Understanding Physical Breakdowns in Virtual Reality

In the study of lighting, as the construction of a physical test room is costly and time-consuming, researchers have been actively looking for alternative media to present physical environments. Virtual reality, photo and video are the most commonly used approaches in the lighting community, and they have all been used by researchers around the world. Most such studies have been conducted without discussing what gives the subjects a better sense of realism, presence, etc., and which type of media is closer to the ideal, the physical lighting environment. In this paper, we aim to select the optimal alternative media that can present physical lighting environments. We compare a human’s subjective feeling towards a physical lighting environment and three alternative reproduction technologies, namely, virtual reality reproduction, video reproduction and photographic reproduction. We also discuss the feasibility of using virtual reality in representing lighting environments. The selection of the most optimal media is based on the perceptual attributes of lighted space, and the findings are only related to these criteria. The main results of this study are the following: (a) The order of the overall presentation-ability of the media is physical space > virtual reality reproductions > video reproductions > photo reproductions. (b) In terms of subjective rating, virtual reality lighting environments are rated closest to the physical lighting environments, and the order of the approximate coefficient of the media is physical space (1) > VR reproductions (0.886) > video reproductions (0.752) > photo reproductions (0.679). (c) Virtual reality can present lighting attributes of open/close, diffuse/glaring, bright/dim and noisy/quiet consistent with the physical environment. (d) Human subjects are most satisfied with VR reproductions.

Virtual reality is rapidly expanding its capabilities and accessibility to consumers. The application of virtual reality in training for precision tasks has been limited to specialized equipment such as a haptic glove or a haptic stylus, but not studied for handheld controllers in consumer-grade systems such as the HTC Vive. A straight-line precision steadiness task was adopted in virtual reality to emulate basic linear movements in industrial operations and disability rehabilitation. This study collected the total time and the error time for the straight-line task in both virtual reality and a physical control experiment for 48 participants. The task was performed at four different gap widths, 4mm, 5mm, 6mm, and 7mm, to see the effects of virtual reality at different levels of precision. Average error ratios were then calculated and analyzed for strong associations to various factors. The results indicated that a combination of Environment x Gap Width factors significantly affected average error ratios, with a p-value of 0.000. This human factors study also collected participants’ ratings of user experience dimensions, such as difficulty, comfort, strain, reliability, and effectiveness, for both physical and virtual environments in a questionnaire. The results indicate that the ratings for difficulty, reliability, and effectiveness were significantly different, with virtual reality rating consistently rating worse than the physical environment. An analysis of questionnaire responses indicates a significant association of overall environment preference (physical or virtual) with performance data, with a p-value of 0.027. In general, virtual reality yielded higher error among participants. As the difficulty of the task increased, the performance in virtual reality degraded significantly. Virtual reality has great potential for a variety of precision applications, but the technology in consumer-grade hardware must improve significantly to enable these applications. Virtual reality is difficult to implement without previous experience or specialized knowledge in programming, which makes the technology currently inaccessible for many people. Future work is needed to investigate a larger variety of precision tasks and movements to expand the body of knowledge of virtual reality applications for training purposes.

This paper describes a Virtual Drilling Reality (VDE) System, based on Virtual Reality (VR) technologies, designed and developed by Eni in collaboration with Saipem. The virtual environment is currently featuring last generation deepwater drilling rigs that are entirely virtualized and allows an immersive experience for Rig Crew and Drilling Engineers training, and in general for anybody who is interested in drilling rigs, equipment and operations. The system includes: a complete virtual tour of rig and equipment; the replay of drilling and rig operations chosen from drilled wells database; a virtual HSE induction at rig site virtual replays of real HSE incidents and rig Safety Drills; an interaction with Drilling Operations based on well drilling simulations; the execution of customized "missions", in single- or multi-player mode The new VDE can also be used as an overall well digital twin throughout the entire well lifecycle including well planning, operations follow-up and post-analysis. Configured for easy customization, the system allows extensions of virtualized rig fleet, modification and addition of the "active objects" in the repository, the preparation of tasks to be completed under the supervision of the trainers, play-back of operations, simulation of new drilling procedures and finally extra HSE incidents or emergency situations. State of the art VR devices and techniques, such as headsets, VR gloves and stereo goggles, are used for a highly immersive and interactive experience, while 2D PCs or 3D Screens facilities are also available. An initial version of the VDE has been used since 2018 in innovative training courses held in Eni's Corporate University. More recently, a well drilling simulator has been included in the system, realizing a full "well digital twin". Engineering experience was then gained both in well planning, operations follow-up and post analysis, applied to complex wells management. Main results obtained include: a safe familiarization with complex operations the optimization of operations, through realistic simulations an increased safety awareness an operation follow-up diagnostics support In summary, Eni's concept of the virtual drilling environment allows a fully virtualized system, with access to all rig workplaces, for a full immersion and interaction in a dynamic, physical and collaborative environment. The possibility to reproduce simultaneous activities and the enhanced interaction with all drilling operations and real life on board, provides a new and innovative well digital twin experience for improved training and engineering support throughout the entire well life-cycle.

