by Marc Steiner -

₁₃ How does the body respond to VR?

I have looked at different aspects of VR and its uses, but this post wants to take a closer look at the basis for everything that I have talked about up until now: How do our bodies even respond when being exposed to virtual reality?

First of all, of course VR has its limitations. This is due to the fact that it mostly covers only one sense: seeing. Often times hearing is also involved, but things such as touching, smelling or even tasting are almost always left out, as there is simply no mainstream applicable solution available yet. However, those that have already tried a VR headset know that the immersion is still considerable. But how does it compare?

Experiments on rats have shown that the frequency of electrical spikes between neurons drop by around two thirds when experiencing VR content as opposed to the real world. Activity of cells responsible for navigation also drops to 30%, compared to 80% in real life. Furthermore, 60% of hippocampal neurons, responsible for information retention and learning, are simply turned off during VR sessions. Of course these numbers are not directly applicable to humans, as this was not fully researched yet, but the results show interesting differences nonetheless.1

Of course there are efforts made to research specific parts of how humans interact with VR. For example, a study about the difference in impact between physical and visual perturbations on users’ balance was conducted. The study participants were tasked to walk along a treadmill, while one group was being physically disturbed in their balance, whereas the other group was visually disturbed. The results showed that the physical group managed to improve their balance by 10% through the training, while the visual group increased it by 40%.2

Another interesting approach was used in a study for the Psychology of Sport & Exercise journal. During that study, participants had to lift weights in form of a dumbell using one arm. One group was looking at their real arm while doing so, and the other group was in a virtual twin of the current room, with a 3D hand holding a 3D weight, all made to mimic the exact same field of vision the non-VR users had. The arm movement was also tracked during exercise, in order to increase immersion. What is interesting is that, doing the exact same exercise, the VR group was found to have a 11% lower rating of perceived exertion, and also a 10-13% lower pain intensity rating than the people doing the “real” exercise. The study lists a mental diversion from the pain stimuli, or a lack of visual signs of exertion on the virtual hand, which the user identified to be their own, as possible reasons for the results.3

These first studies of how our bodies respond to VR, or what VR makes our bodies do, hold very promising connotations as to what it could be used for in the future, as the technology continues to rapidly develop. I will be sure to follow that evolution closely!

Sources

1. Virtual Times. “How does our brain respond to Virtual Reality?” Virtual Times. Published November 29, 2021. https://virtualtimes-h2020.eu/how-does-our-brain-respond-to-virtual-reality/

2. J Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering. “Virtual Reality Trains The Mind To Balance The Body” University of Florida. Published September 17, 2018. https://www.eng.ufl.edu/newengineer/news/virtual-reality-trains-the-mind-to-balance-the-body/

3. Matsangidou, Maria, Chee Siang Ang, Alexis R. Mauger, Jittrapol Intarasirisawat, Boris Otkhmezuri, and Marios N. Avraamides. “Is Your Virtual Self as Sensational as Your Real? Virtual Reality: The Effect of Body Consciousness on the Experience of Exercise Sensations.” Psychology of Sport and Exercise. 2019. Elsevier BV. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2018.07.004.

by Marc Steiner -

₁₂ Differences between real and VR education

After talking about where and how VR can be used, the logical next step is taking a look at what actual difference the technology makes.

In the past, companies have utlized in-person training as their primary way of educating employees. Traditionally, this method made sense and often times there was simply no alternative to experiencing things in person. However, this approach can often be quite costly, as the employee might need to be relocated to a different location and maybe also accomodated for multiple days during the training. This becomes more of an issue the further said employees need to travel to and from the training site. This is where VR training can help cut down costs, both concerning money and time. Especially industries with complex or very specific training scenarios can benefit a lot from this, as they are proportionally much easier to simulate than meet the reqiurements in real life.1

Due to this obvious benefit, a large number of professionals are alrady shifting budgets to VR training. But the benefits are not only monetary, as there are many more soft-skill or employee comfort related advantages. For example, a study conducted by assessing the impact of VR on training shows that managers who experienced training through VR were 40% more confident to apply new skills than the other two groups, which had consumed similar content through e-learning or in traditional classrooms. The study also showed that users were 3.75 times more emotionally connected to the content than classroom learners, which resulted in them completing the training four times faster.2

