Embodied time travel in VR: from witnessing climate change to action for prevention

This study explores the impact of embodied experiences in Virtual Reality (VR) on individuals’ attitudes and behavior towards climate change. A total of 41 participants were divided into two groups: an embodied group that interacted with a virtual environment through full-body avatars, and a non-embodied group that observed the scenarios from an invisible observer’s point of view. The VR experience simulated the progressive consequences of climate change across three generations within a family, aiming to make the abstract and relatively distant concept of climate change a tangible and personal issue. The final scene presented an optimistic scenario of a future where humans had successfully combated climate change through collective action. The evidence suggests that there is an effect of the scenario on the carbon footprint response, even 6 weeks after the VR exposure, irrespective of condition. Additionally, increases were found in participants’ perceived influence on climate action and engagement in pro-environmental behaviors, with the embodied group showing a more pronounced response in the short term. These findings suggest that immersive VR experiences that incorporate virtual embodiment can be an effective tool in enhancing awareness and motivating pro-environmental behavior by providing a powerful and personal perspective on the impacts of climate change

Digital twin embodied interactions design: Synchronized and aligned physical sensation in location-based social VR

Digital twin technologies have become increasingly relevant in virtual reality, offering precise 1:1 mapping between physical environments and their virtual counterparts. While previous work has focused on object interaction through passive haptics, little attention has been given to how such environments can support social and embodied interactions that feel natural and expressive. In this work, we extend the digital twin paradigm by integrating full-body avatars, hand tracking, and voice-driven facial animation into a location-based VR environment. To explore the interactive potential of this dual-realm environment, we propose three categories of cross-realm embodied interaction: (1) Tangible interaction, exemplified by spatially aligned object manipulation; (2) Social gesture, supported through expressive hand and body movement; and (3) Social touch, including co-located tactile actions such as handshakes and hugs. We developed a prototype system showing all three embodied interactions, supported by passive haptics, precise spatial alignment, and real-time multiplayer synchronization. We also introduced a low-cost, Wi-Fi-based motion tracking prototype to enhance interaction with movable physical elements. We evaluate the system through expert interviews, identifying key themes related to spatial trust, tactile realism, and interpersonal presence. Our findings suggested that precise alignment and embodied social cues significantly enhance immersion and social connectedness. This work contributes towards a replicable framework for designing socially immersive digital twin experiences and opens new directions for location-based VR in collaborative and educational contexts