Category Archives: Virtual Reality

As the underlying technology rapidly develops, a growing number of fleets are taking advantage of augmented reality and online training tools to train technicians quickly and efficiently.

Saving time and money is an obvious benefit, along with streamlining procedures and ensuring maintenance standards and benchmarks in the shop.

Penske Truck Leasing, for example, combines Microsoft HoloLens 2 hardware and Design Interactives Classroom XR and XRMentor. The XR Mentor software connects the trainer wearing the HoloLens2 with the trainees who could be at any Penske location, explains Holly Gerke, vice-president maintenance technical training and development. Training material is delivered through ClassroomXR.

It allows Penske to build out the experience and has all the elements that an instructor would use during an in-person training experience. Technicians in the service bay tap into diagnostic tablets, simulating the training they would receive with a trainer at their side.

Ten instructors are now using the system, and the company is on track to train 70 technicians per month on brake inspections, with a particular focus on entry-level new hires. About 1,000 employees will have been trained by June, Gerke explains.

The high-tech training approaches are not limited to Penske.

Paccar Leasing Company is now using a voice-guided preventive maintenance (PM) training system for new hires and technicians who move to a new location.

If you take two technicians and put them on a PM, they are going to do the steps differently. With the voice-guided PM system, it standardizes the process, says Willie Reeves, director of maintenance, Paccar Leasing Company. Its system consists of three modules, and teaches a sequence of steps around the truck to minimize steps in, out and around the vehicle.

Peterbilt, meanwhile, will have deployed 200 ARTech augmented reality tools to dealers by March 31.

Its system features proprietary software that displays 3D and augmented reality views of chassis-specific Peterbilt trucks. That helps technicians quickly visualize major truck systems and instantly access related technical documents, the company says.

We analyzed technicians pain points and focused on key technologies required to put all of the correct and pertinent data from multiple databases in one single location at their fingertips, Peyton Harrell, director of dealer development for Peterbilt, said in a media release.

This technology provides technicians a type of X-ray vision to help improve diagnostic and repair times.

The result is our ARTech tool, which transforms 2D technical information into a 3D image by placing full-scale objects on top of the real environment. This technology provides technicians a type of X-ray vision to help improve diagnostic and repair times. Dealerships who are using ARTech in their service bays have reported a 15-20% improvement in service repair times.

Trying to develop technical skills using tools like PowerPoint and video is not an effective way to train technicians, says Penskes Gerke.

We tried it. It was just a flat experience, and thats when we knew we had to take measured risk in investing in this technology. Learning about it, doing lots of repetitions with it, and doing it quickly so that we could continue with our training.

Paccars Reeves says benefits are realized across the board. The technology reduces the time it takes for a technician to conduct a PM. We go through it with them doing the steps the right way. Using a clipboard and paper, it took techs almost four hours to perform preventive maintenance on a truck. If they do a couple of voice-guided PMs, then weve seen the PMs take between two to 2-1/2 hours, he says.

Not only that, some components that were being overlooked are now being inspected, preventing failures down the road, he adds.

Reeves says the program also helps reduce stress that the techs feel from walking around. In some locations we measure, the techs are walking an extra half a mile on a PM because they walk back and forth to their toolbox.

If stuck on a step, the technicians simply say details, and the system walks them through what to do or look for.

Gerke says techs are excited to learn in this fashion. Even though the content is delivered remotely, it feels like a one-on-one training session. An individual at a truck, with their own tools, can connect with others in the same training session while completing tasks in a familiar environment.

Down the road, Penske plans to build out training content for different skills. Gerke says, We are taking it one virtual step at a time to make sure we complete the current course we have with as many technicians as we can.

Its even mulling the use of such technology for monthly training sessions, perhaps with supervisors, and hoping to expand the audience.

Capturing and conveying the information becomes particularly important because many technicians are retiring and taking all their knowledge with them, he says. Support that connects technicians with each other supports the overall health of the organization.

The fleet has different types of units, configurations and components, and its almost impossible for a single technician to know everything. But in an ideal situation, techs would engage with one another and share insights after the initial training, Gerke adds.

Improving safety and efficiency in the process is icing on the training cake.

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Augmented reality, software help deliver next-generation training in the shop - Truck News

Europe augmented reality and virtual reality market in healthcare industry accounts for $507.61 million in 2019 and will grow at a 2019-2026 CAGR of over 36%, representing the second largest healthcare AR and VR regional market in the world.

Highlighted with 37 tables and 48 figures, this 132-page report Europe Healthcare Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Marketby Technology, Offering, Device Type, Application, End-user, and Country 2019-2026: Trend Forecast and Growth Opportunity is based on a comprehensive research of the entire Europe healthcare AR and VR market and all its sub-segments through extensively detailed classifications. Profound analysis and assessment are generated from premium primary and secondary information sources with inputs derived from industry professionals across the value chain.

The report provides historical market data for 2015-2018, revenue estimates for 2019, and forecasts from 2020 till 2026. (Please note: The report will be updated before delivery if necessary, so that the latest historical year is the base year and the forecast covers at least 5 years over the base year.)

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In-depth qualitative analyses include identification and investigation of the following aspects: Market Structure Growth Drivers Restraints and Challenges Emerging Product Trends & Market Opportunities Porters Fiver Forces

The trend and outlook of Europe market is forecast in optimistic, balanced, and conservative view. The balanced (most likely) projection is used to quantify Europe healthcare augmented reality and virtual reality market in every aspect of the classification from perspectives of Technology, Offering, Device Type, Application, End-user, and Country.