Though some people may certainly prefer traditional training, this aspect of user satisfaction can not be ignored, as most users prefered virtual learning environments. The increase in attention, satisfaction and effectiveness is most likely a result of the entire experience being much more pleasant. Being able to learn at their own workplace, without having to travel hours to training facilities, meetings or workshops and maybe even having to stay there multiple days just sounds like a better alternative to most people. But of course, the two ways of teaching can always co-exist, and compliment each other in areas where they are at their best, respectively.

Sources

1. Facilitate. “Virtual Reality vs. Traditional Training Methods: Which is More Effective?” LinkedIn. Published February 15, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/virtual-reality-vs-traditional-training-methods-which

2. Future Visual. “VR vs Traditional Training & When You Should Adopt it” FutureVisual. n.d. https://www.futurevisual.com/blog/vr-training-traditional-training/

by Marc Steiner -

₁₁ VR for students

In my previous post about use cases of VR I briefly touched on its educational aspect. In this next post I will further elaborate on this specific sector, and what VR can mean for the education of the future.

What has always been a topic and also in this case ends up being the most important factor for VR is immersion. When using VR glasses, anything is done while being fully immersed into the digital environment, and when it comes to learning, that also has a positive impact. Especially since the pandemic, teaching remotely has struggled with retention rates of students. This is where VR appliations can be used to deliver content to students in a much more engaging manner, as visual learning is proven to be more effective for most students, when compared to traditional teaching methods. This was proven in a study at 3M Corporation, where humans were found to process visual information 6000 times faster than plain text.1

Virtual reality classrooms foster active learning by enabling students to participate directly, enabling them to learn by doing. This approach requires full attention and participation from students, which is presented in a fun way. Through the use of such methods, VR can help students develop critical thinking and technological skills, which are sure to be useful in their later careers leading into an ever-evolving technological future.2

On top of that, VR engages more of the users senses, which again lends itself to be more engaging and less boring: An important factor concering young students. These virtual experiences can transform classrooms or even the students homes into a laboratory or a museum, even going back in time for history classes. Through VR, access to scenarios that used to be cumbersome is easier than ever before, be it just a day trip to a foreign country without leaving the room, or a visit to distant planets in physics class. The result stays the same: VR removes physical limitations.3

Of course, this level of technology and teaching comes with its own set of challenges. The first of these is certainly the cost of acquiring enough VR glasses for an entire classroom, as it can get quite costly very quickly. Another issue is the steep learning curve for teachers, as they need to be well-versed and trained in this area, to be able to properly deliver educational VR content.4

Seeing how fast VR has developed in recent years, however, these problems are being tackled and realising the benefits of incorporating VR in classrooms can lead to proper steps being taken. In the same way students used to get excited about being shown a movie in class, in the not so distant future, students can be excited to be taken on an educational, virtual journey to anywhere imaginable.

Sources

1. Spilka, Dmytro. “How VR And AR Are Revolutionizing eLearning For Learners Of All Ages” eLearning Industry. Published May 18, 2023. https://elearningindustry.com/how-vr-and-ar-are-revolutionizing-elearning-for-learners-of-all-ages

2. Intel Corporation. “Active Learning Fosters Technical and Innovative Learning” Intel. n.d. https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/education/teaching-strategy/active-learning.html

3. Intel Corporation. “Virtual Reality (VR) in Education” Intel. n.d. https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/education/transforming-education/vr-in-education.html

4. Siddiqui, Wahaj. “Virtual Reality (VR) in Education: The Future of Learning” LinkedIn. Published September 12, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/virtual-reality-vr-education-future-learning-wahaj-siddiqui

by Marc Steiner -

₁₀ Use cases of VR

Now that we know what Virtual Reality is, it is time to dive into the broad world of VR and find out in which fields, jobs, situations or settings it can be used. The first thing that comes to mind when thinking of VR is probably the video gaming or entertainment industry, as those were initially responsible for the development of the technology towards public use. While that still holds true today, more and more companies have adopted this way of communicating, researching and testing different ways of utilising VR for promoting, showcasing or bringing their products to life. Through this, VR has, in recent years, made its entrance into the mainstream, revolutionising many sectors with its fresh and extremely involving take on user experience.1

But what are these use cases, precisely? This post aims to provide some overview and short descriptions of relevant cases.

