Human factors consideration in the interaction process with virtual environment

Newrequirements are needed by industry for computer aided design (CAD) data. Some techniques of CAD data management and the computer power unit capabilities enable an extraction of a virtual mock-up for an interactive use. CAD data may also be distributed and shared by different designers in various parts of the world (in the same company and with subcontractors). The use of digital mock-up is not limited to the mechanical design of the product but is dedicated to a maximum number of trades in industry. One of the main issues is to enable the evaluation of the product without any physical representation of the product but based on its virtual representation. In that objective, most of main actors in industry domain use virtual reality technologies. These technologies consist basically in enabling the designer to perceive the product in design process. This perception has to be rendered to guarantee that the evaluation process is done as in a real condition. The perception is the fruit of alchemy between the user and the VR technologies. Thus, in the experiment design, the whole system human-VR technology has to be considered

Human factors consideration in the interaction process with virtual environment

International audienceNew requirements are needed by industry for computer aided design (CAD) data. Some techniques of CAD data management and the computer power unit capabilities enable an extraction of a virtual mock-up for an interactive use. CAD data may also be distributed and shared by different designers in various parts of the world (in the same company and with subcontractors). The use of digital mock-up is not limited to the mechanical design of the product but is dedicated to a maximum number of trades in industry. One of the main issues is to enable the evaluation of the product without any physical representation of the product but based on its virtual representation. In that objective, most of main actors in industry domain use virtual reality technologies. These technologies consist basically in enabling the designer to perceive the product in design process. This perception has to be rendered to guarantee that the evaluation process is done as in a real condition. The perception is the fruit of alchemy between the user and the VR technologies. Thus, in the experiment design, the whole system human-VR technology has to be considered

The Effects of Interactivity on Memory Relating to Presence in Virtual Environments

The overall effectiveness of virtual environments is often linked to and measured by degrees of presence, commonly defined as the psychological sensation of “being there” (Schubert et al., 1999). Psychologists agree that attention and involvement through interactivity play a role in presence (Hartmann et al., 2015; Schubert et al., 1999; Witmer and Singer, 1998). Because attention is critical in encoding information into memory storage, looking at how memory relates to presence is another topic of interest. In this study, participants (N = 30) played through a 3D virtual reconstruction of a Pompeian house under one of two conditions: free-roam and task-oriented. No significant difference emerged between the conditions for feelings of presence. There was also no difference between conditions in terms of memory recognition of the virtual environment. However, as predicted, a significant difference emerged for the memory recall test, as participants in the interactive task-oriented condition exhibited higher accuracy in vase placement relative to the original target locations compared to the free-roam condition. This difference suggests improved memory recall due to interactivity rather than presence

New Trends in Episodic Memory Assessment: Immersive 360° Ecological Videos

How best to measure memory in a reliable and valid way has been intensely debated in neuropsychological literature. Specifically, classical neuropsychological tests often fail to predict real-life performance or capture the multifaceted nature of memory function. To solve these issues, there has been a growing emphasis on the use of more ecological memory assessment. In this scenario, several virtual reality based tools have been developed to evaluate memory function. The aim of the current perspective is to discuss critically the possibilities offered for episodic memory assessment by one of the most innovative trends in the technology field, i.e., 360° videos. Immersivity, egocentric view and realism appear to be crucial features of 360° videos enabling them to enhance the ecological validity of classical assessment tools of memory abilities

Object-based attentional expectancies in virtual reality

Modern virtual reality (VR) technology has the promise to enable neuroscientists and psychologists to conduct ecologically valid experiments, while maintaining precise experimental control. However, in recent studies, game engines like Unreal Engine or Unity, are used for stimulus creation and data collection. Yet game engines do not provide the underlying architecture to measure the time of stimulus events and behavioral input with the accuracy or precision required by many experiments. Furthermore, it is currently not well understood, if VR and the underlying technology engages the same cognitive processes as a comparable real-world situation. Similarly, not much is known, if experimental findings obtained in a standard monitor-based experiment, are comparable to those obtained in VR by using a head-mounted display (HMD) or if the different stimulus devices also engage different cognitive processes. The aim of my thesis was to investigate if modern HMDs affect the early processing of basic visual features differently than a standard computer monitor. In the first project (chapter 1), I developed a new behavioral paradigm, to investigate how prediction errors of basic object features are processed. In a series of four experiments, the results consistently indicated that simultaneous prediction errors for unexpected colors and orientations are processed independently on an early level of processing, before object binding comes into play. My second project (chapter 2) examined the accuracy and precision of stimulus timing and reaction time measurements, when using Unreal Engine 4 (UE4) in combination with a modern HMD system. My results demonstrate that stimulus durations can be defined and controlled with high precision and accuracy. However, reaction time measurements turned out to be highly imprecise and inaccurate, when using UE4’s standard application programming interface (API). Instead, I proposed a new software-based approach to circumvent these limitations. Timings benchmarks confirmed that the method can measure reaction times with a precision and accuracy in the millisecond range. In the third project (chapter 3), I directly compared the task performance in the paradigm developed in chapter 1 between the original experimental setup and a virtual reality simulation of this experiment. To establish two identical experimental setups, I recreated the entire physical environment in which the experiments took place within VR and blended the virtual replica over the physical lab. As a result, the virtual environment (VE) corresponded not only visually with the physical laboratory but also provided accurate sensory properties of other modalities, such as haptic or acoustic feedback. The results showed a comparable task performance in both the non-VR and the VR experiments, suggesting that modern HMDs do not affect early processing of basic visual features differently than a typical computer monitor

