Rift S, Samsung Odyssey, HTC Vive Pro, and Varjo XR-3. Three proto personas were created to evaluate these platforms from various perspectives. VR HMDs are moving in the right direction to consider diverse populations in animation design, but there is room for improvement regarding individuals with visual, auditory, or mobility restrictions. Advancements in multimodal sensory cues and inclusive design considerations may increase adoption of VR technologies as well as compliance with Health & Safety advisory information