Based on technology, the Europe market is segmented into the following sub-markets with annual revenue for 2015-2026 (historical and forecast) included in each section. Augmented Reality (AR)o Marker-based Augmented Reality (further segmented into Passive Marker and Active Marker)o Markerless Augmented Reality (further segmented into Model based Tracking and Image based Processing) Virtual Reality (VR)o Nonimmersive Technologyo Semi-Immersive and Fully Immersive Technology

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Based on offering, the Europe market is segmented into the following sub-markets with annual revenue for 2015-2026 (historical and forecast) included in each section. Hardwareo Sensorso Semiconductor Componento Displays and Projectorso Position Trackerso Cameraso Others Softwareo Software Developer Kitso Imaging Solutionso Enterprise Solutionso Content Platformso Others Serviceo Cloud Serviceso System Integrationo Consultingo Others

Based on device type, the Europe market is segmented into the following sub-markets with annual revenue for 2015-2026 (historical and forecast) included in each section.

Augmented Reality Deviceso Head-Mounted Display (HMD)o Handheld Device Virtual Reality Deviceso Head-Mounted Display (HMD)o Gesture-Tracking Deviceo Projector & Display Wall

Based on application, the Europe market is segmented into the following sub-markets with annual revenue for 2015-2026 (historical and forecast) included in each section. Surgery Rehabilitation and Behavioral Neurology Pain Management Medical Training and Education Diagnosis Fitness Management Virtual Reality Expose Therapy (VRET) Others

Based on end-user, the Europe market is segmented into the following sub-markets with annual revenue for 2015-2026 (historical and forecast) included in each section. Academic Institutes Hospitals and Clinics Research and Diagnostics Laboratories Pharma Companies and Research Centers Advertising and Government Agencies Other End Users

Geographically, the following national markets are fully investigated: Germany UK France Russia Italy Spain Rest of Europe

For each of the aforementioned regions and countries, detailed analysis and data for annual revenue are available for 2015-2026. The breakdown of key national markets by Technology, Application, and End-user over the forecast years are also included.

The report also covers current competitive scenario and the predicted trend; and profiles key vendors including market leaders and important emerging players.Specifically, potential risks associated with investing in Europe healthcare augmented reality and virtual reality market are assayed quantitatively and qualitatively through GMDs Risk Assessment System. According to the risk analysis and evaluation, Critical Success Factors (CSFs) are generated as a guidance to help investors & stockholders identify emerging opportunities, manage and minimize the risks, develop appropriate business models, and make wise strategies and decisions.

Key Players:Alphabet IncArtificial Life, Inc.CAE HealthcareEON RealityFacebookFoursquare Labs, Inc.GE HealthcareHologic, Inc.HTCImmersion CorpIntuitive Surgical Inc.MedtronicMicrosoftOrca HealthPhilips HealthcareSamsungSiemens HealthcareSimulab CorpSonyTheraSim, Inc.VirtaMedVuzix Corp

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Europe Healthcare Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Market Statistics and Research Analysis Detailed in Latest Research Report 2027| TMR Report ...

VR is increasingly being used to treat a wide range of mental health problems, and more people are starting to get comfortable with it.

A new study has found a substantial number of people prefer to be more open about themselves in virtual reality (VR) than in real life.

Research carried out by Edith Cowan University (ECU) found 30 percent of people prefer to talk about negative experiences with a VR avatar as opposed to another person.

The study was published inFrontiers in Virtual Realty, where researchers compared social interactions where people engaged in VR conversation versus face-to-face.

They used full face and body motion capture technology to create a realistic motion avatar that closely mimicked their real-life counterpart, then analysed how people interacted with avatars compared to people.

Psychology and communication researcher Dr Shane Rogers said participants rated their experience on factors like enjoyment, comfort, awkwardness, perceived understanding, and the extent to which they felt they disclosed information about themselves.

The only ratings where face-to-face was found to be superior was for perceived closeness across both types of communication and for feeling understood when disclosing negative experiences.

Overall people rated VR social interaction as similar to face-to-face interaction, with the exception of closeness, where people tended to feel a little closer with each other when face-to-face, Dr Rogers said.

Most fundamentally, VR aims to mirror reality and create a world that is both immersive and interactive. Visually, VR system components work together to create sensory illusions that produce a believable simulation of reality.

Not only do experience look and sound very real, but it is also possible to physically feel objects through haptic gloves that can provide textural and resistant feedback within a digital environment.

While VR technology has been around for a while, Dr Rogers said this study suggested that using motion capture to enhance VR could eventually see it enter our everyday lives.

This technology has the potential for broad application across a number of areas such as casual conversation, business, tourism, education and therapy, he said.

And when it comes to therapy, it would open up to a new subset of people who do not feel comfortable with regular face-to-face interactions, Dr Rogers added.

It might also enable therapists to conduct therapy more effectively at a distance, as a person can be in the therapist room (in virtual reality) while seated in their own home.

Rather than being niche, Dr Rogers expects VR social interaction to become more common over the next five years.

More powerful computers are becoming more affordable, VR headsets and peripherals are continuing to develop, and more user-friendly VR interaction software platforms are becoming available and being updated, he said.

New frontier of therapy?

Academics have studied the potential of VR to treat disorders like anxiety since the 1990s.

What has helped is that recreational VR headsets are getting cheaper and more accessible. Sales to the public, especially now during the pandemic, have only risen.

Research in VR-assisted therapy, as a result, is also growing.

Many VR therapies build on a therapeutic technique known as prolonged exposure, where patients first describe a traumatic event to a therapist in detail and then confront triggers of the traumatic event.

