The assembly of virtual Arrick Robot in web based robotic lab

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

The present study aimed to address the potential of ground-based food and sensory research in representing the isolated and confined environment of a spacecraft. Virtual Reality (VR) technology was employed to simulate the experience of perceived isolation and confinement within space. The VR simulation emulates the International Space Station in low Earth orbit, comprising interconnected space modules equipped with integrated sensory analysis tools for evaluating food odor cues within the VR environment (‘Food in Space’, Supplementary A). In our first experiment, 44 healthy participants were asked to rate the intensity of three commercially available food odor samples (vanilla, lemon, almond) and a control on a 5-point Likert scale, in the neutral sitting posture, a NASA-Neutral sitting posture (mimicking a ‘microgravity’ posture using a commercial ‘Zero-gravity’ outdoor chair set at 122–124°), and within the VR simulation. This first phase revealed large individual variations across odors. Importantly, there were no significant differences for most odors when the odor perceptions of the three odors between the neutral and ‘microgravity’ neutral postures were compared. However, there were significant differences for select odors between VR and both the postures (Supplementary B) indicating that the VR ‘Food in Space’ environment may impact odor perception differently across odors. A second pilot study with 16 participants evaluated four food odor samples (vanilla, lemon, almond, eucalyptus) and a control across different contexts (baseline control, virtual reality) and time points during virtual reality. The emotional responses during the experiences were also evaluated explicitly using validated scales such as the Self-Assessment Manikin (SAM) and the short-formed Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS-SF). This second phase revealed that participants' descriptions of their emotional responses underwent changes before and after their virtual reality experiences. Terms used were generally more neutral and positive before VR (e.g., ‘interested’, ‘attentive’) and more negative after spending an average of 9 min 35 s in virtual reality (e.g., ‘nervous’, ‘guilty’). There was also variation across participants in terms of emotional responses and odor intensity perception (blank control) especially after spending a longer time in the virtual reality environment (Supplementary C). This exploratory study underscores the potential of using VR technology as a space analog to simulate context for studying sensory responses in relation to food as the current data matches anecdotal eating behavior of space travelers. Personal variation in odor perception should also be taken into consideration, especially in creating personalized meal plans for space applications.

Perception of safe robot idle time in virtual reality and real industrial environments

Virtual Reality (VR) technology has emerged as one of the most transformative and promising innovations in contemporary education. VR refers to a sophisticated technology that generates artificial environments, offering users an immersive experience that simulates presence within a digitally constructed, three-dimensional world. Using devices such as VR headsets, students are able to engage with these virtual environments in a manner that replicates real-world interactions, thereby providing access to experiences that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to attain in reality. This study seeks to investigate the utilization and acceptance of Virtual Reality (VR) technology among teachers and students in schools across the state of Perlis. In the context of a rapidly advancing digital era, VR offers unprecedented opportunities for education by facilitating interactive, immersive learning experiences. However, the extent of readiness and acceptance of this innovative technology among teachers and students in Perlis remains uncertain. Employing a quantitative research methodology, this study gathered data through the administration of structured questionnaires. The results indicate that both students and teachers exhibit a strong interest in integrating VR technology into the educational landscape. The respondents demonstrate a foundational understanding of VR and express confidence that its application in schools can significantly enhance learning outcomes. Despite the widespread enthusiasm for incorporating VR into teaching and learning processes, several critical challenges must be addressed to facilitate its adoption. These challenges include inadequate access to necessary equipment, insufficient training, and a lack of robust infrastructure support. This study offers a set of strategic recommendations aimed at overcoming these obstacles and fostering the broader acceptance and implementation of VR technology in the schools of Perlis.

Virtual reality is a technology which is often regarded as a natural extension to 3D computer graphics with advanced input and output devices. This technology has only recently matured enough to warrant serious engineering applications. The integration of this new technology with software systems for engineering, design and manufacturing will provide a new boost to the field of computer-aided engineering. One aspect of design and manufacturing which may be significantly affected by virtual reality is design for assembly. This paper presents the ideas behind a current research effort aimed at creating a virtual assembly design environment and integrating that environment with a commercial, parametric CAD system.

Though virtual reality (VR) has been advanced to certain levels of maturity in recent years, the general public, especially the population of the blind and visually impaired (BVI), still cannot enjoy the benefit provided by VR. Current VR accessibility applications have been developed either on expensive head-mounted displays or with extra accessories and mechanisms, which are either not accessible or inconvenient for BVI individuals. In this paper, we present a mobile VR app that enables BVI users to access a virtual environment on an iPhone in order to build their skills of perception and recognition of the virtual environment and the virtual objects in the environment. The app uses the iPhone on a selfie stick to simulate a long cane in VR, and applies Augmented Reality (AR) techniques to track the iPhone’s real-time poses in an empty space of the real world, which is then synchronized to the long cane in the VR environment. Due to the use of mixed reality (the integration of VR & AR), we call it the Mixed Reality cane (MR Cane), which provides BVI users auditory and vibrotactile feedback whenever the virtual cane comes in contact with objects in VR. Thus, the MR Cane allows BVI individuals to interact with the virtual objects and identify approximate sizes and locations of the objects in the virtual environment. We performed preliminary user studies with blind-folded participants to investigate the effectiveness of the proposed mobile approach and the results indicate that the proposed MR Cane could be effective to help BVI individuals in understanding the interaction with virtual objects and exploring 3D virtual environments. The MR Cane concept can be extended to new applications of navigation, training and entertainment for BVI individuals without more significant efforts.