Haptic technology for micro-robotic cell injection training systems — a review

Currently, the micro-robotic cell injection procedure is performed manually by expert human bio-operators. In order to be proficient at the task, lengthy and expensive dedicated training is required. As such, effective specialized training systems for this procedure can prove highly beneficial. This paper presents a comprehensive review of haptic technology relevant to cell injection training and discusses the feasibility of developing such training systems, providing researchers with an inclusive resource enabling the application of the presented approaches, or extension and advancement of the work. A brief explanation of cell injection and the challenges associated with the procedure are first presented. Important skills, such as accuracy, trajectory, speed and applied force, which need to be mastered by the bio-operator in order to achieve successful injection, are then discussed. Then an overview of various types of haptic feedback, devices and approaches is presented. This is followed by discussion on the approaches to cell modeling. Discussion of the application of haptics to skills training across various fields and haptically-enabled virtual training systems evaluation are then presented. Finally, given the findings of the review, this paper concludes that a haptically-enabled virtual cell injection training system is feasible and recommendations are made to developers of such systems

A framework for the design, prototyping and evaluation of mobile interfaces for domestic environments

The idea of the smart home has been discussed for over three decades, but it has yet to achieve mass-market adoption. This thesis asks the question Why is my home not smart? It highlights four main areas that are barriers to adoption, and concentrates on a single one of these issues: usability. It presents an investigation that focuses on design, prototyping and evaluation of mobile interfaces for domestic environments resulting in the development of a novel framework. A smart home is the physical realisation of a ubiquitous computing system for domestic living. The research area offers numerous benefits to end-users such as convenience, assistive living, energy saving and improved security and safety. However, these benefits have yet to become accessible due to a lack of usable smart home control interfaces. This issue is considered a key reason for lack of adoption and is the focus for this thesis. Within this thesis, a framework is introduced as a novel approach for the design, prototyping and evaluation of mobile interfaces for domestic environments. Included within this framework are three components. Firstly, the Reconfigurable Multimedia Environment (RME), a physical evaluation and observation space for conducting user centred research. Secondly, Simulated Interactive Devices (SID), a video-based development and control tool for simulating interactive devices commonly found within a smart home. Thirdly, iProto, a tool that facilitates the production and rapid deployment of high fidelity prototypes for mobile touch screen devices. This framework is evaluated as a round-tripping toolchain for prototyping smart home control and found to be an efficient process for facilitating the design and evaluation of such interfaces

Virtual reality training for micro-robotic cell injection

This research was carried out to fill the gap within existing knowledge on the approaches to supplement the training for micro-robotic cell injection procedure by utilising virtual reality and haptic technologies

Material Visualisation for Virtual Reality: The Perceptual Investigations

Material representation plays a significant role in design visualisation and evaluation. On one hand, the simulated material properties determine the appearance of product prototypes in digitally rendered scenes. On the other hand, those properties are perceived by the viewers in order to make important design decisions. As an approach to simulate a more realistic environment, Virtual Reality (VR) provides users a vivid impression of depth and embodies them into an immersive environment. However, the scientific understanding of material perception and its applications in VR is still fairly limited. This leads to this thesis’s research question on whether the material perception in VR is different from that in traditional 2D displays, as well as the potential of using VR as a design tool to facilitate material evaluation.       This thesis is initiated from studying the perceptual difference of rendered materials between VR and traditional 2D viewing modes. Firstly, through a pilot study, it is confirmed that users have different perceptual experiences of the same material in the two viewing modes. Following that initial finding, the research investigates in more details the perceptual difference with psychophysics methods, which help in quantifying the users’ perceptual responses. Using the perceptual scale as a measuring means, the research analyses the users’ judgment and recognition of the material properties under VR and traditional 2D display environments. In addition, the research also elicits the perceptual evaluation criteria to analyse the emotional aspects of materials. The six perceptual criteria are in semantic forms, including rigidity, formality, fineness, softness, modernity, and irregularity.       The results showed that VR could support users in making a more refined judgment of material properties. That is to say, the users perceive better the minute changes of material properties under immersive viewing conditions. In terms of emotional aspects, VR is advantageous in signifying the effects induced by visual textures, while the 2D viewing mode is more effective for expressing the characteristics of plain surfaces. This thesis has contributed to the deeper understanding of users’ perception of material appearances in Virtual Reality, which is critical in achieving an effective design visualisation using such a display medium