While controversial in some circles, prolonged exposure is largely accepted as an effective strategy to treat chronic PTSD.

In one example, VR exposure therapy in Iraq War veterans was tested on 20 patients, 16 of whom ended up no longer meeting the diagnostic criteria for PTSD by the end of it.

However, experts like Andrew Sherrill, assistant professor of psychiatry at Emory University, worries that as VR expands, people might opt for a self-directed treatment than consult with licensed professionals, potentially making formal therapies obsolete.

Its the closest thing our field has to just making opioids available over the counter, Sherril said.

He added that VR treatments are not any more effective than traditional prolonged exposure therapies.

But for some patients, Sherrill said that VR offers convenience and immersion that is otherwise hard to replicate.

Source: TRT World

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Can virtual reality make therapy more effective? - TRT World

Imagine that when your great-grandparents were teenagers, they got their hands on a groundbreaking new gadget, the worlds first fully immersive virtual-reality entertainment system. These werent those silly goggles you see everywhere now. This device was more Matrix-y a stylish headband stuffed with electrodes that somehow tapped directly into the human brains perceptual system, replacing whatever a wearer saw, heard, felt, smelled and even tasted with new sensations ginned up by a machine.

The device was a blockbuster; magic headbands soon became an inescapable fact of peoples daily lives. Your great-grandparents, in fact, met each other in Headbandland, and their children, your grandparents, rarely encountered the world outside it. Later generations your parents, you never did.

Everything you have ever known, the entire universe you call reality, has been fed to you by a machine.

This, anyway, is the sort of out-there scenario I keep thinking about as I ponder the simulation hypothesis the idea, lately much discussed among technologists and philosophers, that the world around us could be a digital figment, something like the simulated world of a video game.

The idea is not new. Exploring the underlying nature of reality has been an obsession of philosophers since the time of Socrates and Plato. Ever since The Matrix, such notions have become a staple of pop culture, too. But until recently the simulation hypothesis had been a matter for academics. Why should we even consider that technology could create simulations indistinguishable from reality? And even if such a thing were possible, what difference would knowledge of the simulation make to any of us stuck in the here and now, where reality feels all too tragically real?

For these reasons, Ive sat out many of the debates about the simulation hypothesis that have been bubbling through tech communities since the early 2000s, when Nick Bostrom, a philosopher at Oxford, floated the idea in a widely cited essay.

But a brain-bending new book by the philosopher David Chalmers Reality+: Virtual Worlds and the Problems of Philosophy has turned me into a hard-core simulationist.

After reading and talking to Chalmers, Ive come to believe that the coming world of virtual reality might one day be regarded as every bit as real as real reality. If that happens, our current reality will instantly be cast into doubt; after all, if we could invent meaningful virtual worlds, isnt it plausible that some other civilization somewhere else in the universe might have done so, too? Yet if thats possible, how could we know that were not already in its simulation?

The conclusion seems inescapable: We may not be able to prove that we are in a simulation, but at the very least, it will be a possibility that we cant rule out. But it could be more than that. Chalmers argues that if were in a simulation, thered be no reason to think its the only simulation; in the same way that lots of different computers today are running Microsoft Excel, lots of different machines might be running an instance of the simulation. If that was the case, simulated worlds would vastly outnumber non-sim worlds meaning that, just as a matter of statistics, it would be not just possible that our world is one of the many simulations but likely. Chalmers writes that the chance we are sims is at least 25 percent or so.

Chalmers is a professor of philosophy at New York University, and he has spent much of his career thinking about the mystery of consciousness. He is best known for coining the phrase the hard problem of consciousness, which, roughly, is a description of the difficulty of explaining why a certain experience feels like that experience to the being experiencing it. (Dont worry if this hurts your head; its not called the hard problem for nothing.)

Chalmers says that he began thinking deeply about the nature of simulated reality after using V.R. headsets like Oculus Quest 2 and realizing that the technology is already good enough to create situations that feel viscerally real.

Virtual reality is now advancing so quickly that it seems quite reasonable to guess that the world inside V.R. could one day be indistinguishable from the world outside it. Chalmers says this could happen within a century; I wouldnt be surprised if we passed that mark within a few decades.

Whenever it happens, the development of realistic V.R. will be earthshaking, for reasons both practical and profound. The practical ones are obvious: If people can easily flit between the physical world and virtual ones that feel exactly like the physical world, which one should we regard as real?

You might say the answer is clearly the physical one. But why? Today, what happens on the internet doesnt stay on the internet; the digital world is so deeply embedded in our lives that its effects ricochet across society. After many of us have spent much of the pandemic working and socializing online, it would be foolish to say that life on the internet isnt real.

The same would hold for V.R. Chalmerss book which travels entertainingly across ancient Chinese and Indian philosophy to Ren Descartes to modern theorists like Bostrom and the Wachowskis (the siblings who created The Matrix) is a work of philosophy, and so naturally he goes through a multipart exploration into how physical reality differs from virtual reality.

His upshot is this: Virtual reality isnt the same as ordinary physical reality, but because its effects on the world are not fundamentally different from those of physical reality, its a genuine reality all the same. Thus we should not regard virtual worlds as mere escapist illusions; what happens in V.R. really happens, Chalmers says, and when its real enough, people will be able to have fully meaningful lives in V.R.

To me, this seems self-evident. We already have quite a bit of evidence that people can construct sophisticated realities from experiences they have over a screen-based internet. Why wouldnt that be the case for an immersive internet?

