Category Archives: Virtual Reality

In the fight for theme park visitors the battle lines have been drawn monster trucks, virtual reality zombie warfare and smellscaping, just thankfully not all at the same time.

And while there was a sombre atmosphere around parts of London as tens of thousands lined up to pay their respects to the Queen, there were 10,000 more gathered in a convention centre in East London experiencing the future of the theme park.

The convention centres hall was dominated by a monster truck on hydraulics rocking riders and a nine-foot-tall alien 3D-printed in a matter of hours.

Alongside that were several full-size bowling lanes and more soft play areas than you could fill with a whole primary schools worth of birthday parties. Pinball manufacturers Stern did, however, delay the launch of its James Bond pinball machines as a mark of respect for the Queen.

Anyone taking a walk down the cavernous hall couldnt help but notice the vast quantity of virtual reality headsets. Through VR, riders on the monster truck experienced being thrown about as though they were being driven around a real arena, while rollercoaster manufacturer Mack Rides could demonstrate some of its own rides without needing to ship attendees out to the companys own Europa Park in Germany.

The technology also helps provide interactivity, something that Mark Beumers, chief executive of Dutch dark rides vendor Lagotronics Projects, thinks is going to become increasingly crucial to the experience.

Visitors expect more and more, since they grew up with technology, nowadays, and they want to experience technology in a theme park in a different and better way than they can do it at home. And since they already have a lot of technology at home that they experience in a good way, a theme park needs to be the extra step.

But, Beumers says, virtual reality has its limits. Simply getting headsets on and off riders can add unacceptable delays to loading up rides, and the technology limits one of the best aspects of going to a theme park: sharing the experience with the friends and family you visit with.

And while the technology was just starting to be installed in parks towards the beginning of 2018, the impact of Covid in the last couple of years has given operators a chance to consider, and shift their approach.

In 2019, people were thinking, this is the new thing, this is going to take off, says Emily Popovich, of theme park design agency Outdoor Factory. But then Covid hit, and everyone sort of forgot about that.

And then, after Covid, everyone is calm and developing new awesome things, theres so many geniuses in this industry. So we come out of Covid and everything is better than it was in 2019 and nobody cares about that any more.

In its place, says Maximilian Roeser, Mack Rides head of marketing, is a new push for augmented reality that lets riders experience all the benefits of VR without being stuck in a bubble that shuts them off from the real world.

In the companys latest creations, riders even put the headsets on long before they get on the rollercoaster itself, with the queue, boarding and alighting experience all having virtual additions.

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But Roeser says the biggest changes are likely to be those behind the scenes that such technology enables. Theme parks will develop in a way that youll have more and more interactivity.

More and more customisation to your customers as well: all the parks will know who is coming in, their name, their age, probably what they like and what they dislike, and therefore they can transform the park for each guest. And each guest experience will be different and probably fitted directly to that guest.

We already worked with that, because we have some alpha options for our coaster ride so that you can choose your own experience: one person that is sitting on the lefthand side could see another movie than the person on the righthand side.

The classic experiences arent going anywhere, though. For many, like Julie Rice-Witherell of conference organiser IAAPA, the global association for the attractions industry, theres still nothing that matches the thrill of riding a new rollercoaster for the first time.

Every time they build a new one anywhere near me, its like its just something different. I wouldnt say its better, but it is faster, or it has more turns or you know, hits higher G forces, whatever. Its always something new that youve never experienced.

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Each guest experience will be different: VR and the future of theme parks - The Guardian

Virtual reality, or VR, has become more affordable in recent years, but its still not the cheapest medium to get into meaning finding the hottest VR headset deals is important.

Luckily, Amazon has a new offer that reduces the price of the excellent HP Reverb G2 VR headset to just $490 (opens in new tab), saving users $109 thats 18% off the RRP.

For that price, users get access to HPs latest headset, which is remarkably comfortable, as well as all required accessories and a pair of its impressive motion controllers. In fact, the HP Reverb G2 earns a spot on our rundown of the best VR headsets.

Now, this isn't quite as good as the deal we posted last week which saw the Reverb down to just $400 (and that deal is still live (opens in new tab)) but we know some people just prefer shopping on Amazon, so we've posted this one too.