Health Care

The first and arguably one of the most important uses for VR is health care. Surgeons are using VR during their education to simulate their future work spaces and get to know procedures comfortably in a repeatable manner. This way they can practice all kinds of surgeries without the need for real patients, something that was just not as easily possible before.2

The technology also facilitates medical procedures which might require expertise that can not be provided locally, depending on a patients whereabouts and needs. This is where VR can be used to connect to doctors and specialists around the world for remote consultation and treatment.1

Lastly, VR is also being used during the treatment of patients. CBT (cognitive behavior therapy) profits immensely from this, as it can provide a controlled and safe environment, which helps patients work through anxiety or phobias. Depending on the needs of the patient, the program can also be easily adjusted and personalised. This approach is also perfectly reproducable, recordable and able to be monitored by medical staff.1

Education

Similar to how it is being used in health care, VR can help provide virtual environments for almost all other fields aswell. Many jobs work in dangerous environments, which make it harder to train new employees. VR offers a safe solution to this, as it can simulate any environment or task, which provides immersion, realism and most importantly risk free training, which is also cost effective and easy to use. Employees can be taught and stay up to date with a very fast iterative process, which can be used anywhere in the world.2

Architecture

In architecture, VR has two main use cases. It can provide a space for visualising and simulating future projects and buildings, which gives a much better insight into how the object might look and feel, making dimensions much more palpable than on a piece of paper. More advanced setups also offer the opportunity of making real-time changes in the planning phase. The second use case is then to use these existing 3D models and visualisations to provide the customer with a realistic walk-through of their future home without having to physically be there, or before the object is even fully built.3

Online Shopping

In a similar vein to showcasing buildings, VR can also be used much closer to the customer, providing visualisations of products they might want to purchase online, from the comfort of their home. Visualisations might be used to even let the user place certain products in their real life environment to understand the dimension of a new wardrobe they are thinking of purchasing.4

Tourism

This virtual try-before-you-buy trend also extends to tourism. VR glasses can show a preview of what the planned holiday might look like in person. Further than that it can also serve as a full alternative through guided virtual tours and visits to distant places for a much cheaper price. This approach also makes it easier to deal with accessibility issues, as it can be done from anywhere, with a much smaller carbon footprint as an added bonus.1

These were just some of the most common uses of VR in our daily lives. Hopefully this post provided a nice overview, and who knows what else is to come in the next few years of development.

Sources

1. Expert Panel, Forbes Councils Member. “17 VR Applications That Can Provide A Powerful User Experience” Forbes. Published August 22, 2023. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2023/08/22/17-vr-applications-that-can-provide-a-powerful-user-experience/?sh=3379fc503030.

2. Expert Panel, Forbes Councils Member. “13 Productive And Creative Uses For VR That Impress Tech Experts”. Published December 5, 2022. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2022/12/05/13-productive-and-creative-uses-for-vr-that-impress-tech-experts/

3. Alcanja, Daniel. “10 Industries Utilizing Virtual Reality in 2024”. Trio Blog. Published February 8, 2021. https://www.trio.dev/blog/virtual-reality-applications

4. Leonard, Kimberlee. “Top 5 Virtual Reality Business Use Cases” Business.com. Last modified February 21, 2023. https://www.business.com/articles/virtual-reality-business-use-cases/

by Marc Steiner -

₉ AR vs VR, mixed realities

This post will explain the differences between augmented and virtual reality. Post 7 already explained the basics of VR, which is why this one will start off by explaining augmented reality in detail.