This gets to whats profound and disturbing about the coming of V.R. The mingling of physical and digital reality has already thrown society into an epistemological crisis a situation where different people believe different versions of reality based on the digital communities in which they congregate. How would we deal with this situation in a far more realistic digital world? Could the physical world even continue to function in a society where everyone has one or several virtual alter egos?

I dont know. I dont have a lot of hope that this will go smoothly. But the frightening possibilities suggest the importance of seemingly abstract inquiries into the nature of reality under V.R. We should start thinking seriously about the possible effects of virtual worlds now, long before they become too real for comfort.

Farhad wants to chat with readers on the phone. If youre interested in talking to a New York Times columnist about anything thats on your mind, please fill out this form. Farhad will select a few readers to call.

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Opinion | We Might Be in a Simulation. How Much Should That Worry Us? - The New York Times

Walter Greenleaf, PhD, neuroscientist and digital health expert at Stanford Universitys Virtual Human Interaction Lab, tells us about the new bookApplied Virtual Reality in Healthcare: Case Studies and Perspectivesand why he and his co-authors gathered insights from some of the most prominent figures in the field of medical extended reality (XR).

Medical XR (ie, virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality) has emerged as an innovative approach to providing patients with non-invasive treatment and helping surgeons perform operations. Still, it can be challenging to acquire a complete picture of how this technology is used overall in medicine.

I observed that my colleagues who were working to develop and validate various clinical applications of virtual reality technology had no venue to publish their work in a way that would reach other scientists grappling with the same issues and constraints, Greenleaf said.

They could publish in specialised journals relevant to their specific area of research for example, journals focusing on addiction, autism, surgical skill training, pain mitigation, stroke rehabilitation and others but there was a need for a compendium that brought technology, science, clinical research, and relevant findings together in one place.

Our book Applied Virtual Reality in Healthcare provides an overview of innovative approaches, best practices, and coherent solutions to common concerns. It also supports those who are new to the field by presenting a synopsis of the general trends and status of the medical virtual reality industry.

Walter says pharma can wield many of the books insights to improve its portfolios and help advance immersive technology in medicine.

How pharma can leverage XR

Partnerships between pharma and XR companies have increased in the past few years. Organisations such asOrion Pharma have studied VR digital therapeutics in-house.

Theres a clear momentum from some of the larger companies to jump into this, but I think the main way VR will show up as being an important contributor to the pharma and digital health industries is by being a bridge as being an adjunct to combination therapy, Greenleaf said.

For many of the medications, for example, SSRIs, we get greater efficacy when we combine their use with concurrent cognitive behavioural therapy.

Mobile health apps or web-based apps used for combination therapy often have low adherence rates and are often less efficacious than VR in evoking a cognitive response.

VR is more effective in terms of getting full attention because we can block out the outside world and create more emotionally evocative environments, Greenleaf said.

Immersive technology can also help improve assessments of the effectiveness of treatment, particularly regarding behavioural health where a patients results are often subjective.

Self-reporting can put patients in an awkward spot to adequately describe their feelings or thoughts, and this method can sometimes be unreliable.

With VR, we can evoke a response and challenge the system in a reproducible manner. We will see a new generation of better assessments, which will empower better research, Greenleaf said.

Post-discharge follow-up and support are other examples of where immersive technology can be valuable.

In VR environments, patients can effectively converse with a group of people who have the same indications. Patients can be part of a support group or receive therapies somewhat anonymously, Greenleaf said.

Those struggling with addiction, for example, might not be able or willing to attend an in-person meeting because of concerns about job security or community reactions. VR can be a useful venue for them.

Additionally, pharma can use VR for monitoring brain health during treatments, such as chemotherapy.

People have different metabolisms and health states. Neurotoxicity needs to be monitored. One could wear a head-mounted display during infusions, which can be used to do neuropsychological assessments and tests to determine the decline in cognitive function, Greenleaf notes.

Several use cases exist for XR technology. Still, challenges will emerge as this medium progresses.

The last chapter in Applied Virtual Reality in Healthcare, entitled A Virtual Reality Platform for the Objective Measurement of Emotional State, highlights potential obstacles ahead and examines how pharmaceutical companies can help address these issues.

For example, mental health disorders and cognitive decline are rising. High-quality therapies are needed more than ever and increasing speed to market is essential.

The book notes pharma can utilise VR for clinical trials as it allows for a better understanding of the research subject. A users behaviour can be captured automatically via built-in sensors, and researchers can simulate various scenarios safely and realistically for ecologic validity.

Theres a great deal of potential of using VR technology to conduct virtual clinical trials and research studies effectively.

As the cost of headsets decreases, VR use is becoming more feasible for pharma and HCPs. Still, advancing the technology for better patient outcomes can be difficult due to the techs relative novelty.

Enriching immersive technology

The industry is evolving at a rapid pace, but theres much to be done around developing widely accepted standards of evaluating virtual environments used for testing and agreed-upon ways of standardising datasets.

Greenleaf says, In addition to working with technology developers and academic research groups to develop products that complement its products, pharma could become a player that takes datasets and creates a coherent format for their use and to move the industry forward.

For example, if we want to have a new standard of assessment for neuropsychological function, its not going to be effective if one company only develops standards for their product or their product stream. It will be hard to get regulatory agencies or the larger clinical community to accept those guidelines unless its something open-sourced by a variety of groups.

When other technologies emerged, such as home computers, standards needed to be set to make the ecosystem feasible for other manufacturers to bring their versions of the technology forward.