The evolution of virtual reality (VR) has created the opportunity for a relatively low-cost and accessible method to practice motor skills. Previous studies have demonstrated how motor skill practice in non-immersive virtual environments transfers to physical environments. Though minimal research has investigated motor learning and transfer within immersive VR, multiple experiments provide empirical evidence of positive transfer effects. Most studies have used software engines and modified hardware to enhance the similarities between virtual and physical environments. However, many learners and practitioners currently use commercially available VR intending to enhance real-world performance, though there is very little evidence to support the notion of positive transfer for these systems. Therefore, this experiment aimed to investigate how motor skill practice using a commercially available VR system improved real-world performance and how that compared to physical practice. Participants (n = 68) were randomly selected into one of two groups: virtual reality (VR) practice (n = 33) or real-world (RW) practice (n = 35). The experiment occurred over two consecutive days, with a pretest, posttest, and practice phase occurring each day. The pre- and post-testing phases were identical for both groups and consisted of putting a golf ball 10 times on a carpeted surface towards the center of a target. The practice phases consisted of 60 total putts per day in the respective environment (VR or RW). Participants continuously alternated golf putting holes from three different distances until they accrued 60 total putts. Participants in the RW group performed golf putts to three targets. Participants in the VR group also performed golf putts on three different miniature golf putting holes, using the commercially available Oculus Rift and the Cloudlands VR Minigolf game. The VR putting targets were designed to replicate the putting holes in the physical environment. Separate 2 (group) x 4 (test) repeated measures ANOVAs were used to assess accuracy and club head kinematics. The results revealed a significant main effect for test, but not for group. Post hoc analyses revealed that both groups significantly improved their putting accuracy and club head kinematics at similar rates. The results from this study indicate that the transfer of learning that occurred as a result of practicing in a commercially available VR environment was similarly effective when compared to RW practice.

Typing is fundamental to our daily lives, particularly at work. Virtual reality (VR) technology has seen increasing interest in incorporating it into job training and rehabilitation programs. The concept of this study involves displaying the effect of virtual hands on a user's view in VR environment to mimic their real-time hand movements. The main objective of this study was to investigate muscle activity and task performance with and without virtual hand representation during VR typing tasks. As part of the study, wireless electromyography (EMG) sensors were used to measure the left and right neck splenius capitis muscles' activity (LSC and RSC), and typing performance was measured in terms of actual and net typing speed (WPM) and accuracy percentage (%). In addition, the NASA-TLX subjective workload scale was used to compare the users' mental workload with and without the virtual hand representations. This study involved 15 participants (7 females and 8 males), all over the age between 18 and 30 years who participated voluntarily and had no symptoms of musculoskeletal disorders or back/neck pain within 7 days of participation. During the study, participants were randomly assigned to two conditions: typing in VR with and without virtual hand representation. The Oculus Quest 2 VR headset and a Logitech k830 Bluetooth keyboard were utilized. A typing test was conducted using typingtest.com with five minutes of typing per condition. The results of the study indicated that virtual hand representation had a positive effect on typing performance, resulting in significantly higher typing speed (125.86% higher net speed) and accuracy (1.63% higher) compared to the condition without virtual hand representation. Additionally, the study found that typing in VR with virtual hand representation resulted in a significantly higher normalized muscle activities (% maximum voluntary contractions) of the neck muscles (17% higher for LSC and 19.58% higher for RSC) than in VR without virtual hand representation. Participants showed significantly lower NASA-TLX values with the virtual hand representation. In other words, lower mental demand was recorded during typing tasks with virtual hand representation. The findings of this study suggested that the presence of virtual hands for typing in VR resulted in more active typing behavior and improved performance. Increasing neck muscle activities during virtual hand representation could be associated with more active typing behavior and improved performance. Furthermore, participants perceived the virtual hand representation condition to be less mentally demanding due to the increased sensory feedback provided. Virtual hand representation was able to enhance typing efficiency, although further design configuration and improvement will be required to improve typing speed. With more realistic virtual hand representations, haptic feedback, and customizing virtual hand size and position to match the user's real hand size and position, virtual hand representation can be more effective in typing.