Unlike the Meta Quest 2 (opens in new tab), the headset connects to a PC and is compatible with Windows Augmented Reality and Steam VR right out of the box. That means you can use it for working in Microsofts own supported AR and VR apps, but can also use it to play incredible VR games like Half-Life: Alyx, Elite Dangerous, and plenty more through Steam.

The required cables are in the box, too, and the latest version offers four built-in cameras for more accurate tracking through whatever apps youre in.

With a rating of 3.7 stars out of 5 (opens in new tab), many have noted the clarity of the impressive 2160x2160 resolution per eye, but some have noted it can be tricky to set up depending on the game or application you want to run.

At the other end of the VR spectrum, if you'd prefer to buy you or your child something educational and fun in the VR world then Amazon is offering a saving of $10 on a Bill Nye VR Science Kit (opens in new tab). This set, which includes a variety of scientific experiments, offers VR goggles that link to an iPhone or Android device for an interactive learning experience.

User reviews are positive, with a 4.5-star rating (opens in new tab) and praise for the number of included pieces of apparatus and the adjustable VR goggles.

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Get your own personal holodeck with the HP Reverb G2 VR headset, now over $100 off at Amazon - Space.com

U.S. highway workers suffer tens of thousands of injuries and 1,000 of them die every year. Over time, even sounds designed to keep them safe become monotonous. And that is the moment when fatal accidents happen, says Namgyun Kim, assistant professor department of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Dayton.

Virtual software Kim designed is proving successful when it comes to increasing their safety awareness. The Texas-based construction company Webber tested his program on its workers. Now that Kim is at UD, he will reach out to local crews.

In the scenario Kim demonstrated for WVXU at UDs new Intelligent Infrastructure Lab, workers are asked to clean up. Holding a real broom, Kim watches his virtual self at a construction site. A front loader is moving back and forth and at some point, sounds an alarm when it's getting close.

Our system knows, 'Oh this guy doesnt pay attention to surrounding hazards and then the accident will happen,' he says. The worker then virtually sees and feels the impact.

To maximize this effort, Kim explains, we developed a wireless electronic stimulus system so we are going to add additional feedback during the accident, and we believe that will increase the effect of this safety training system.

Kim says there are hundreds of safety training systems. So, what makes this one different besides the fact it's virtual? He says it can measure a worker's physical movement, eye movement and pupil dilation elements safety managers can analyze to figure out how well workers behave in dangerous situations.

The university's new Intelligent Infrastructure Lab Manager Jack Hui Wong is thrilled about all the things this virtual space can do.

This whole lab is very exciting, very new and also very powerful," he says. "We can do a lot of different research. For example, some application in psychology we are going to do some human physical interaction in this virtual environment.

One example is investigating how people interpret distance in virtual space so it can be accurate in physical space. Kim looks forward to developing other safety software scenarios for firefighters, manufacturers and electricians.

Robert Liang is UDs department chair for civil engineering. His students are using the Intelligent Virtual Lab to build buildings.

This will open up so many opportunities for different disciplines, researchers to conduct their research and to advance their field of science, he says.

The Intelligent Infrastructure Engineering Lab was dedicated in August.

Originally posted here:

Highway workers got a dose of virtual reality to help keep them safe - WVXU

NEEDHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Worldwide shipments of Augmented Reality (AR) headsets are forecast to decline 8.7% year over year to nearly 260,000 units by the end of 2022, according to new data from the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Augmented and Virtual Reality Headset Tracker. While a decline for such a nascent technology may seem abrupt, volumes have been slowing in recent quarters due to the shaky financials of some of the top companies, lack of new devices, and end-user demand being fulfilled by AR on smartphones in the short term.

In the first half of 2022, the top 5 AR headset makers were Microsoft, Rokid, Shadow Creator, Mad Gaze, and RealWear. However, the landscape is expected to shift dramatically as more companies enter the market and tech giants like Apple and Meta take more of an interest in AR. Looking ahead, despite the decline in 2022, IDC anticipates plenty of growth as the market is forecast to have a 5-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 70.3%, topping out at 4.1 million units by the end of 2026.

