Skill retention after desktop and head-mounted-display virtual reality training

Abstract Virtual reality (VR) is increasingly used in learning and can be experienced with a head-mounted display as a 3D immersive version (immersive virtual reality [IVR]) or with a PC (or another computer) as a 2D desktop-based version (desktop virtual reality [DVR]). A research gap is the effect of IVR and DVR on learners’ skill retention. To address this gap, we designed an experiment in which learners were trained and tested for the assembly of a procedural industrial task. We found nonsignificant differences in the number of errors, the time to completion, satisfaction, self-efficacy, and motivation. The results support the view that DVR and IVR are similarly useful for learning retention. These insights may help researchers and practitioners to decide which form of VR they should use.</jats:p

Optimising virtual reality training in industry using crowdsourcing

The ability of Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) to induce any training scenario in a safe and scalable manner makes it a particularly interesting technology for virtual learning factories. However, both an opportunity and a challenge is to empirically test and optimise virtual environments. Conducting scientifically robust in-person experiments is often not feasible using traditional approaches, given limited resources of training providers and near limitless opportunities to design virtual training environments. Distributed crowdsourcing techniques using Desktop Virtual Reality (DVR) with a PC may offer an alternative and more scalable approach to experimentally test and optimise virtual environments. An interesting question is therefore if such approaches using DVR are a suitable alternative to current experimental designs to enable large-scale optimisation in contexts such as virtual learning factories. While crowdsourcing has been validated for its suitability in several research applications and domains, there is limited research available on training and, to the best of our knowledge, no previous research has evaluated the suitability of crowdsourcing to optimise immersive training in industrial or learning factory contexts. With our paper we contribute the first experiment to address this research gap. Our hypothesis is that crowdsourcing is a suitable technique for IVR training optimisation if it yields equivalent results to traditional experimentation at every training optimisation level. To test this hypothesis we designed an industrial learning experiment to evaluate key performance and affective indicators of IVR training at three levels of optimisation. The experiment was conducted using traditional and crowdsourcing techniques. The results show that crowdsourcing can be a suitable alternative to traditional optimisation techniques depending on: (1) the desired operative mental state of the participants, (2) the investigated key performance indicators, and (3) the kind of optimisation performed. We contribute new data allowing important insights and an integrated training evaluation concept which can be applied when doing crowdsourcing studies

Using VR to Present a Mobile MRI Unit in Confined Physical Space: Reporting Results of a Field-Deployment at a Radiology Exhibition

We investigated the suitability of virtual reality (VR) to exhibit spacious medical equipment in a limited exhibition space. The basis of our research was a previously field-tested VR system populated with a real-size model of a mobile magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) unit. The VR-based system, which already used external sensors to a linked physical wheeled chair with the virtual environment, was modified with teleportation features and equipped with eye-tracking capabilities. These changes allowed us to use the system in more confined spaces. Next, we deployed our system during a three-day-long medical exhibition where sixty-eight attendees used our cyber-physical solution, out of which five agreed to participate directly in the in-depth user study. We report the results of these field-tests and system evaluation in a non-laboratory, real-world environment of medical exhibition.This research was supported by the project entitled ``The product expansion of the \textit{Mobile MRI Clinic} in the Middle East as a pillar of business development for Eurodiagnostic sp. z o.o.'' under measure 1.2 Internationalisation of SMEs of the Operational Programme Eastern Poland 2014-2020, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund

Immersive presentations of real-world medical equipment through interactive VR environment populated with the high-fidelity 3D model of mobile MRI unit

The primary goal behind the system presented in this paper is to investigate the efficacy of using virtual reality (VR) for showcasing sizable medical equipment. Specifically, we focused on a mobile magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner mounted on a truck trailer. The latter is integral to the mobile MRI setup and must be presented as part of the immersive experience. Therefore, we not only have to depict the medical apparatus but also provide the means of understanding its surroundings. This is especially important to radiologists and other medical personnel to ascertain if a given mobile medical facility fulfills their needs and wants. Furthermore, despite such MRI devices being designed for mobility, their long-distance transportation can be time-consuming, troublesome and expensive. Therefore, we can observe the need for showcasing such mobile MRI units without additional cost and burden related to transportation. To achieve this, we designed an immersive environment in which the users can interact with the real-life scale 3D model of a mobile MRI. In addition, we also verified the usability and expressiveness of our system using established heuristical approaches