Use of auditory event-related potentials to measure immersion during a computer game

The degree of engagement in a computer game is determined by sensory immersion (i.e. effects of display technology) and challenge immersion (i.e. effects of task demand). Twenty participants played a computer game under two display conditions (a large TV vs. head-mounted display) with three levels of cognitive challenge (easy/hard/impossible). Immersion was defined as selective attention to external (non-game related) auditory stimuli and measured implicitly as event-related potentials (ERPs) to an auditory oddball task. The Immersive Experience Questionnaire (IEQ) was used to capture subjective indicators of immersion. The type of display had no significant influence on ERPs or responses to the IEQ. However, subjective immersion was significantly enhanced by the experience of hard and impossible demand. The amplitude of late component ERPs to oddball stimuli were significantly reduced when demand increased from easy to hard/impossible levels. We conclude that ERPs to irrelevant stimuli represent a valid method of operationalising immersion

Computer games as distraction from PAIN: Effects of hardware and difficulty on pain tolerance and subjective IMMERSION

Technology, such as computer games and virtual reality (VR), can be used to distract attention from pain. This type of non-pharmacological intervention is cost-effective, efficient and avoids complications arising from medication. However, the capacity of technology to capture attention and effectively distract from painful stimulation is determined by different factors related to the experience of immersion, such as: sensory immersion, i.e. the audio-visual presentation of the digital world, and challenge-based immersion, i.e. effortful engagement with goals in the digital world. Four studies were performed to explore the influence of both sensory and challenge-based immersion on pain tolerance using computer games in combination with the cold pressor test. Study One (N = 30) explored sensory immersion by contrasting pain tolerance during gameplay using VR display, 2D head-mounted micro-display and flatscreen TV, but no significant effect of display type on pain tolerance was observed. Study Two (N = 70) manipulated challenge-based immersion and reported a significant increase of pain tolerance when participants played a highly-demanding game compared to a game with low demand. Study Three (N = 60) simultaneously manipulated sensory immersion via screen display size (40″ vs 9″) and challenge-based immersion (game demand); pain tolerance increased in a linear fashion with demand but no significant effect of display size was reported. The fourth study (N = 40) also manipulated both forms of immersion via systematic manipulation of game music/sound volume (11.6 vs. 57.8 dB) and game demand, no effect for audio volume was observed but pain tolerance increased when the game was highly demanding. All studies included measures of cardiovascular psychophysiology and a subjective index of immersion. Analyses of the relationship between measures revealed that greater autonomic activation exerted a direct, positive effect on pain tolerance, i.e. higher activation = greater pain tolerance. It is concluded that challenge-based immersion is the primary means by which technology can distracts attention from pain

Multimodal feedback cues on manual lifting in virtual environments

Improper manipulation of real-world objects increases the risk of developing work- related back injuries. In an effort to reduce such a risk and encourage appropriate lifting and moving methods, a Virtual Environment (VE) was employed. Virtual simulations can be used for ergonomic analysis. In this work, the VEs made use of multiple feedback techniques to allow a person to estimate the forces acting on their lower back. A person's head and hand movements were tracked in real-time whilst manipulating an object. A NIOSH lifting equation was used to calculate and determine the Lifting Index whereby the results were conveyed in real time. Visual display feedback techniques were designed and the effect of cues to enhance user performance was experimentally evaluated. The feedback cues provide the user with information about the forces acting on their lower back as they perform manual lifting tasks in VEs. Four different methods were compared and contrasted: No Feedback, Text, Colour and Combined Colour and Text. This work also investigated various types of auditory feedback technique to support object manipulation in VEs. Auditory feedback has been demonstrated to convey information in computer applications effectively, but little work has been reported on the efficacy of such techniques, particularly for ergonomic design. Four different methods were compared and contrasted: No Feedback, White-noise, Pitch and Tempo. A combined Audio-Visual (AV) technique was also examined by mixing both senses. The effect of Tactile Augmentation was also examined. Three different weights (real) were used and the results obtained by experiment were compared with the experiment using virtual weights in order to evaluate whether or not the presence of a real weighted object enhanced people's sense of realism. The goals of this study were to explore various senses of feedback technique (visual, auditory and tactile), compare the performance characteristics of each technique and understand their relative advantages and drawbacks.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Achieving efficient real-time virtual reality architectural visualisation

Master'sMASTER OF ARTS (ARCHITECTURE

Multimodal feedback cues on manual lifting in virtual environments

Improper manipulation of real-world objects increases the risk of developing work- related back injuries. In an effort to reduce such a risk and encourage appropriate lifting and moving methods, a Virtual Environment (VE) was employed. Virtual simulations can be used for ergonomic analysis. In this work, the VEs made use of multiple feedback techniques to allow a person to estimate the forces acting on their lower back. A person's head and hand movements were tracked in real-time whilst manipulating an object. A NIOSH lifting equation was used to calculate and determine the Lifting Index whereby the results were conveyed in real time. Visual display feedback techniques were designed and the effect of cues to enhance user performance was experimentally evaluated. The feedback cues provide the user with information about the forces acting on their lower back as they perform manual lifting tasks in VEs. Four different methods were compared and contrasted: No Feedback, Text, Colour and Combined Colour and Text. This work also investigated various types of auditory feedback technique to support object manipulation in VEs. Auditory feedback has been demonstrated to convey information in computer applications effectively, but little work has been reported on the efficacy of such techniques, particularly for ergonomic design. Four different methods were compared and contrasted: No Feedback, White-noise, Pitch and Tempo. A combined Audio-Visual (AV) technique was also examined by mixing both senses. The effect of Tactile Augmentation was also examined. Three different weights (real) were used and the results obtained by experiment were compared with the experiment using virtual weights in order to evaluate whether or not the presence of a real weighted object enhanced people's sense of realism. The goals of this study were to explore various senses of feedback technique (visual, auditory and tactile), compare the performance characteristics of each technique and understand their relative advantages and drawbacks