Eventually, there will be the infrastructure to support new emerging technology in healthcare. The challenge, though, is how much pain do we want to go through until those standards get set and till things are a little bit more harmonised? Greenleaf asks.

Finding ways to make it easier for people to connect who want to leverage the findings, technology, and resources available is key.

Pharma is no stranger to building connections through face-to-face interaction, and medical XR conferences have become more prevalent over the past several years, helping to develop a fruitful community.

The books publisher Robert Fine is the executive director and founder of the International Virtual Reality Healthcare Association (IVRHA), which hosts meetings throughout the year.

IVRHA is hosting a two-day conference on 2nd-3rd March in Nashville, Tennessee with speakers spanning different sectors of the healthcare ecosystem. Greenleaf says this is a good place to start.

Theres a need to have a platform for people who are moving into the industry and who want to learn from each other, he said. Thats what I would say served as the basic framework for the book to introduce this rapidly emerging area of clinical research and next-generation medical care.

To learn more about the IVRHA conference, click here.

About the interviewee

Walter Greenleaf PhD is a neuroscientist and a medical technology developer working at Stanford University. With over three decades of research and product development experience in the fields of digital medicine and medical virtual reality technology, Walter is considered a leading authority. He is a Visiting Scholar at Stanford Universitys Virtual Human Interaction Lab, the Director of Technology Strategy at the University of Colorado National Mental Health Innovation Center and serves on the Science Advisory Board of several medical product companies.

About the author

Jessica Hagen is a freelance life sciences and health writer and project manager who has worked with VR health companies, fiction/nonfiction authors, nonprofit and for-profit organisations, and government entities.

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Applied Virtual Reality in Healthcare: A comprehensive book on medical XR - - pharmaphorum

One of the most pressing issues of the twenty-first century is to find and implement countermeasures to the ongoing climate crisis and destruction of nature. While technical solutions are being developed at a fast pace, successful implementation depends not only on the availability of technology but on creating an awareness about mechanisms of sustainable development and on transferring this awareness into actual actions on the individual level. Besides efficiency and consistency as promising technology-based strategies, a persons relationship towards nature has been argued to be a predicting factor for sustainability-oriented behaviour within a sufficiency strategy1. Thus, it is vital for education for sustainable development that this relationship is nurtured and supported1,2. While a cognitive understanding of the impact of ones daily actions on nature is the intellectual base for finding new solutions2, they will only be implemented if a corresponding motivation is present. The role of other species and natural systems and their importance for the ecosystem have to be understood in order for people to be able to reflect on their relatedness towards nature1,3. Thus, it requires methods that address the affective dimension, break through previous habits, and train the ability to act4,5. In the concept of Education for Sustainable Development perspective taking is argued as an approach to foster understanding and reflecting one's relationship towards others (cognitive dimension), and by that, relating to it (affective dimension)6. Based on the idea of perspective transformation by Mezirow7, the experience of taking on someone elses role, by methods as such as role-play, is discussed as a promising method to reflect on one's own role in climate change, understand one's personal impact on climate change and promote the ability to relate to others8. Mayer and Frantz1 argue that a feeling of connectedness to nature leads to a stronger concern for nature and can invoke action such as pro-environmental behaviour. Previous studies have shown that direct exposure to nature can strengthen a feeling of nature connectedness or nature relatedness1,9,10,11. It can also influence environmental knowledge, attitudes, or behaviour12,13,14,15. In line with environmental psychology16,17, we define nature as a broad category of natural environments and features of those environments, such as single trees or plants (van den Berg et al.17, p. 57). This understanding includes images of nature in the form of videos, films, or other imagery.

However, due to urbanization, it has been observed that more people live removed from nature, e.g., natural environments such as forests, and those have a low concern for nature15. Today, 82 per cent of the North American population, 81 per cent of the Latin American and the Caribbean population, and 74 per cent of the European population live in urbanized areas. This urbanization trend is predicted to grow from 55 per cent to 68 per cent of the worldwide population by 205018, with the result that the accessibility of nature, and thus the ability to experience it in person, is reduced. It then becomes harder to see oneself as part of a natural ecosystem, which in turn may lead to less concern for nature and thus less pro-environmental behaviour. At the same time, traveling to especially highly valuable ecosystems in terms of biodiversity and greenhouse gas capture as e.g., the Amazon, is neither feasible to provide a large number of humans with this kind of experience nor without risk for the local ecosystem. This raises a vital question: How can the processes of reflecting on oneself as part of the natural ecosystem be supported for those without access to natural environments, be it due to urbanization or other restrictions? The positive effects of being exposed to nature are not limited to experiences in real-world nature settings, as Meidenbauer et al.19 demonstrated. According to their study, even the act of simply looking at an image of nature or virtual environments depicting nature could achieve similar results. However, Zelenski et al.20 found that exposure to nature via video-watching can promote greater willingness to engage in environmentally sustainable behavior (Ref.20, p.24). These effects become more pronounced the more users perceive the experience as a real, personal one.