"We're still years away from mass consumer adoption of AR glasses, and the earliest timeframe for such products would be in late 2024 or early 2025 as companies such as Apple, Meta, and others use what they've learned from virtual reality headsets to launch a more streamlined and consumer friendly design for AR glasses," said Jitesh Ubrani, research manager Mobility and Consumer Device Trackers at IDC. "Between now and then, AR will continue to grow within the consumer segment though most of the products will be more akin to goggles or headsets rather than glasses and that will be a non-starter for many."

"The majority of AR headset shipments to date have been on the commercial side, where companies are willing and able to make the necessary investments in not just the hardware but also the required software and services that can drive a clear return on investment," Tom Mainelli, group vice president, Device & Consumer Research. "We expect commercial shipments to drive the market well into the forecast period, as more companies embrace AR's growing number of use cases."

A graphic illustrating IDC's 2021-2026 forecast for AR headsets is available by viewing this press release on IDC.com.

About IDC Trackers

IDC Tracker products provide accurate and timely market size, vendor share, and forecasts for hundreds of technology markets from more than 100 countries around the globe. Using proprietary tools and research processes, IDC's Trackers are updated on a semiannual, quarterly, and monthly basis. Tracker results are delivered to clients in user-friendly Excel deliverables and on-line query tools.

For more information about IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Augmented and Virtual Reality Headset Tracker, please contact Kathy Nagamine at 650-350-6423 or knagamine@idc.com.

Click here to learn about IDC's full suite of data products and how you can leverage them to grow your business.

About IDC

International Data Corporation (IDC) is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets. With more than 1,300 analysts worldwide, IDC offers global, regional, and local expertise on technology, IT benchmarking and sourcing, and industry opportunities and trends in over 110 countries. IDC's analysis and insight helps IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community to make fact-based technology decisions and to achieve their key business objectives. Founded in 1964, IDC is a wholly owned subsidiary of International Data Group (IDG), the world's leading tech media, data, and marketing services company. To learn more about IDC, please visit http://www.idc.com. Follow IDC on Twitter at @IDC and LinkedIn. Subscribe to the IDC Blog for industry news and insights.

All product and company names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

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IDC Tracker Sees a Long Road Ahead for Augmented Reality Headsets - Business Wire

A hard plastic case that exploded on the campus of Northeastern University in Boston causing minor injuries to a staff member contained a rambling note that railed against virtual reality and also referenced Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, a law enforcement official said Wednesday.

Investigators are still trying to identify the motive behind the Tuesday evening explosion and are working to understand why the package was specifically sent to Northeastern, the official said.

Investigators are also trying to determine the specific mechanism of the device and whether the package contained any gunpowder, the official added. The official could not discuss details of the investigation publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

The official described the case as a Pelican-style case. Pelican makes hard cases designed to protect sensitive equipment.

A spokesperson for the FBI office in Boston declined to comment Wednesday, saying the investigation is still very active and fluid.

A Northeastern spokesperson on Wednesday had no new details on the case.

The package delivered to Holmes Hall detonated just after 7 p.m. Tuesday when a staff member opened it, the university said in a statement. The staff member, a 45-year-old man, was taken to the hospital with minor injuries to his hand, police said. No name was made public.

Boston's bomb squad neutralized a second package near the city's Museum of Fine Arts, which is near Northeastern's campus.

Holmes Hall is home to the university's creative writing program and its women's, gender and sexuality studies program.

Northeastern is a private university in downtown Boston with about 16,000 undergraduate students. The campus opened normally for classes Wednesday.

Tuesday's explosion marked one of the first big scares in Boston since 2013, when two bombs planted near the finish line of the Boston Marathon killed three spectators and wounded more than 260 others.

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Associated Press writers Alanna Durkin Richer and Mark Pratt in Boston contributed to this report.

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Anti-virtual reality note included with Northeastern explosive package - GBH News

New York, US, Sept. 13, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to a comprehensive research report by Market Research Future (MRFR), VR Headset Market, by Type, by Component, by Application - Forecast 2030, the market anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 28.50%, to reach USD 57.65 Billion during the forecast period 2022-2030.