The authors have conducted experiments to measure personal space between a human and a humanoid robot using both a real and a VR (virtual reality) humanoid robot in order to evaluate the comfortable distance between them. The reason for using both a real and VR robot is to verify the effectiveness of VR. Using a VR robot, we can conduct experiments cheaply and safely because the robot has an unsubstantial body. As a result of our experiment, we have found that the personal space between a human and a humanoid robot matches the personal distance between two persons who are in a relationship of friendship. Also, no differences were seen in the shape of the personal space for a real robot and a VR robot significantly.

Purpose Immersive Virtual Reality (VR) systems allow for highly repetitive tasks to be performed within a virtual environment that increases practice in home environments. VR can increase access to rehabilitation by reducing access barriers. However, rehabilitation outcomes between immersive VR systems and conventional physical rehabilitation are not well understood. The purpose of this case study was to assess the use of a custom clinically based VR simulation for testing gross hand dexterity with an individual with chronic stroke. Materials and methods The participant performed the box and blocks test (BBT) in an immersive VR environment and a physical environment. Three trials of the BBT were performed with their less-affected and affected hands each in both environments while measuring cortical activity using fNIRS. Rests were given between trials and environment conditions. Results Our results show that there was no statistical difference in the number of blocks moved between the physical and VR BBT for both the affected and less-affected hands. Furthermore, our results also indicate no statistically significant difference between the physical BBT and VR BBT conditions on contralateral motor cortex activation, suggesting that cortical involvement is comparable between physical and VR conditions. Conclusions These results suggest that an immersive VR system may be able to elicit functional and motor cortex activations that are comparable to the conventional physical BBT. Importantly, these findings highlights the potential benefits of VR therapy as a remote therapy intervention and/or to increase the effectiveness and practicality of current in-person rehabilitation programs. Implications for rehabilitation These findings highlight the potential benefits of immersive virtual reality as a remote therapy intervention. Immersive virtual reality use has potential benefits to increase the effectiveness and practicality of current in-person rehabilitation programs.

This paper presents an innovative investigation on prototyping a digital twin (DT) as the platform for human-robot interactive welding and welder behavior analysis. This human-robot interaction (HRI) working style helps to enhance human users' operational productivity and comfort; while data-driven welder behavior analysis benefits to further novice welder training. This HRI system includes three modules: 1) a human user who demonstrates the welding operations offsite with her/his operations recorded by the motion-tracked handles; 2) a robot that executes the demonstrated welding operations to complete the physical welding tasks onsite; 3) a DT system that is developed based on virtual reality (VR) as a digital replica of the physical human-robot interactive welding environment. The DT system bridges a human user and robot through a bi-directional information flow: a) transmitting demonstrated welding operations in VR to the robot in the physical environment; b) displaying the physical welding scenes to human users in VR. Compared to existing DT systems reported in the literatures, the developed one provides better capability in engaging human users in interacting with welding scenes, through an augmented VR. To verify the effectiveness, six welders, skilled with certain manual welding training and unskilled without any training, tested the system by completing the same welding job; three skilled welders produce satisfied welded workpieces, while the other three unskilled do not. A data-driven approach as a combination of fast Fourier transform (FFT), principal component analysis (PCA), and support vector machine (SVM) is developed to analyze their behaviors. Given an operation sequence, i.e., motion speed sequence of the welding torch, frequency features are firstly extracted by FFT and then reduced in dimension through PCA, which are finally routed into SVM for classification. The trained model demonstrates a 94.44% classification accuracy in the testing dataset. The successful pattern recognition in skilled welder operations should benefit to accelerate novice welder training.