New solutions to provide such real, personal experiences of distant biospheres might be offered by modern immersive virtual reality (VR) technology. Thanks to highly developed technology, virtual sights of nature can be experienced with a 360-degree angle (e.g., Nature TreksVR). Putting on a Head-Mounted-Display (HMD), users can go beyond simply looking at a landscape in front of them. Instead, users can be completely surrounded by it. Hu-Au and Lee21 argue that immersive VR technologies offer increasing engagement, provide interactive, action-oriented, affective, and empathetic experiences, and can serve as an arena for visualising (Ref.21, p.216). Individuals can take on someone elses perspective, close the time gap between action and consequences, get interactively involved, receive direct feedback on decisions and behaviour, see consequences, foresee future climate change scenarios, and experience sensory stimulations that can have a strong impact on affections22,23,24,25,26. The assisting role and the success of technological components in creating a convincing and captivating experience can be subsumed under the term immersion27, while the engagement of multiple sensory channels has been coined sensory immersion28. Both definitions suggest that the perceived presence is influenced by the level of immersion provided by a virtual application, and the technological components used to experience the content. This in turn influences the motivation to transfer what was learned into actions. Immersive VR technologies are defined as technologies that immerse the user as much as possible in the virtual experience, especially via the use of HMDs29, which allow the users to translate their natural head movements into camera movements within the virtual environment, providing a higher level of immersion compared to watching videos or pictures via a desktop screen30. Immersive VR shows promising potential to reduce the gap between virtual representations and real-life experiences, which are vital to fostering behavioural change. Positive effects of VR applications on motivation, knowledge, engagement, task performance, and long-term retention have already been observed in the context of learning31,32,33,34,35. Today, immersive VR technology has evolved to a point where users can enter immersive artificial environments via HMD comfortably from their own living rooms30. Worldwide, the demand for VR headsets is forecasted to reach USD 62.1 billion by 202736. Side effects such as motion sickness have become more preventable via the appropriate design of the virtual environments or by accustomization37. Devices have become affordable, do not necessarily require access to high-end PCs, and can be used with a smartphone (e.g., Google Cardboard, the Oculus Quest, Valve VR, or the HP Reverb G2). This development is a prerequisite for bringing the proverbial mountain to the prophet: It allows researchers to provide the most immersive portal to nature experiences to people who are unable to have these encounters in-person.

However, there are still only limited numbers of virtual nature applications on HMD available, and valid research results for the use of these applications in the various fields of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are still in the nascent stage26. So far, there are only few data on the cognitive, socio-emotional, or behavioural effects of immersive VR technology applied to environmental awareness. Studies on immersive nature experiences in VR have investigated effects on mood23,38, physical engagement39, green product consumption40, interest26, pro-environmental behaviour22,25,41, and nature relatedness41. In the majority of the studies, participants have been exposed to 360 videos of nature via desktop or HMD. Ahn et al.22 showed that climate-change-related applications experienced via a HMD can be strong enough to transfer into the physical world to modify behaviour (Ref.22, p. 85). Filter et al.26 let students experience 360 videos about the life of wolves via HMD, showing that immersive technology can foster interest in nature experiences. Klein and Hilbig25 exposed participants to nature videos of trees or birds and compared it to conditions of watching videos about social interactions or urban environments. The authors observed that watching videos of nature destruction can have a stronger impact on pro-environmental behaviour compared to experiencing a video about actual intact nature. Soliman et al.41 investigated effects of artificial nature videos vs. real nature videos on nature relatedness and pro-environmental behaviour. As one of the results, the authors observed that watching videos of nature can foster nature connectedness irrespective of the technology used (immersive VR vs. desktop screen). Mostarejan et al.38 showed that watching 360 videos of a forest via HMD has a stronger effect on mood compared to looking at pictures of a forest using HMD.

The beneficial effects of immersive VR on inter-human relationships and cognition seem to be reproducible for the interaction with the impersonal other, such as nature. Immersive VR, with its typical display mode of exploring experiences from a first-person perspective, facilitates taking on the perspective from which the experience was filmed or created. This allows the experience of embodying the portrayed agent. This is a prerequisite for the learning transfer of applications set in the context of sustainable development. Seeing the potential of what effect the mere visual experience of virtual representations of nature can have on nature relatedness, a more immersive experience such as embodiment of nature could increase the impact even further. Available VR applications can include experiences that play with what it means to see the world from anothers eyes. Experiences such as The Machine To be Another from AnotherLab have provided insights into how swapping perspectives and embodying another person can be used to train empathy42. The beneficial effects can far surpass momentary affections: By swapping perspectives with that of female victims of domestic abuse, male offenders have not only reported increased levels of empathy towards victims but experienced the long-lasting effect of being able to better judge the emotions of others43. While the potential of embodiment, body-swapping, or body-ownership of a human in VR has been examined in various research contexts, research on non-human embodiment such as embodiment of an animal, a robot, or a plant is still in its early stages44,45,46,47. Ventre-Dominey and colleagues46 have examined the effects of embodying a robot on its acceptability. The authors observed that taking on the perspective of a robot can increase its likability as long as ones own body movements match the movements of the robot in VR. Oyanagi and Ohmura47 focused on the effect of embodying a bird on anxiety about heights. The authors could report a decrease in self-reported fear of heights. As of now, to our knowledge, there are only two studies that focus on embodiment and its effects in the context of nature relatedness44,45. Markowitz et al.45 conducted a study comparing non-human embodiment (a coral) and human embodiment (a scuba diver) stating that the more that people reported being attuned to the virtual environment in the post-test, the more they learned in immersive VR, felt connected to nature, and reported environmental concern (Ref.45, p. 10). In several experiments by Ahn and colleagues44, effects on nature connectedness by being a coral and a cow were measured by comparing the VR experience via HMD to watching a desktop video. The authors observed that embodiment of a virtual other, was crucial for a high degree of connectivity to nature. They argue that embodiment in VR can foster especially the potential of perspective taking.