VR Headset Market Overview:

Virtual reality headsets are reasonably favorable for a broad group of people to experience 3D games. Furthermore, it is also desired for listening to films and watching great movies. Several IT firms have now given the idea of utilizing virtual reality headsets. The hardware and software suppliers have also leveraged its utilization of it. Since the demand rate is optimum for virtual reality headsets, firms have now joined the Virtual Reality (VR) market to witness tremendous business results. As the prime area of demand for VR headsets is in the gaming field, firms are implementing technological beliefs to enhance gaming quality. The utilization of VR Headsets is supposed to offer a more realistic feel to the performers who love to enjoy interactive games.

Report Scope:

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The games with brilliant graphics are massively valued, but with the time of 3D, the gaming market is now flourishing, and so is the virtual reality headset market. With the latest music, movie creation, and games, the playing, watching, and the listening experience will be improved. Harmonizing the 3D environment and deployment in the gaming and media industry, the manufacturing count up for virtual reality headsets has also raised.

Virtual Reality Headset USP Covered

Market Drivers

The global VR headset market has recorded massive growth in recent years owing to the factors such as rising demand within the gaming, advertising, & automotive market and use in the growing smartphone sector.

VR headset market Restraints

On the other hand, the pricing of virtual reality entertainment and headsets is projected to impede the market's growth.

COVID-19 Impact

The global COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the majority of the market areas across the globe. Given the fast spread of the disease worldwide, governments started implementing partial or complete lockdowns. Like any other market sectors, the virtual reality headset market also faced several unexpected challenges in terms of employee health and financial losses. The global health crisis also impacted the market sectors majorly in a financial manner. Given the significant outbreak of COVID-19, several virtual reality movie hubs and game stations were shut down. But the personal headsets were, anyway, being sold on a massive scale as users wanted to experience enjoyment and fun while they were in a lockdown situation.

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According to the MRFR analysis reports, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the average level because the revenue that was likely to be returned from the movie hubs and game stations was halted and possibly a higher source of revenue production for the global VR headset market. A new influence the market witnessed was the low production of VR games. The movie maker businesses and VR games were also down, for which no latest material was out for the customers. Thus, the sales rates in some way fell because of that aspect as well.

The significant leaders and the governments made considerable efforts to continue the game stations and movie hubs to encourage the related market to retain the revenue production aspects once again. With the pandemic fading, the VR headset market will likely record substantial growth over the review timeframe.

Virtual Reality Headset Market Segment Analysis

Among all the end-use sectors, the high-end device segment is anticipated to account for the most significant global VR headset market share across the net over the assessment timeframe. The significant advantages offered by these devices, such as high performance, self-tracking, and high-quality visual effects, are anticipated to boost the segment's growth. These devices are primely utilized across big firms to offer better-quality service to the employees and customers. The devices are mainly attached with the latest & advanced technologies providing high resolution and improved involvement to the viewers. Continuous and heavy funds in high-end devices by significant leaders such as Google LLC, Samsung, Facebook, Inc., and Sony Corp. are projected to boost the demand over the review timeframe. On the other hand, the low-end device segment is likely to record the highest CAGR over the assessment timeframe. The segment's growth is credited to the factors such as the benefits of these devices, easy accessibility, and affordability.

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Among all the products, the standalone product type segment is anticipated to dominate the global market for virtual reality headsets over the review timeframe. The segment's growth is credited to the factors such as affordable prices, integration of various mechanisms, and application-oriented devices with different features. On the other hand, the smartphone-enabled product type segment is likely to grow at the maximum pace over the assessment timeframe.

Based on the application areas, the gaming segment will likely lead the global virtual reality headsets market over the review timeframe. The segment's growth is attributed mainly to the new online shopping trends.

Virtual Reality Headset Regional Analysis

The global market for virtual reality headsets is analyzed across five major regions: the Middle East & Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, North America, and Latin America.

According to the analysis reports by MRFR, the North American region is anticipated to dominate the global market for virtual reality headsets over the review timeframe. The market's growth is credited to factors like high investment amount in the technologies and larger demand across education, film, and military sectors.

