A Dose of Reality: Overcoming Usability Challenges in VR Head-Mounted Displays

We identify usability challenges facing consumers adopting Virtual Reality (VR) head-mounted displays (HMDs) in a survey of 108 VR HMD users. Users reported significant issues in interacting with, and being aware of their real-world context when using a HMD. Building upon existing work on blending real and virtual environments, we performed three design studies to address these usability concerns. In a typing study, we show that augmenting VR with a view of reality significantly corrected the performance impairment of typing in VR. We then investigated how much reality should be incorporated and when, so as to preserve users’ sense of presence in VR. For interaction with objects and peripherals, we found that selectively presenting reality as users engaged with it was optimal in terms of performance and users’ sense of presence. Finally, we investigated how this selective, engagement-dependent approach could be applied in social environments, to support the user’s awareness of the proximity and presence of others

Visualising mixed reality simulation for multiple users

Cowling, MA ORCiD: 0000-0003-1444-1563Blended reality seeks to encourage co-presence in the classroom, blending student experience across virtual and physical worlds. In a similar way, Mixed Reality, a continuum between virtual and real environments, is now allowing learners to work in both the physical and the digital world simultaneously, especially when combined with an immersive headset experience. This experience provides innovative new experiences for learning, but faces the challenge that most of these experiences are single user, leaving others outside the new environment. The question therefore becomes, how can a mixed reality simulation be experienced by multiple users, and how can we present that simulation effectively to users to create a true blended reality environment? This paper proposes a study that uses existing screen production research into the user and spectator to produce a mixed reality simulation suitable for multiple users. A research method using Design Based Research is also presented to assess the usability of the approach

Exploring the Impact of Augmented Reality on Customer Experiences and Attitudes: A Comparative Analysis with Websites

Augmented Reality is used by various customers’ concerned companies to augment their stimuli, shopping experiences, and customers’ purchasing behavior. Hence, AR driven enabling stimulates customer engagement and their shopping attitude by providing a vivid technology experience. Prior studies found that AR novelty, trust, and vividness influenced the customer usage attitude. There have extant literature presented in the context of AR applications, it is widely used through numerous gadgets but the author intends to explore holistic features that tend to grasp customers’ experiences and attitudes to find the variance between AR vs. Websites. AR potentially disrupted the real-world environment by providing hedonic visual benefits and eliminating the physical efforts that tend to stimulate customers who mesmerize with AR compared to a website. The author chose the Houzz AR app and its website to gather data and provide a better understanding of both scenarios. The author conducted two-field experiments to illustrate positive customer attitudes that satisfied their experience towards the AR app rather than the traditional website. AR app is vivid and novel to engage a customer and moderate their attitude towards the technology immersion. Finally, this study provides multiple implications such as unique visual illustrations, sensational features, and innovation resulting in satisfied customer experience, considering both features in real and virtual world environments

A Framework for Extended Reality System Development in Manufacturing

This paper presents a framework for developing extended reality (XR) systems within manufacturing context. The aim of this study is to develop a systematic framework to improve the usability and user acceptance of future XR systems. So that manufacturing industry can move from the “wow effect” of XR demonstrators into the stage whereas XR systems can be successfully integrated and improve the conventional work routines. It is essential to ensure the usability and user acceptance of XR systems for the wider adoption in manufacturing. The proposed framework was developed through six case studies that covered different XR system developments for different application areas of manufacturing. The framework consists of five iterative phases: (1) requirements analysis, (2) solution selection, (3) data preparation, (4) system implementation and (5) system evaluation. It is validated through one empirical case and seven identified previous studies, which partly aligned with the proposed framework. The proposed framework provides a clear guideline on the steps needed to integrate XR in manufacturing and it extends the XR usage with increased usability and user acceptance. Furthermore, it strengthens the importance of user-centered approach for XR system development in manufacturing

Proceedings of the International Workshop on EuroPLOT Persuasive Technology for Learning, Education and Teaching (IWEPLET 2013)

"This book contains the proceedings of the International Workshop on EuroPLOT Persuasive Technology for Learning, Education and Teaching (IWEPLET) 2013 which was held on 16.-17.September 2013 in Paphos (Cyprus) in conjunction with the EC-TEL conference. The workshop and hence the proceedings are divided in two parts: on Day 1 the EuroPLOT project and its results are introduced, with papers about the specific case studies and their evaluation. On Day 2, peer-reviewed papers are presented which address specific topics and issues going beyond the EuroPLOT scope. This workshop is one of the deliverables (D 2.6) of the EuroPLOT project, which has been funded from November 2010 – October 2013 by the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) of the European Commission through the Lifelong Learning Programme (LLL) by grant #511633. The purpose of this project was to develop and evaluate Persuasive Learning Objects and Technologies (PLOTS), based on ideas of BJ Fogg. The purpose of this workshop is to summarize the findings obtained during this project and disseminate them to an interested audience. Furthermore, it shall foster discussions about the future of persuasive technology and design in the context of learning, education and teaching. The international community working in this area of research is relatively small. Nevertheless, we have received a number of high-quality submissions which went through a peer-review process before being selected for presentation and publication. We hope that the information found in this book is useful to the reader and that more interest in this novel approach of persuasive design for teaching/education/learning is stimulated. We are very grateful to the organisers of EC-TEL 2013 for allowing to host IWEPLET 2013 within their organisational facilities which helped us a lot in preparing this event. I am also very grateful to everyone in the EuroPLOT team for collaborating so effectively in these three years towards creating excellent outputs, and for being such a nice group with a very positive spirit also beyond work. And finally I would like to thank the EACEA for providing the financial resources for the EuroPLOT project and for being very helpful when needed. This funding made it possible to organise the IWEPLET workshop without charging a fee from the participants.