Objective: To explore a novel method for preoperative precision assessment of centrally located hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) with blood vessel as axis based on three-dimensional(3D) visualization and virtual reality(VR) technology and its application values. Methods: High-quality thin-layer enhanced CT data were collected from 20 patients with centrally located HCC who treated at First Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University from March 2017 to August 2018 diagnosed by preoperative examination. There were 18 males and 2 females, aged 28 to 69 years, all of Child-Pugh grade A. First of all, 3D reconstruction was performed by a 3D visualization software; then, the reconstructed 3D image was imported into VR development engine for VR research; afterwards, the analysis and evaluation system with blood vessel as axis was established based on 3D visualization classification of centrally located HCC; therefore, the relationship of the tumor to its major peripheral blood vessels was accurately judged and the surgical planning was formulated. Two images were brought into the operating room for navigation in surgery. The assessments results of preoperative data (CT and (or) MRI) and three-dimensional visualization of blood vessels in VR environment were compared; the values of the preoperative and postoperative hemoglobin, serum albumin and bilirubin were recorded and compared. Chi-square test, t-test and non-parametric test were used for the analysis of counting data, continuous measurement data and non-normal distribution measurement data, respectively. Results: 3D visualization modeling was completed in all of the 20 patients with centrally located HCC. According to the results of 3D visualization classification of centrally located HCC, there were 3 cases of type Ⅰ,1 case of type Ⅱ,4 cases of type Ⅲ,7 cases of type Ⅳ and 5 cases of type Ⅴ; according to the assessment and classification based on blood vessel as the axis, there were 6 cases of type Ⅰa,2 cases of type Ⅰb,2 cases of type Ⅱa,9 cases of type Ⅱb and 1 case of type Ⅱc. All patients underwent successful resection of tumor under the guidance of 3D visualization and VR technology. There were 15 cases whose assessment results based on preoperative CT/MRI were consistent with intraoperative findings, with a coincidence rate of 75.0%(15/20); while in VR environment, the assessment results of 3D visualization with blood vessel as axis were all consistent with the intraoperative findings, with coincidence rate of 100%(20/20). There was a statistically significant difference between the groups (χ(2)=5.714, P=0.017). There was no red blood cell transfusion in all patients during the operation. The preoperative hemoglobin was (128.8±14.9)g/L, and it was (119.8±12.5)g/L on postoperative day 1. There was no significant difference between these two sets of data (t=2.07, P=0.054). No death during the perioperative period and no complications such as hepatic failure, hemorrhage and biliary fistula after operation occurred. Conclusion: Preoperative evaluation based on 3D visualization and VR technology with blood vessel as the axis has significant clinical value for preoperative planning and surgical navigation of centrally located HCC.

Virtual presence describes a users’ perception of a virtual reality (VR) environment (VRE), specifically, of their involvement (sense of control within a virtual environment with minimal distractions) and immersion (multi-input sensory engagement providing apparent realism of objects and interactions). In education, virtual presence is a significant construct as highly immersive VREs have been linked to users reporting memorable and exciting teaching experiences. Prior research has described that adults and children report different levels of presence when subjected to identical VREs, suggesting cognition may play some role in users’ perceptions of presence. According to Piaget, concrete operational development is a watershed moment when adolescents develop the ability to understand abstract concepts and make assessments what is and is not reality. This period in cognitive development may influence children’s and adolescents’ perceptions of presence. This is an exploratory study of seventy-five 6th-grade and seventy-six 9th-grade students who participated in an instructional module about cardiac anatomy and physiology using a 3-D, haptic-enabled, VR technology. When surveyed on their perceptions of virtual presence, there were no reported differences between grade levels. When assessed using a Piagetian inventory of cognitive development, the analyses indicated that the sixth-grade students’ understanding of spatial rotation and angular geometry was positively correlated with the reported perceived control and negatively correlated with distraction. This study suggests that the spatial acuity of younger learners plays an important role when using VR technologies for science learning. This research raises questions about the relevance of users’ cognitive development when using emergent VR technologies in the K–12 science classroom.

