Simple VR for better living

Physical and cognitive rehabilitation based on natural interaction and VR has been on our horizon for several years, and we have been conducting experimentation towards that goal through several exploratory research initiatives.This article addresses some aspects of the state-of-the-art of VR in healthcare and well-being, with opportunities in the domain of rehabilitation based on natural interaction and VR being analyzed and put in perspective with the SmartAL ecosystem roadmap.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Mental Health Practitioners Perceptions’ of Presence in a Virtual Reality Therapy Environment for Use for Children Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) think and understand social contexts primarily from a visual stand point. Feelings of being present in their social environment are a key component to their development (Strickland, Marcus, Mesibov, & Hogan, 1996). A virtual reality environment (VRE) can provide a therapeutic setting for children with ASD to learn social skills (Ehrlich & Munger, 2012). In the present research, a pilot study was used to assess the validity of a Second Life VRE developed by the researcher (Markopoulos, 2016b) by comparing the VRE to a real life film by The National Autistic Society (2016) in the United Kingdom. Feedback from the pilot study was used to make revisions to the VRE. The validated virtual reality therapy environment (VRTE) was used in the main research study. Twenty-eight Louisiana mental health practitioners’ perceptions of the VRTE were assessed using two random order conditions. Condition A required participation in the VRTE twice, first using a laptop computer only and then using the laptop with the new 2016 Oculus Rift head-mounted display (HMD, Oculus VR, LLC, 2016). Condition B required participation in the VRTE twice, first using a laptop with the new 2016 Oculus Rift HMD and then using a Laptop alone. Four out of eight subscales from the Temple Presence Inventory (TPI) (Lombard, Weinstein, & Ditton, 2011) were used to assess practitioners’ perceptions of presence in the VRTE. Results of a repeated-measures MANOVA showed that the order of the conditions were not significantly different. Additionally, participants’ TPI total and subscales scores were significantly higher when using the HMD than when using the Laptop, as well as their likelihood of using the HMD with children diagnosed with ASD than using the Laptop. All of the correlations for participants’ age and experience with technology were insignificant except for the subscale III, engagement was significant for participants’ age. Keywords: Autism spectrum disorder, therapy, virtual reality environment, head-mounted display, temple presence inventory, presenc

Virtual reality in industry

The industry is undergoing a digital transformation of automation and data exchange in manufacturing caused by the advance of information technologies and software. This transformation is called the 4thIndustry and implies a generation of smart factories which represent a leap forward from the automationto a fullyconnected, flexible and optimized system. Nowadays, every company is aware that a constant renewal and learning areessential to business success. And, among other advanced systems, Virtual Reality (VR) is a future digitization opportunity. Literally, VR makes possible to experience anything, anywhere, anytime. It is the most immersive type of computer-simulatedtechnology and can convince the human brain that it is somewhere else. That is the reason why the largest enterprisesin the worldare currently investing huge amounts of money in VRcompanies and startups. It is clear that the 4thIndustryis bringing with itself elements such as innovation, entrepreneurship, sustainability and internationalization, requirements that every engineer should possess to be competitive in a market increasingly globalized.As an Industrial Engineer, I decided to work on this research project because I am convinced that Virtual Reality will be a disruptive and innovative technology and part of our everyday lives in the coming years.Outgoin