Assessing user experience of context-aware interfaces in a retail store

Context-awareness is becoming an essential functionality of mobile applications. However, it remains challenging to capture the contextual experience in innovation research, since early-stage technologies have not reached maturity to be implemented in a real-life context. Moreover, users have difficulty in evaluating implicit interactions with context-aware interfaces since imagination of users is limited. Assuming that context impacts user experience, virtual reality (VR) provides an untapped potential for the domain of innovation research. The aim of this study (in progress) is to investigate the potential of user tests in virtual reality (here virtual retail store) for human-computer interaction to better match the needs of users and designers. Initially, the mock-up has been implemented in a retail store with its context-awareness being simulated using the Wizard of Oz methodology (N = 18). This approach is found to be time-consuming and not sufficient for evaluating radical context-aware innovations

Using virtual reality for industrial design learning: a methodological proposal

Nowadays, the different computer tools available enable designers to create complex industrial prototypes. The use of these tools is constrained by the limitations imposed by common devices, such as screens and displays. Recently emerged virtual and augmented reality techniques have started being used as supports in many learning and industrial environments. Beyond the new possibilities that these tools offer for designing industrial objects, the underlying question is whether these new technologies could improve the creativity of designers to enable them to get a better understanding of the designing process itself. This paper presents a methodological proposal for the deployment of an industrial design engineering course aimed not only at learning different design techniques, but also at assessing the creativity skills of students. The practical contents include the use of virtual reality devices, to help the designer overcome the limitations of prototype visualisation and make better designing decisions. Moreover, a creativity test will be performed at the beginning and at the end of the course to assess the changes in creativity skills taking place within the experiment group versus the changes in a traditional learning (control) group

A user experience analysis for a mobile Mixed Reality application for cultural heritage

Mixed Reality has emerged as a valuable tool for the promotion of cultural heritage. In this context, in particular, the metaphor of virtual portals allows the virtual visit of monuments that are inaccessible or no longer exist in their original form, integrating them into the real environment. This paper presents the development of a Mixed Reality mobile application that proposes a virtual reconstruction of the church of Sant’Elia in Ruggiano, in the southern province of Lecce (Italy). By placing the virtual portal in the same place where the entrance of the church was located, the user can cross this threshold to enter inside and make a virtual journey into the past. The user experience was evaluated by administering a questionnaire to 60 users who tried the application. From the data collected, four user experience factors were identified (interest, focus of attention, presence and usability), which were compared between young and old, male and female users, and between users who had already visited the church in person and all other users. In general, the scores reveal a total independence of the other three factors from usability and a very high level of interest

Mobile learning: benefits of augmented reality in geometry teaching

As a consequence of the technological advances and the widespread use of mobile devices to access information and communication in the last decades, mobile learning has become a spontaneous learning model, providing a more flexible and collaborative technology-based learning. Thus, mobile technologies can create new opportunities for enhancing the pupils’ learning experiences. This paper presents the development of a game to assist teaching and learning, aiming to help students acquire knowledge in the field of geometry. The game was intended to develop the following competences in primary school learners (8-10 years): a better visualization of geometric objects on a plane and in space; understanding of the properties of geometric solids; and familiarization with the vocabulary of geometry. Findings show that by using the game, students have improved around 35% the hits of correct responses to the classification and differentiation between edge, vertex and face in 3D solids.This research was supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council Design Star CDT (AH/L503770/1), the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) projects LARSyS (UID/EEA/50009/2013) and CIAC-Research Centre for Arts and Communication.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

HP Windows Mixed Reality vs Meta 2: Investigating Differences in Workload and Usability for a Ball-sorting Task

Perceived workload and usability are crucial components of human-computer interactions. Currently, there is a gap in research comparing Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) systems for workload and usability. This study attempts to bridge that gap through the comparison of the HP Windows Mixed Reality system and the Meta 2 system for a ball-sorting task. Subjective questionnaires on workload and usability were implemented as comparative measures for three game scenarios of increasing difficulty. Forty-one participants were recruited from the University of Central Florida and its surrounding communities. Results showed significantly lower cumulative total workload and greater usability (for the subscale of ease of use) for the HP Windows Mixed Reality system when compared to the Meta 2 system. There were no statistically significant differences reported for the other usability subscales between the two systems. Also, there were no statistically significant differences in total workload within the three scenarios for both systems. The findings could be attributed to differences in control schemes (i.e., native handheld controllers versus hand gestures), user experience with AR and VR systems, and difficulty of task scenarios