Implementation of a virtual reality interface for a public library

Abstract In this demo paper we describe the development process and technical implementation of an interactive Virtual Reality (VR) application dubbed Virtual Library. The application utilizes consumer VR hardware and Unreal Engine to provide an immersive virtual interface to a physical library and its selected services, as well as browsing of literature content in aesthetic fantasy realms. The prototype is publicly available at the Oulu City Library

From hybrid spaces to “imagination cities”:a speculative approach to virtual reality

Abstract Digital and physical space are already profoundly entangled in contemporary cities due to the pervasive use of new digital technology. We explore the experiential implications of the potential next step of this development: we discuss the consequences of augmenting public urban places with immersive, large-scale digital layers realized with cutting-edge virtual reality (VR) technologies. These technologies enable experiences that are inherently spatial, immersive and visceral; therefore, they differ considerably from the digital technologies currently used in public urban places. We concentrate especially in imaginative aspect of VR as a medium. The empirical context for the study is provided by a novel digital design artefact, the Virtual Library, whose design process was guided by a design anthropological approach and executed with methods drawn especially from Participatory Design (PD). The design of the application was a long-term collaborative process executed with the Oulu City Library in 2016–2018. As the final design outcome, the physical library building was modelled into a detailed 3D virtual mirror world that was extended with a virtual fantasy layer having no direct counterpart in the real world. With research data collected from the use of Virtual Library, we explore the experiential implications of interlacing public urban places with imaginary digital layers. The Chapter arrives at the notion of “imagination city”, based on the concept of “imagination age”. The latter refers to a period that supposedly follows the information age; in this period, creativity and imagination become the central drivers of economic value. The notion is also connected to the promises of emerging technology, such as VR, which is forecast to change the ways of human beings interacting with each other and with their environment. Extending from our findings with Virtual Library, we discuss the experiential and also societal implications of imaginary digital layers such as the fantasy layer of our Virtual Library becoming more commonplace in future cities. Could the smart city, often understood as a result of the information age, be heading towards becoming an “imagination city”? We also point out some limitations and potential future directions of this speculative development

Comparison of two workflows for Web-based 3D smart home visualizations

Abstract In the built environment, the emergence of Internet of Things and the Smart Building paradigm increase the amount of networked systems that produce data from their environment. 3D user interfaces can help users cope with these systems. A 3D representation of a building can operate as a starting point for creating these interfaces. We experimented with creating a 3DUI for sensor network data visualization in two cases, testing both a manually created game engine model and a BIM model as a basis. Solutions were compared in terms of performance. While BIM model captures both the 3D geometry of a building along with its structural properties, some limitations were encountered in using it for online 3D application development

The plausibility paradox for scaled-down users in virtual environments

Abstract This paper identifies a new phenomenon: when users interact with simulated objects in a virtual environment where the user is much smaller than usual, there is a mismatch between the object physics that they expect and the object physics that would be correct at that scale. We report the findings of our study investigating the relationship between perceived realism and a physically accurate approximation of reality in a virtual reality experience in which the user has been scaled down by a factor of ten. We conducted a within-subjects experiment in which 44 subjects performed a simple interaction task with objects under two different physics simulation conditions. In one condition, the objects, when dropped and thrown, behaved accurately according to the physics that would be correct at that reduced scale in the real world, our true physics condition. In the other condition, the movie physics condition, the objects behaved in a similar manner as they would if no scaling of the user had occurred. We found that a significant majority of the users considered the latter condition to be the more realistic one. We argue that our findings have implications for many virtual reality and telepresence applications involving operation with simulated or physical objects in small scales

A qualitative study on the effects of real-world stimuli and place familiarity on presence

Abstract We present a qualitative study investigating the effects of real-world stimuli and place familiarity on presence. The study was carried out using a prototype Virtual Reality system designed for participatory urban planning. The system uses consumer grade VR hardware for viewing 3D virtual models of future architectural plans at an urban site. We collected comprehensive qualitative data from 16 participants who used the VR system on-site to immersively view and vote on three different future plans at the real-world location while exposed to ambient non-visual stimuli emanating from the physical location. We provide qualitative findings regarding presence along the four recurrent themes revealed by the thematic analysis of the research data: visual content, impact of physical surroundings, navigation and interaction, and suitability for participatory urban planning. We also analyse the findings in terms of feasibility of such on-site VR experience and the applicability of large-scale city models for VR