The virtual reality headsets market for the Asia-Pacific region is projected to record substantial growth over the review timeframe, given the factors such as increased digitalization and VR technology developments, the advent of 5G, and government support initiatives.

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VR Headset Competitive Analysis

The list of leading players across the global VR headset market includes companies such as:

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Virtual Reality (VR) Headset Market Projected to Hit USD 57.65 Billion at a 28.50% CAGR by 2030 - Report by Market Research Future (MRFR) -...

CHARLESTON, W.Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Starting this fall, students at the University of Charleston, West Virginia (UCWV) will study human anatomy in 3D, with the launch of a dedicated virtual reality (VR) lab, through a partnership with Perspectus, Inc., a Colorado-based virtual and mixed reality technology firm.

We are excited to offer virtual reality technology to enhance student learning, shared University of Charleston President Marty Roth. As soon as we experienced the Perspectus demo, we knew this would be a gamechanger for core courses like Anatomy and Physiology, and in specialized healthcare programs like Nursing, Radiology, and Physician Assistant. The three-dimensional, highly customizable imaging dramatically enhances students depth of understanding. And we can work with our hospital and other healthcare partner organizations to integrate content students will see in their clinical rotations, externships, and other applied learning settings, thereby providing better career preparation.

Completed in August 2022, the UCWV lab is one of the most advanced VR Education Labs in the country, featuring 30 high-powered computers with high resolution headsets to access the Perspectus VR technology. The lab will have a soft launch this fall and eventually be used in multiple programs by Spring 2023, including Biology, Radiologic Science, Nursing and Physician Assistant programs.

Perspectus VR allows users to enter a virtual world where they can manipulate anatomical structures and view them from every angle and enlarged to any size. Layers of muscle, blood vessels, and bones can be added, removed, marked on, or shaded in different colors to show their interrelated parts. Users can also render patient radiology images, such as an MRI or CT scans, to view them in true 3D.

No matter how accurate a textbook or digital image is, there will always be a breakdown in communication and understanding when students are shown two-dimensional versions of three-dimensional structures. Perspectus VR solves this problem by showing images as they appear in nature - eliminating the need to translate the data, says Erick Miranda, Chief Operating Officer of Perspectus. During early testing at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Perspectus VR increased understanding of spatial relationships and anatomical systems for 87% of students.

We are continually exploring the latest technological innovations that can enhance student learning and move our students to the forefront of their area of study, added University of Charleston CIO Scott Terry. With this new VR lab, were not only helping our students build the critical reasoning necessary to provide quality care, were preparing them for a future where technology will improve the access to and quality of healthcare and medicine.

University of Charleston is the largest & fastest-growing private, non-profit institution of higher education in the state of West Virginia. Based in Denver, Colorado, Perspectus, Inc. is the industry leader in VR, using its patented software platform to provide VR solutions to higher education, healthcare and commercial users.

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Perspectus and The University of Charleston Offer Next Generation Virtual Reality Education Lab - Business Wire

The coronavirus pandemic plunged millions of Americans into the virtual world. Across the country, schools and businesses used virtual means to keep moving forward.

The South Texas VA was no exception: Spinal Cord Injury & Disorder (SCI/D) has also embraced virtual technologies to better treat their specialized patients. The technology it adopted was the Neuro Rehab Virtual Reality (VR) XR Therapy System, part of a larger plan to better serve SCI/D patients.

As we started our journey of a successful transition from a 10 employees service to a 115 employees SCI/D Neuro Rehab service care line in the last 15 months, we have been actively seeking avenues to offer innovative cutting-edge technology to our Veterans, said Dr. Divya Singhal, chief of Spinal Cord Service.

Singhal said it wouldnt have been possible without Anne Bailey, Pharm D and director for Clinical Tech Innovation in the Office of Healthcare Innovation and Learning, advocating for this VR therapy and facilitating the process.

Singhal partnered with recreation therapy on a pilot to introduce VR for leisure therapy. The feedback was positive across the board, including one Veteran who reinforced the decision he made to be in the Army and not wear Air Force blue.

I like flying the airplane, said Chad Stuart, an Army Veteran who has been in SCI/D for several months following an accident. I was horrible when I first started, I crashed a lot.