In our study, we transfer and expand the ongoing embodiment research to non-human and non-animal agents, and systematically compare the effects of embodying a tree between a standard viewing condition and an immersive VR (iVR) condition that displays the experience with a HMD and features the option to make small branch movements via controllers on nature relatedness. While perspective taking in itself is associated with favourable attitudes, the immersion via HMD in a virtual environment has been shown to be the determining factor of the occurrence of attitude change48. Therefore, a combination of perspective taking supported by embodiment through iVR is a promising approach to explore the transfer to a non-human, non-sentient entity in the context of climate change and nature relatedness. Thus, the aim of our study was to investigate whether experiencing the embodiment of a tree via iVR fosters a) a feeling of immersion, b) relatedness with nature, c) perspective-taking, and d) reflection on the relationship between humankind and nature. Taken this under consideration, we understand our study as continuing the conversation on how embodiment in VR technology can foster nature relatedness.

We carried out an experimental study with 28 participants in a 222 between-subjects design with condition (iVR vs. video watching) and ending (negative vs. positive) as between-subject factors and time (pre-post measurements) as a within-subject factor. Both experiencing conditions differed as follows: the iVR experience allowed for free head movement, creating the ability to look around freely. Additionally, hand-held controllers translated the users arm movements into a slight movement of the trees branches. The video desktop screen condition displayed a fixed orientation of the view and did not include the interactive element of branch movement. This decision was made based on the technical limitations of making the experience which has been developed for iVR accessible via desktop screen.

Three dependent variables (perceived immersion, nature relatedness, perspective-taking) were measured with a questionnaire that asked additional open questions to tackle further reflections on the experience of embodiment. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four conditions (iVR vs. video watching; positive vs. negative ending). As positive vs. negative endings were not of focal interest and did not yield different results, we report hypotheses and results for the factor experience condition only. Thus, the following hypotheses were tested:

H1: Experiencing the embodiment of a tree via iVR is perceived as more immersive than watching the experience as a video on a desktop screen.

H2: Experiencing the embodiment of a tree via iVR leads to higher levels of nature relatedness than watching the experience as a video on a desktop screen.

H2b: Perceived immersion levels are associated with an increase in nature relatedness.

H3: Experiencing the embodiment of a tree via iVR facilitates more perspective-taking of the tree compared to watching the experience as a video on a desktop screen.

We were also interested in exploring the subjective experience of participants concerning the reflection of their own relationship with the tree, assuming that the experience of embodiment of the tree in iVR initiates a stronger process of self-reflection than when watching a video of the same experience as a video on a desktop screen (H4). We therefore added open questions, described in measures. By the explorative combination of qualitative and quantitative data, we hope to enrich the discussion about the effects on embodiment in iVR as a tool to foster perspective-taking as one relevant goal of education for sustainable development by means of reflecting on the role of other living beings on this planet2,6,7,8.

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Becoming nature: effects of embodying a tree in immersive virtual reality on nature relatedness | Scientific Reports - Nature.com

I recently got the urge to review Ready Player Onethe film adaptation, directed by Steven Spielberg, of Ernest Clines influential novel, which tells of a future in which virtual reality and the real world. In the opening scene, protagonist Wade Watts climbs up and down a ramshackle trailer park before putting on a headset. Most people have abandoned neglected and crumbling reality for Oasis, a virtual world of limitless possibilities, where everyone can do, be or appear as they please.

If a year ago they asked me if we were close to the world of Ready Player One, I would have snorted, listing any of the objections my more skeptical colleagues had expressed. On a recent Saturday afternoon, however, my husband wore a virtual reality headset Meta Quest 2 to play Puzzling Places, a 3D puzzle, while our children were busy with their soft toys and I sorted the laundry.

After lunch, my six year old daughter was allowed to spend half an hour on Tilt Brush by Google, a 3D drawing application with which he created a frosty winter landscape, complete with snowfall and two snowmen named Lisa and Tom. My four-year-old son watched in delight as the viewer transmitted images to the screen. After dinner, I caught my husband putting his headset back on. I asked him to put it on charge once it was finished, because in an hour I would try some new games with a colleague.

Being the parent of an unvaccinated 4-year-old, in the middle of a rainy winter in Oregon, during an ongoing global pandemic, is not an experience I would recommend. My children go to school and kindergarten, but to reduce the risk we have canceled swimming and gymnastics lessons, as well as play dates. Virtual reality isnt perfect, but allowed us to extend our lockdown indefinitely, at least until my child can be vaccinated. And then I have to admit: I like it.

A new hope

But things didnt start out that way. I had received Meta Quest 2 on loan in November, to try coworking with my colleagues and experience virtual reality meetings. For work or relaxation, I found the headset absolutely unsatisfactory. If I want to meditate, I take the dog for a walk, while when I need to let off steam I go for a run. No app is like realitymy husband gloated after seeing the viewer left to gather dust and unused on my desk for about a month.

That was until Christmas, when relatives from both sides of my family came to visit, prompting us to restore strict social distancing to protect older family members in the midst of the peak of infections due to the omicron variant. Trapped in the house with no chance of escaping loved ones, I dumped one night Puzzling Places. Meditative music plays in the background as you manipulate pieces of monuments, clothes and places in the surrounding 3D space. The click and glow produced when each tile falls into place is addictive.

I started downloading other games. Then others still. Getting used to the headset wasnt easy. Meta Quest 2 is much lighter and easier to use than previous versions, but still heavy and impractical. Being catapulted into an empty space without legs is still disorienting; I bought myself a sack of the same ginger gummies that I used to fight nausea during pregnancy.