IntroductionCybersickness is an array of symptoms associated with exposure to three‐dimensional visualization technology (3DVT) environments, such as virtual reality (VR). It is thought that cybersickness is a type of motion sickness caused by a mismatch in sensory and vestibular input when using these modalities. Symptoms of cybersickness are often akin to those of traditional motion sickness, such as headache and nausea. In the literature, as many as 40‐60% of VR users report symptoms of cybersickness, though in our laboratory approximately 20% of users report symptoms of cybersickness. Our past research has shown that the physical environment is often preferred by students, and more effective for learning anatomy, compared to 3DVT environments. We hypothesize that the preference for, and effectiveness of, the physical environment over 3DVT may be a result of cybersickness due to the isolation of the learner from the physical environment. However, no direct measurements of cybersickness or comparisons between 3DVT environments in anatomy are available.MethodsOur study involves comparisons of cybersickness during anatomy learning between three 3D modalities: a VR Oculus Quest 2TM headset, an autostereoscopic screen (AlioscopyTM), and a 3D‐printed physical model. Undergraduate students, with no formal anatomy training, will be randomized via a Latin square design to view one of three skeletal models (human hemipelvis, zygomatic bone, or calcaneus) in each of the modalities. Participants may not touch the model but may rotate it along the horizontal plane using an XboxTM controller. Participants will have four minutes to learn ten bony landmarks on the viewed model and will then take an untimed, recognition‐based test for landmarks learned before progressing onto the next modality. Cybersickness will be assessed following testing in each modality, via self‐reports on the simulation sickness questionnaire (SSQ).ResultsWe hypothesise that reported cybersickness will be highest for the VR displayed on the head‐mounted display of the Oculus Quest 2TM which entirely covers the visual field, compared to learning through the AlioscopyTM screen or the physical model due to the relative lack of isolation of the learner from the physical environment in the last two treatment groups.ConclusionWith the rapid development of 3DVT for use in anatomical education, cybersickness is an important issue in evaluating the quality of 3D modalities. The results of this study will allow educators and students to make informed decisions about the use of 3DVT in anatomy thus preventing uncomfortable physical symptoms associated with learning using 3DVT and improving learning as a result.

Many applications related to various fields indeed require the use of temporal data referred in time. Unfortunately, the practical application of such systems is not achieved without difficulties. Complications of a technical but so conceptual nature generally appear. The spatial and temporal data present fundamental problems with the DBMS, not only because of the considerable size and the constant growth of these data, but also because of the complexity of the geometrical and topological relations between these data. From this, the spatio-temporal modeling represents many difficulties. The main goal of our work is to solve this problem in the biological domain and particularly the spatio-temporal modeling and visualisation of molecular and functional network. In order to do that, we propose a system based on multiagent system with the virtual reality allowing the user to interact with the three-dimensional image objects. As a computer-generated representation of a three-dimensional environment, virtual reality enables the user to view and manipulate the contents of an environment. Virtual reality is often referred to as the technology that gives a user the experience of being immersed in a computer-generated virtual world. Although virtual reality is a very useful application for examining and understanding complex data sets. In this paper, we started by the state of the art of the existing systems for modeling the biological data and their interactions (molecular and functional), then we described the multiagent architecture of the spatio-temporal modeling of molecular and functional interactions based on virtual reality techniques

Office hysteroscopy (OH) is a commonly performed procedure, although it might be associated with some degree of pain and anxiety. Our aim was to determine the effects of virtual reality on pain and anxiety levels felt by patients undergoing OH. MEDLINE, Embase, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, clinicaltrials.gov, ProQuest, Grey literature, and manual searching of references within studies found in the initial search were systematically searched using the terms 'Virtual Reality' and 'Hysteroscopy' without time or language limitations. The review considered all studies assessing the impact of virtual reality (VR) over OH outcomes, and prospective randomized trials were included in the meta-analysis. Retrospective and case - control studies were excluded from the meta-analysis. We identified 17 studies, of which four randomized controlled studies were included in the meta-analysis (327 participants, 168 in the VR group and 159 in the control group). On a 0-10 scale, pain sensation and maximal pain sensation during the operation were not statistically different between study and control groups (relative risk (RR) = -0.64, 95% C.I (-1.57)0.29) and (RR = -0.93, 95% C.I (-3.33) - 1.47), respectively. Anxiety measurement was statistically lower in the study group (RR = -1.73, 95% C.I (-2.79) - ( -0.67)). The available data suggest that VR techniques do not decrease the pain sensation during OH however, they do contribute to a reduction in the anxiety levels experienced by patients. PROSPERO registration number CRD42023432819.