Augmented reality is the process of, as the name suggests, augmenting the users real world view by overlaying relevant data on some form of display. This can be easiest understood by taking a look at the earliest application of augmented reality: Heads-up-displays (HUDs). As most new technology, they were first utilised in a military setting, more specifically in the displays of airplanes and tanks, by projecting information onto the cockpit in order to provide information while still being able to observe their real surroundings. More recently, augmented reality is being used in video game HUDs, where the player’s health, ammunition and other status is being displayed. The army is experimenting with implementing this technology for real world soldiers as well, through the use of personal head-mounted visors.¹

More every uses are for example AR Glasses like the HoloLens or just a smartphone with AR apps and filters. Using these, the real environment is expanded on with mostly 3D objects that are superimposed to appear as they would if they were physically there. This has many uses outside of gaming or the military, as it can help visualise products or furniture during the shopping experience. AR is also used in medical settings, to practice operations or other procedures, as well as in architecture and archeology, to visualise buildings that don’t exist anymore, or buildings that are to be built.2

The main difference between augmented and virtual reality is the immersion factor. Augmented reality keeps the user in the real world, and only adds a few elements to that. This interaction with reality is often the key factor and main reason for choosing AR for a project. This in itself can however also be a drawback, as the added visuals always have to compete with what we see, which can be visually jarring next to one another. On top of that, the AR geometry has to be tracked to our head movement, so that everything stays in the right place relative to the real geometry that it is placed upon, which can also result in some immersion-breaking visuals.

In comparison, virtual reality blocks the users vision of the real world and fully immerses them. This of course does not allow for the same use cases as stated above, but can have other benefits. When using VR, the environment is usually created in 3D and can represent whatever is needed, without having to actually be there. This provides a clear advantage when thinking of large scale operations and training scenarios for users such as the military, police and medical personnel. More on that in a future post.

As this post illustrated, AR and VR are not really directly competing against each other and rather have a different area of use. For future posts towards the topic of my master’s thesis, I will be focussing on VR applications.

Sources

1. Hosch, William L.. “augmented reality.” Encyclopedia Britannica. Last modified September 8, 2023. https://www.britannica.com/technology/augmented-reality.

2. Technikum Wien. “Wie funktioniert Augmented Reality?” Technikum Wien Academy. Accessed January 10, 2024. https://academy.technikum-wien.at/ratgeber/was-ist-augmented-reality/

by Marc Steiner -

₈ IMPULS: VR + Film

In my previous impulse, I briefly described an example of VR usage in theater based on the description and review in a VR-blog, and now I would like to talk about VR and film as another development in the usage of VR. I experienced a bit of VR-film in an exhibition that I mentioned in a previous impulse, yet I didn’t know much about the basics of VR film. I found multiple blog posts that go into detail on specific film experiences, I would, however, like to write about the post that covers the basics of VR film. The author mentions a couple of VR-film categories:

1. Blockbuster extensions: these are being produced by more and more large film studios in order to create an extension to their blockbusters or series, providing the audience with new possibilities to get in touch with the world of the respective movies.

2. Passive VR-films: these currently make up the majority of VR-movies. They are individual VR-films that the viewer can experience passively. I think this is also the type of film I experienced while visiting the exhibition, as I was just sitting on a chair and watching the film sequence with VR-glasses in a 3D environment. One challenge of these movies is that they need to be cut properly so the viewer doesn’t get lost. In my experience, it was an artificial environment that kept continuing from beginning to end, so I didn’t really have that issue since there weren’t really any cuts.

3. Interactive VR-films: these are films that experiment with elements of interaction.

What stuck to me through all of these descriptions is the vision, and at the same time dilemma, filmmakers have when wanting to create VR-movie experiences. Ideally, some time in the future, we will be able to move around in movie worlds, feeling like we’re actually there as the audience and being fully immersed. On the downside, this freedom of movement in said worlds would make it more difficult to tell a linear story, seeing as we’re still in a movie and its plot. Especially focussing the viewers attention will prove to be very tricky, and can (in my current thoughts) mainly just be done with 3D audio cues, which lead the attention somewhere.

I am incredibly curious what the future will hold for VR movies and how much influence or even freedom the viewer will be able to have within a set story. 