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Metaverse, virtual reality can be better than the (almost) nothing that Covid-19 forced us to do - D1SoftballNews.com

Posted in Georgia Attractions January 24, 2022by Marisa Roman

Any Georgians who are 21 and over looking for an out-of-this-world experience can head on over to Revery: VR Bar in Atlanta. As the very first full bar to incorporate virtual reality technology into the experience, you wont want to miss out on this adventure. Located in Midtown, near Ponce City Market, this virtual reality-themed bar is unlike anything youve ever experienced. So come strap in for a wild ride, while you can simultaneously get your drink on!

During these uncertain times, please keep safety in mind and consider adding destinations to your bucket list to visit at a later date.

Have you been to Revery: VR Bar in Atlanta before? Share with us your experience in the comments section! Or if youre looking for more information about this virtual reality pub in Georgia, such as current hours of operation, then check out the website or Facebook Page.

Address: Revery: VR Bar, 728 Monroe Dr NE Suite C, Atlanta, GA 30308, USA

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Theres A Virtual Reality Bar In Georgia, And Its Out-Of-This-World - Only In Your State

Gadget-loving dads are hogging family devices and controllers so they can indulge in games such as FIFA, Candy Crush and Fortnite.

Research shows that 'Digital Dads' have maintained their love affair with tech, sparked by the likes of PlayStation, Blackberry and Xbox, and now indulge online games, livestreamed esport matches and even experiment with Virtual reality (VR).

When they're not battling it out for supremacy in a post-apocalyptic world, leading their team to footballing glory or blasting through pieces on Candy Crush, dads are catching up with pals on social media.

A study of 16,000 people revealed that two-thirds (59%) of British dads aged between 25 and 44 play computer or video games, like FIFA or Fortnite, every week.

More than half (56%) also say they play mobile games like Candy Crush while 84% use social media to keep up with pals.

In contrast, less than one-third (29%) of female Brits aged between 25 and 44 years old find the time to play computer or video games, like FIFA or Fortnite, every week.

Deputy Managing Director of Digital at Entain Dom Grounsell said: "Enthusiasm for gaming, mobile, and more social forms of interactive entertainment, is far from confined to younger generations.

"People of all ages, particularly middle-aged dads, enjoy gaming and seem to love experimenting with new and exciting content.

"It seems dads are taking the opportunity to put their feet up and enjoy some 'me' time through online gaming.

"We're developing new interactive entertainment experiences, with more gaming and social features, because it's increasingly clear this is what people want."

The results of the survey, by gaming group Entain, certainly challenges the notion that gaming is predominantly the domain of 'Zoomers' (adults up to the age of 22).

Despite Digital Dads nipping at the heels of tech-savvy kids, Zooomers do reign supreme.

Adults under the age of 24 are the biggest video gamers, with 53% playing computer or video games every week.

While those in the 25-34 bracket and 35-44 age range don't lag too far behind (at 46% and 36% respectively).

A vast majority (85% of 35-44-year-olds, and 89% of 25-34-year-olds) also use platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok in a typical week just slightly behind younger cohorts, with 92% of adults under the age of 24 engaging on social media.

The same can be said for esports, though at a smaller rate.

Of those quizzed, 10% of adults under the age of 24 say they watch esports on platforms like Twitch on a weekly basis, closely followed by 9% of 25-34-year-olds and 6% of 35-44-year-olds.

There is also a clear link between betting and gaming. Entain's research shows that video gamers are more than four times more likely to bet or participate in online gaming than non-gamers, and more open to using social features.

Other research studies commissioned by Entain show how interest in new technologies among the global adult population will continue to grow.

A global study of 20,000 adults across 16 markets reveal that 37% of adults in the UK expect to watch esports in the future, more than twice as many who currently do so (15%).

In the US, the same study found 40% of adults expect to watch esports in the future (compared to 17% currently).

This increases further with our European counterparts - with 52% in Italy (compared to 22% currently) and 55% in Spain (versus 21% currently).

And it's not just gaming and social media grabbing people's attention, with another Entain study revealing that interest in immersive gaming experiences is highest among 35-44-year-olds.

Of this age range, 60% of Entain's digital customers claim to be 'very interested in VR, compared to 57% of adults under the age of 35.

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Two-thirds of dads hog devices and controllers to enjoy FIFA, Candy Crush and virtual reality - Wales Online

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Boone Health, working with other organizations, participated in a research trial to assess the impact of mind-powered virtual reality and neurofeedback to improve mood and reduce stress among healthcare workers directly involved in patient care.

In the 100-employee study at Boone Health, participating healthcare workers were fitted with a portable brain-sensing head strap and portable virtual reality goggles to record the users brain patterns associated with stress. They were then placed inside a beautiful environment that responds to the users biometric information, modifying the scene if the brain becomes stressed.

Nursing is a difficult profession with incredibly high expectations. Providing an outlet for our nurses to rejuvenate and care for themselves is a high priority. We are excited to participate in a study focused on the well-being of our nursing staff, said Monica Smith, MSN, RN, NE-BC, FACHE, Chief Nursing Officer and Chief Operations Officer of Boone Health, in a release.

The experience is powered by Healiums patented technology that modifies and recommends immersive media content based on their brain patterns measured by electroencephalogram. The technology was able to tailor the stress-relieving content shared through the goggles specifically to the wearer so if they respond most positively to walking on a beautiful beach, that is what they experience. Results show the intervention quickly improved mood, increased feelings of happiness and calm as well as reduced tension in as little as four minutes.

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Study: Boone Health part of mind-powered VR experiences help healthcare worker anxiety - ABC17News.com