The coordination process plays a vital role in construction projects during the design phase when interferences and clashes between design systems are identified to reduce the risk of costly reworks. Despite the fact that coordination has been studied commonly in BIM research, limited research has explored the impact of virtual reality (VR) to understand how it can enhance the process. This research study examined the effectiveness of coordination processes in a building renovation project following an innovative approach based on virtual environments (3D-BIM VR) compared to the conventional approach (2D CAD). This research uses the Cyclotron Charette Test method to analyse both approaches in terms of accuracy, speed, and usability. Fifteen participants from engineering backgrounds participated in the prototype testing divided into two experiments. The first experiment involved visually identifying clashes from multiple 2D CAD drawings, while the second involved visually identifying clashes from 3D-BIM-based VR models. The results showed that the virtual reality environment not only helped uncover clashes quickly but also made it more accurate and helpful. A further finding from this research indicates that motion sickness hinders users’’ participation in VR environments. Finally, future research pathways are discussed to improve the coordination process using VR technology

The rapid development of virtual and augmented reality technologies is currently taking place in almost all spheres of activity. Elements of virtual and augmented reality are used in such areas as education, medicine, transport, gaming, tourism and others. The active spread of these technologies causes the emergence of special competencies in the IT labor market and, as a result, the formation of new professions.Many Russian universities are training students in IT training areas. Specialization in the development of computer games and virtual reality applications has begun recently. The provision of practical classes is accompanied by specific tasks, which gives students the opportunity to improve the use of software and technical devices.The relevance of the research is determined by the current demand for the use of the latest technologies by IT developers in the field of creating computer games. Today, technologies that provide a player’s immersion in virtual reality are becoming more and more popular. One of these technologies is a suit with wearable sensors that track a person’s position in space in real time. However, there are quite a few real described projects in the literature and on the Internet. This study examines the process of developing a task for creating a game application using virtual reality technology: a suit with wearable sensors for teaching students.Materials and methods of research. Timely identification of the needs of the IT market in personnel training allows educational organizations to form new training programs of different levels of training. This approach makes it possible to target the educational and methodological materials being developed to use the latest achievements in the development of the field under study.Using a systematic approach, the study characterizes virtual reality suits and sensors for monitoring the position in the user’s space. Thus, the goal of the task was to ensure the immersiveness and convenience of interaction between the player and the game environment.Based on materials on software, position sensors in space, the approach of pedagogical design was applied and the procedure was formed for a practical task, reflecting the relevant competencies.Results. The study was conducted on the basis in the framework of laboratory and practical work of students, as well as at a real enterprise. Training in the new profile of the direction of training “Applied informatics” is fully equipped with all the latest technologies in this field. As a result of the work, the content of the practical task was developed.Real development of virtual and augmented reality applications is conducted jointly with students. Almost all projects used a suit with body sensors.Conclusion. Our study examines in detail the process of developing an application using a suit with wearable sensors for further training of students. Based on the results, work can be carried out on real projects for any field. Based on the research materials, it is planned to issue a textbook for students with the profile of developing computer games and virtual / augmented reality applications.

The effects of the presence of others during a rowing exercise in a virtual reality environment

ESRA19-0696 Non-pharmacological methods for comfort and pain management (virtual reality, musicotherapy, hypnosis,……)

The Reality of Virtual Reality in Echocardiography Education?

The article presents the outcomes of the research of virtual and augmented reality technologies percularities and the possibility of their implementation in the educational process. The main reasons and technologies of virtual reality in the field of information technologies are determined. The analysis of virtual reality programs has been carried out. To determine the relevance of the implementation of virtual, augmented reality and game simulator technologies into the educational process the survey was created by the authors and conducted remotely among the population of Khmelnytskyi region on the Google Forms. The results of the conducted survey suggest the answers to a number of questions, including whether our society is ready to implement virtual, augmented reality and game simulators into the educational process of future specialists’ training, as the field of virtual reality research continues to expand relentlessly, the integration of VR (Virtual Reality) with various areas of human life continues. In addition to the survey in Google Forms, a survey was also conducted to collect information about currently existing virtual environments, programs and game simulators that can be added to educational components or integrated into other educational systems not only in the field of education (Minecraft, Cooking Simulator, PC Building Simulator 1-2, Google Arts & Culture). It is quite possible to integrate these simulators under the educational components of certain specialized subject areas. The conducted survey makes it possible to assume that users are already ready not only for the integration of virtual environments in the game sphere, but also for the full involvement of virtual technologies and game environments in the application of educational components. VR (Virtual Reality) and AR (Augmented Reality) technologies are gaining popularity in cultural, educational, gaming, business environments and more. The disturbed issues are studied in education, which encourages a deeper insight into the essence of the processes that take place under the influence of the latest information and communication developments.

Virtual reality (VR) technology is being increasingly used by athletes, coaches, and other sport-related professionals. The present systematic review aimed to document research on the application of VR to sport to better understand the outcomes that have emerged in this work. Research literature databases were searched, and the results screened to identify articles reporting applications of interactive VR to sport with healthy human participants. Twenty articles were identified and coded to document the study aims, research designs, participant characteristics, sport types, VR technology, measures, and key findings. From the review, it was shown that interactive VR applications have enhanced a range of performance, physiological, and psychological outcomes. The specific effects have been influenced by factors related to the athlete and the VR system, which comprise athlete factors, VR environment factors, task factors, and the non-VR environment factors. Important variables include the presence of others in the virtual environment, competitiveness, task autonomy, immersion, attentional focus, and feedback. The majority of research has been conducted on endurance sports, such as running, cycling, and rowing, and more research is required to examine the use of interactive VR in skill-based sports. Additional directions for future research and reporting standards for researchers are suggested.