Further interest

https://vrgeschichten.de/vr-und-film

https://vr-sync.com/de/how-the-movie-industry-uses-virtual-reality/

https://sensoriumarc.com/articles/best-virtual-reality-movies

https://arvrjourney.com/virtual-reality-in-the-movie-industry-f60a9e094d74?gi=7e9fbb3f6c24

by Marc Steiner -

₇ IMPULS: VR and live performance

For this impulse, I decided to research some VR-experiences, as I myself did not (yet) have the possibility to experience many VR-related performances, festivals, movies etc, seeing as I mostly came in contact with VR-games and building VR-environments at work.

Thus, in order to get a better feeling of what the world of performing arts makes out of the possibility to extend performative spaces. I, myself, have seen an exhibition so far, but I found a blog series that describes examples of the usage of VR in a theatric/performance environment, one of which I would like to share in this impulse.

The first blog post I read was a play that happened simultaneously in the real world and a VR-environment. The actors were wearing VR-headsets while physically standing in the same room as their audience within a classic stage setting. At the same time, there was a virtual audience group that experienced the virtual play via High Fidelity (a VR platform). Within the virtual world, there was a projection of the real world and vice versa. This allowed for the creators of the play to sort of merge the real and virtual worlds and providing the audience with two different sets of the story.

I thought this was rather interesting, the author of the blog post describes it as a prototype of a new form of theater. I agree with her, based on the pictures of the performance, on the fact that this is an approach that still needs tweaking as the physical VR-equipment doesn’t (yet) allow for a live performance that is as emotional, intimate or intense as a „traditional“ play, and furthermore, the lip synchronization of the avatars was not yet on point. So, there is room for improvement, but I agree with the author that this is an interesting approach to experiencing theater and opening the theater space for a virtual audience.

Further interest

https://vrgeschichten.de/loveseat

https://www.hypergridbusiness.com/2019/09/loveseat-first-play-to-combine-virtual-and-real-world-audience/

https://www.artbasel.com/news/virtual-reality-technology-and-art

https://artsartistsartwork.com/virtual-reality-and-the-future-of-art-exhibitions/

by Marc Steiner -

₆ IMPULS: Virtual Reality Healthcare

For this impulse, I started looking for alternate sources on VR/AR topics and ended up encountering a variety of podcasts that have said topics as their main objective.The content of these podcasts varies from reviews of equipment or games, tech insights into the world of VR/AR-glasses, and more. During my research, I stumbled upon a podcast episode of UXPodcast that discussed a very interesting topic that one might not necessarily think about at first when hearing the word “VR” ¬– the hosts of this episode were interviewing an expert on the usage of VR in healthcare, the challenges, possibilities and further developments in this area and how VR could be incredibly valuable in medical care. More specifically, the expert who is a doctoral researcher and organisational developer within the areas of brain computer interfaces, artificial intelligence, social robotics and extended reality, works on developing VR-applications as a medical tool, in this case talking about the usage in psychiatric and palliative care.

One thing that was mentioned in the episode that stuck with me was her approach to VR: she calls it not just an educational tool but rather a tool for empathy. VR can be used for both medical training and treatment strategies and offers the unique possibility to fully recreate a person’s individual condition and make it possible for someone else to experience it, thus making it more relatable for people not suffering from said condition. By, for example, recreating auditory and visual hallucinations of a patient with psychosis, it is possible to share that experience with someone else, thus making them more susceptible to empathize with the patient’s experience. That is something that hasn’t yet been possible before VR, as there was no tool that allowed for this kind of immersion before.

I believe that the possibilities and what is yet to come in terms of making illnesses relatable for others bears so much potential for the future and I am excited to see, what kind of developments there will be. Of course, there are also a lot of challenges when using VR in a medical context, accessibility, data and patient safety being only a few of them. But I think that these are topics that will hopefully be addressed sensitively and cautiously, because I believe that the benefit will be invaluable to health services.

