Applying mobile augmented reality (AR) to teach interior design students in layout plans: Evaluation of learning effectiveness based on the ARCS model of learning motivation theory

In this paper we present a mobile augmented reality (MAR) application supporting teaching activities in interior design. The application supports students in learning interior layout design, interior design symbols, and the effects of different design layout decisions. Utilizing the latest AR technology, users can place 3D models of virtual objects as e.g., chairs or tables on top of a design layout plan and interact with these on their mobile devices. Students can experience alternative design decision in real-time and increases the special perception of interior designs. Our system fully supports the import of interior deployment layouts and the generation of 3D models based on design artefacts based on typical design layout plan design symbols and allows the user to investigate different design alternatives. We applied John Keller’s Attention, Relevance, Confidence, and Satisfaction (ARCS) learning motivation model to validate our solution to examine the students’ willingness and verify the ability of students to improve learning through MAR technology. We compared a sample experimental group of N = 52 test-subjects with a sample of N = 48 candidates in a control group. Learning indicators as learning interest, confidence, satisfaction and effective have been utilized to assess the students’ learning motivation through the use of MAR technology. The learning results have been determined by the independent sample t testing. The significance of the post-test had a p-value \u3c 0.05 difference. The result of the study clearly shows that the reference group utilizing MAR technology as a learning aid show a higher learning effectiveness as the control group. Thus, we conclude that MAR technology does enhance students’ learning ability for interior design and making appropriate design decisions

The Remapping of Peripersonal Space in a Real but Not in a Virtual Environment

One of the most surprising features of our brain is the fact that it is extremely plastic. Among the various plastic processes supported by our brain, there is the neural representation of the space surrounding our body, the peripersonal space (PPS). The effects of real-world tool use on the PPS are well known in cognitive neuroscience, but little is still known whether similar mechanisms also govern virtual tool use. To this purpose, the present study investigated the plasticity of the PPS before and after a real (Experiment 1) or virtual motor training with a tool (Experiment 2). The results show the expansion of the PPS only following real-world tool use but not virtual use, highlighting how the two types of training potentially rely on different processes. This study enriches the current state of the art on the plasticity of PPS in real and virtual environments. We discuss our data with respect to the relevance for the development of effective immersive environment for trainings, learning and rehabilitation

Controller-free hand tracking for grab-and-place tasks in immersive virtual reality: Design elements and their empirical study

Hand tracking enables controller-free interaction with virtual environments, which can, compared to traditional handheld controllers, make virtual reality (VR) experiences more natural and immersive. As naturalness hinges on both technological and user-based features, fine-tuning the former while assessing the latter can be used to increase usability. For a grab-and-place use case in immersive VR, we compared a prototype of a camera-based hand tracking interface (Leap Motion) with customized design elements to the standard Leap Motion application programming interface (API) and a traditional controller solution (Oculus Touch). Usability was tested in 32 young healthy participants, whose performance was analyzed in terms of accuracy, speed and errors as well as subjective experience. We found higher performance and overall usability as well as overall preference for the handheld controller compared to both controller-free solutions. While most measures did not differ between the two controller-free solutions, the modifications made to the Leap API to form our prototype led to a significant decrease in accidental drops. Our results do not support the assumption of higher naturalness for hand tracking but suggest design elements to improve the robustness of controller-free object interaction in a grab-and-place scenario

Real-time affect detection in virtual reality: a technique based on a three-dimensional model of affect and EEG signals

This manuscript explores the development of a technique for detecting the affective states of Virtual Reality (VR) users in real-time. The technique was tested with data from an experiment where 18 participants observed 16 videos with emotional content inside a VR home theater, while their electroencephalography (EEG) signals were recorded. Participants evaluated their affective response toward the videos in terms of a three-dimensional model of affect. Two variants of the technique were analyzed. The difference between both variants was the method used for feature selection. In the first variant, features extracted from the EEG signals were selected using Linear Mixed-Effects (LME) models. In the second variant, features were selected using Recursive Feature Elimination with Cross Validation (RFECV). Random forest was used in both variants to build the classification models. Accuracy, precision, recall and F1 scores were obtained by cross-validation. An ANOVA was conducted to compare the accuracy of the models built in each variant. The results indicate that the feature selection method does not have a significant effect on the accuracy of the classification models. Therefore, both variations (LME and RFECV) seem equally reliable for detecting affective states of VR users. The mean accuracy of the classification models was between 87% and 93%

Virtual and Augmented Reality for Environmental Sustainability: A Systematic Review