VR Application for technology education in a public library

Abstract In this video paper we report on our experiences of deploying a VR point at a public library for the purpose of educating library patrons on VR technology. The primary application offered at the VR point is called Virtual Library, a VR application developed specifically for the Oulu City Library. The Virtual Library application provides an immersive virtual interface into selected library services, as well as allows library patrons to browse literature recommendations inside genre-specific fantasy realms. Based on the observations of the first week weeks of deployment, the VR point and the Virtual Library are successful approaches for technology education in a public library

The plausibility paradox for resized users in virtual environments

Abstract This paper identifies and confirms a perceptual phenomenon: when users interact with simulated objects in a virtual environment where the users’ scale deviates greatly from normal, there is a mismatch between the object physics they consider realistic and the object physics that would be correct at that scale. We report the findings of two studies investigating the relationship between perceived realism and a physically accurate approximation of reality in a virtual reality experience in which the user has been scaled by a factor of ten. Study 1 investigated perception of physics when scaled-down by a factor of ten, whereas Study 2 focused on enlargement by a similar amount. Studies were carried out as within-subjects experiments in which a total of 84 subjects performed simple interaction tasks with objects under two different physics simulation conditions. In the true physics condition, the objects, when dropped and thrown, behaved accurately according to the physics that would be correct at that either reduced or enlarged scale in the real world. In the movie physics condition, the objects behaved in a similar manner as they would if no scaling of the user had occurred. We found that a significant majority of the users considered the movie physics condition to be the more realistic one. However, at enlarged scale, many users considered true physics to match their expectations even if they ultimately believed movie physics to be the realistic condition. We argue that our findings have implications for many virtual reality and telepresence applications involving operation with simulated or physical objects in abnormal and especially small scales

A qualitative case study on deconstructing presence for young adults and older adults

Abstract In this paper, we present the results of an exploratory qualitative case study on presence experienced by groups of young adults and older adults during their use of an interactive virtual reality application mixing realistic and fantasy elements. In contrast to most previous studies, we do not focus on a set of predetermined factors but instead adopt an open-ended qualitative approach to identify emerging factors from the users’ experiences. We then analyze these factors against the place illusion/plausibility illusion (PI/PSI) framework of Skarbez, Neyret, et al. (2017) to investigate whether PI and PSI, as well as their contributing factors, can be separated. According to our findings, a user can experience PI and PSI independently from each other; however, they often appeared intermixed when investigated on the scope of the whole experience. Breaks in presence, as well as breaks in plausibility, could mostly, but not entirely, be attributed to immersion and coherence factors, respectively. An interesting finding is that both participant groups turned out to have two subgroups interpreting their experience with a particular frame of reference of differing expectations. These frames of reference affected not only PSI, as expected, but PI as well, suggesting that coherence could be a contributing factor to both PI and PSI. Our contribution adds to the relatively small body of research investigating the separation of PI and PSI. Our exploratory findings can be utilized as directions for designing future confirmatory studies

Browser based 3D for the built environment

Abstract Digital 3D geometric models have become a central tool for geo-information. For many participatory and collaborative applications, distributing these models easily is essential. Several technical solutions exist for creating online systems that facilitate the study of 3D models in the context of the built environment. To provide an overview on browser based interactive 3D visualizations, we present a set of existing systems applied in Finland, and discuss their common properties and differences. To obtain first-hand experience, we experiment with an online 3D application development platform. The systems studied show a high potential for browser based 3D applications: interactive visualizations with multi-user characteristics and dynamic elements can be built by leveraging the 3D web technologies. Finally, we suggest a framework for discussing browser based 3D systems, covering the spectrum of possibilities available in modern web-based 3D for built environment applications

Genome sequence of <i>Lactobacillus crispatus</i> ST1

Lactobacillus crispatus is a common member of the beneficial microbiota present in the vertebrate gastrointestinal and human genitourinary tracts. Here, we report the genome sequence of L. crispatus ST1, a chicken isolate displaying strong adherence to vaginal epithelial cells