Virtual museum refers to display and simulate the functions of real museum on the Internet in the form of 3 Dimensions virtual reality by applying interactive programs. Based on Virtual Reality Modeling Language, virtual museum building and its effective interaction with the offline museum lie in making full use of 3 Dimensions panorama technique, virtual reality technique and augmented reality technique, and innovatively taking advantages of dynamic environment modeling technique, real-time 3 Dimensions graphics generating technique, system integration technique and other key virtual reality techniques to make sure the overall design of virtual museum.3 Dimensions panorama technique, also known as panoramic photography or virtual reality, is a technique based on static images of the reality. Virtual reality technique is a kind of computer simulation system which can create and experience the interactive 3 Dimensions dynamic visual world. Augmented reality, also known as mixed reality, is a technique which simulates and mixes the information (visual, sound, taste, touch, etc.) that is difficult for human to experience in reality. These technologies make virtual museum come true. It will not only bring better experience and convenience to the public, but also be conducive to improve the influence and cultural functions of the real museum.

Industry 4.0 and digital factories leverage key technologies such as virtual reality (VR) to design, simulate, optimize, and interact with physical production systems remotely or collaboratively. Recent advancements in industrial and aerospace applications demonstrate that the integration of VR with versatile robotic control techniques can unlock new opportunities. VR offers an "extended arm" to physical environments by providing a user-friendly human-machine interface, enhancing sustainability, testability, and more in robotic control systems. This research focuses on a widely used and continuously evolving robotic arm, designed to function in an integrated system operating in both real and virtual environments. A 3-degree-of-freedom (3DOF) robotic arm was initially developed and later upgraded to a 5DOF system. The robotic arm integrated with Virtual Reality (VR) interfaces based on the Robot Operating System (ROS) and Unity3D platforms. In the real-world scenario, inverse kinematics applied for the robot's movement mechanism, while gradient descent algorithms used for the virtual model. Forward kinematics using homogeneous transformation matrices employed to verify the accuracy of the robotic arm's movements. VR headsets and controllers used to manage the virtual robotic arm's control. The goal of this study is to develop integrated systems that enable control of real-world operations via remote observation, addressing challenges like prototyping costs and safety risks. By offering an innovative approach to robotic arm control through VR integration, this work contributes to the advancement of Industry 4.0 technologies. The findings suggest potential applications across various industries, opening up new possibilities for remote operation and training in complex manufacturing environments. DOI: 10.61416/ceai.v28i1.9592

Selection is one of the fundamental user interactions in virtual reality (VR) and 3D user interaction, and raycasting has been one of the most popular object selection techniques in VR. However, the selection of small or distant objects through raycasting has been known to be difficult. To overcome this limitation, this study proposed a new technique called ViewfinderVR for improved selection of distant objects in VR, utilizing a virtual viewfinder panel with a modern adaptation of the through-the-lens metaphor. ViewfinderVR enables faster and more accurate target selection by allowing customization of the interaction space projected onto a virtual panel within reach, and users can select objects reflected on the panel with either ray-based or touch interaction. Experimental results of Fitts' law-based tests with 20 participants showed that ViewfinderVR outperformed traditional raycasting in terms of task performance (movement time, error rate, and throughput) and perceived workload (NASA-TLX ratings), where touch interaction was superior to ray-based interaction. The associated user behavior was also recorded and analyzed to understand the underlying reasons for the improved task performance and reduced workload. The proposed technique can be used in VR applications to enhance the selection of distant objects.

This study represents a systematic literature review in which we explored the locomotion techniques in virtual reality between 2012 and 2019. We analysed and compared 22 locomotion methods that we have identified in 26 papers included in our review. The objective is to better understand relevant locomotion techniques and their impact on the user experience. The review of the literature has shown a wide range of different locomotion techniques which each technique is characterized by different advantages and drawbacks, but classic locomotion techniques such as joystick outperformed all the proposed technique in the reviewed studies. We also proposed a taxonomy and two types of evaluation for locomotion techniques in virtual environment. These elements provide guidelines that may help researchers to choose the most adapted locomotion technique according to the aim of their study.