In recent years, extended reality (XR) technology has seen a rise in use in environmental subjects, i.e., climate change or biodiversity loss, as a potential tool to inform and engage the public with current and future environmental issues. However, research on the potential of XR technology for environmental sustainability is still in the early stages, and there is no clear synthesis of the methods studied in this field. To provide a clearer view of existing approaches and research objectives, we systematically reviewed current literature dealing with XR use in environmental topics. Although the results indicate that the volume of literature exploring XR in environmental applications is increasing, empirical evidence of its impact is limited, hindering the possibility of presently drawing significant conclusions on its potential benefits. Based on our analyses, we identified thematic, theoretical, and methodological knowledge gaps and provide a guideline to aid future research in the field.Peer reviewe

VR Conferencing : a business opportunity underlying virtual reality participation

Advancements in digital technologies continuously prompt changes to both academic and business ecosystems. And by bringing opportunities for sustainable and economically feasible developments in parallel, the organizing capabilities of such technology have received an increasing amount of interest. Building on this momentum, this dissertation sought to investigate the viability of a business opportunity underlying the idea of virtual reality participation at events such as conferences. For the purpose of this research, data were collected through two online surveys. These surveys targeted those who would ultimately provide the participation option (event-organizers) and those who would drive its demand (eventparticipants). The results, through an expressed measure of interest among the respective samples of 31.6% and 51.5% accompanied by a fair demand and willingness to supply the option, seem to encourage the pursuit of an underlying business opportunity. The analysis further directs future effort by making distinctions in demographics and attitudes in terms of interest and finds thereof that the concept appears to show at least as, or even more, prominence amidst short educational programs. It also shows that the concept can be extended to serve other purposes, for instance, business meetings. Additionally, a business model configuration that could potentially exploit the opportunity is explored, and the model suggested by this work is presented as an intermediate platform. However, more research of which is required prior to the development of a defined business plan.Os avanços nas tecnologias digitais provocam alterações contínuas nos ecossistemas académicos e empresariais. Paralelamente, ao trazerem oportunidades de desenvolvimentos sustentáveis e economicamente viáveis, as capacidades de organização dessas tecnologias têm recebido um interesse crescente. Com base nesta dinâmica, esta dissertação procurou investigar a viabilidade de uma oportunidade de negócio subjacente à ideia de utilização da realidade virtual em eventos como conferências. Para efeitos desta investigação, os dados foram recolhidos através de dois inquéritos online. Estes inquéritos foram simultaneamente direcionados a indivíduos que proporcionariam a opção de participação (organizadores de eventos) e àqueles que impulsionariam a sua procura (participantes em eventos). Os resultados, obtidos através de uma medida de expressão de interesse entre as respetivas amostras de 31,6% e 51,5%, acompanhada por uma procura razoável e da disponibilidade para fornecer a opção, parecem incentivar a procura de uma oportunidade de negócio subjacente. A análise visa ainda um esforço futuro, fazendo distinções demográficas e de atitudes, em termos de interesse, e conclui que o conceito parece mostrar, tanta ou mais proeminência, no meio de programas educacionais curtos. Mostra também que o conceito pode ser alargado para servir outros propósitos, nomeadamente reuniões de negócios. Além disso, é explorada uma configuração do modelo de negócio que poderia potencialmente explorar esta oportunidade, sendo o modelo sugerido por este trabalho apresentado como uma plataforma intermediária. No entanto, é necessária uma investigação mais detalhada antes do desenvolvimento de um plano de negócios definido

Understanding the distinctions in, and impacts of, hand-based sensorimotor interaction in immersive virtual reality; via second language learning

It is widely accepted that immersive virtual reality (IVR) depends on head-based sensorimotor interaction, and the implications and impacts of this interaction are well-explored. However, an additional sensorimotor interaction found in many contemporary IVR experiences, hand-based sensorimotor interaction (HBSI), has received far less attention. This is a notable gap in literature, as in the physical world, HBSI is strongly linked with cognition and cognitive out comes; and is particularly linked with second language learning. This thesis explores HBSI in IVR by examining whether different implementations of HBSI impact cognitive outcomes; and whether cognitive outcomes from HBSI in IVR are congruent with HBSI in the physical world. These findings are also used to comment on how users cognitively perceive the sensorimotor actions they take in virtual environments, as well as on theories of embodied cognition

Data Science in Healthcare

Data science is an interdisciplinary field that applies numerous techniques, such as machine learning, neural networks, and deep learning, to create value based on extracting knowledge and insights from available data. Advances in data science have a significant impact on healthcare. While advances in the sharing of medical information result in better and earlier diagnoses as well as more patient-tailored treatments, information management is also affected by trends such as increased patient centricity (with shared decision making), self-care (e.g., using wearables), and integrated care delivery. The delivery of health services is being revolutionized through the sharing and integration of health data across organizational boundaries. Via data science, researchers can deliver new approaches to merge, analyze, and process complex data and gain more actionable insights, understanding, and knowledge at the individual and population levels. This Special Issue focuses on how data science is used in healthcare (e.g., through predictive modeling) and on related topics, such as data sharing and data management