Further Interest

https://uxpodcast.com/virtual-reality-healthcare/

https://www.forbes.com/health/mind/virtual-reality-therapy/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7366939/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4361984/

by Marc Steiner -

₅ IMPULS: The Future of VR

Looking at the development of AR and VR technologies over the past decades it’s impossible not to be astonished. For this impulse, I looked at various TED-Talks that were given between the years 2010 and 2019, each reflecting on different projects and (at that time) new developments in the respective field. Seeing as these days, the time the average human spends in front of screens is higher than ever, it makes sense to view AR/VR-Applications as one of the most impactful and biggest mediums of the modern age.

Through all of the TED-Talks I was able to gather one big takeaway: AR/VR allows us to experience things rather than just watch them. Through AR/VR we can simulate doing things ourselves instead of observing, which has both physiological and psychological effects: the body and mind react in authentic ways, causing feelings/reactions such as an adrenaline rush, a jolt of fear, a pounding heart etc., making it a much more intense way of experiencing other realities. The TED-talks presented projects that partially date back many years, thus being far from recent these days, and STILL, the project, such as the 2010 presentation of a Microsoft feature that extended a map into a 3D-space, basically showing what we know as Google Street View today, is incredible.

I think all presenters, and I share their point of view, are convinced that VR/AR is much more than just a gadget or technology. It is a new, enhanced form of communication, allowing us to get immersed in worlds and realities in a way that we will remember on a whole new level: we basically live through them as we experience not only the visual, but all the physical and emotional effects of the augmented or virtual environment.

Further Interest

https://www.ted.com/talks/catherine_allen_the_future_of_virtual_reality

https://www.ted.com/talks/catherine_allen_the_future_of_virtual_realityhttps://www.ted.com/talks/blaise_aguera_y_arcas_augmented_reality_maps

https://www.ted.com/talks/jessica_ochoa_hendrix_how_virtual_reality_turns_students_into_scientists

https://www.ted.com/talks/chris_milk_the_birth_of_virtual_reality_as_an_art_form

by Marc Steiner -

₄ IMPULS: Effects of VR (on me)

Today I would like to talk about the physiological effects that I have experienced while both playing a VR game and watching others play. I have tried a couple of games but would like to describe one in particular, as it is a very a good example for the instant physiological responses VR experiences can cause.

I borrowed a pair of VR glasses from my workplace and gathered my parents in order to both observe their behavior while playing and experience myself what reactions the game would cause. The game I am talking about is called a plank experience, where the user/player takes an elevator up a high storey building and then, as the elevator doors open, is faced with the challenge of walking a narrow plank that leads outdoors, with a rather steep drop on both sides. This is probably an experiment known to quite a few, and for many probaply one of the first touchpoints with virtual reality.

Figure 1: Richie’s Plank Experience1

We laid out a piece of wood that most closely resembled a plank, but rather than having it high up the outer walls of a building, we put it on to the floor, in order to create a more realistic environment. Before trying it myself, I watched everyone else walk the plank and was highly amused by their reactions, as I saw them hestitate, walk the plank rather slowly and fight for balance. My mother even refused to take a step „outside” – she didn’t move until I took off her VR glasses. Lastly, it was my turn, and all I can say is that i was pretty surprised by the way my body reacted. Firstly, I had a feeling of elevation when the elevator was going up, a halting sensation as it came to a stop and I could sense my heart beat just a bit faster in anticipation. With the doors opening, I felt like I was standing atop a tall building and looking down into the abyss was surprisingly leaving my toes a bit tingly, even though logically, I knew that I was perfectly safe. The feeling of walking the plank itself was even worse, making it rather challenging to step on it and walk what was ultimately nothing more than a straight line.
I was quite astonished by the intensity of the reactions that came with this experience and the unique feeling of logic and sensation going in different directions. It makes me wonder what all those people who had a real plank on the floor at those VR demo stands went through.

Further interest

https://www.meta.com/de-de/experiences/1642239225880682/

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/03/190318114550.htm

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspor.2020.531535/full

https://hearingreview.com/hearing-loss/vestibular-care/virtual-reality-technology-help-treat-balance-problems-new-study-says

Images

1. Meta. “Richie’s Plank Experience für Meta Quest | Quest VR Games | Meta Store” Meta Quest Store. Accessed February 2, 2024. https://www.meta.com/de-de/experiences/1642239225880682/#?