Stuart enjoyed his hands at flying. He also said there are opportunities to solve mysteries or even move into a house.

After attending a VA summit focused on VR, Singhal was sold, and knew she wanted to integrate active intense acute rehabs like physical, occupational and recreational rehabilitations. VR was the tool to make that happen. After acquiring a system, she now needed volunteers, and that didnt take long.

Dr. Singhal asked me if I wanted to demo something, and when Dr. Singhal asks, I usually say yes, Stuart said.

Stuart met with physical therapist Dr. Carla Torrents Gabaldon for their first session that integrated VR into treatment on August 25. He liked it so much, he came back for another session. That next day, Gabaldon set him up with a program that challenges his sitting balance by throwing out colorful notes that are synced to music that he is supposed to collect with two handheld wands.

After several minutes, he mastered that task and wanted to move onto something else more challenging. Singhal says the great thing about this mode of therapy is that each Veteran competes against their own abilities. Whats really neat is that the complexity level changes as the person progresses, Singhal said.

Physical therapy student Ashlyn Koslovsky supports Veteran Stuart through a series of virtual reality exercises.

Stuart wanted to put the work in, so Gabaldon used an iPad to dial up the next challenge for the eager Veteran. She chose a practical application which simulates an individual completing their grocery shopping, a task many just take for granted, but which for an SCI/D patient poses many challenges.

That is one very challenging grocery shopping module, said Stuart. You are having to go on your left side and use your right hand to reach over continuously.

A bystander could judge the level of effort by the amount of wobble he had while sitting upright. Physical therapy student Ashlyn Koslovsky was there to guide and keep him on track.

The difficulty level didnt dissuade Stuart from completing all shopping tasks.

Its very challenging for me to do that one, Stuart said, brushing off the fact he had to rely on Koslovsky for a little help. I still need that therapist support, but my core is getting stronger and Im able to sit up unsupported.

These activities are all by design, as Gabaldon explained.

We hope that by incorporating VR into our treatments, we are able to make them more salient for our patients and applicable to everyday life at discharge, like the grocery shopping exercise and rhythm exercise module, Gabaldon said.

Singhal said treatment goals are multi-facetedphysiological as well as psychological. She added that the VR platform is very flexible, allowing providers to offer therapies based on the Veterans specific interests and needs.

Stuart is living proof of the psychological benefits.

While describing the process of getting his first wheelchair and the multiple surgeries that kept him on bedrest for more than four months, he mentioned it kept him away from many of the activities he enjoyed, including VR, and that got him down.

It was tough because I was on bedrest so much, you cant really do VR laying down, Stuart said. He now gets to utilize VR even more, first working with recreation therapist Cheryl Kelley, who introduced him to VR, and now added treatments with Gabaldon, who works with him five days a week.

Army Veteran Chad Stuart participates in virtual reality during his physical therapy treatment.

When Stuart first began using a standing frame, which allows patients with paralysis or paresis to achieve a standing position, he would experience a significant rise in heart rate due to his anxiety with supported standing after being on bed rest and in a wheelchair for so long. At times, he would reach the maximum levels within the targeted therapeutic range for his heart rate, causing the therapists to have to return the patient to sitting.

Like Singhal alluded to earlier, the therapists engaged with VRs psychological benefits, to correct a physiological problem. The problem the therapists faced was allowing Stuart to continue to challenge himself while maintaining safety. These measures are critical to patient safety and the organizations high reliability principles.

Then the therapists had an idea: send him to Paris.

The VR system can bring the user to multiple locations in interactive environments. Stuart chose Paris, and he enjoyed watching couples stroll through a Parisian Park. Remarkably, Stuart was able to maintain stable vitals, without significant increases, when using the VR in conjunction to the standing frame. Being a fan of the beach, Stuart then moved on to an Australian beach and moved along the water. His vitals continued to maintain within stable, therapeutic levels.

I think my favorite was the beach, he said. It was kind of talking to me, telling me when to breathe and telling me to watch the waves coming in. That one was good. I felt really calm.

This concept is actually called Extended Reality (XR), and it is a term to describe environments that combine the real and the virtual worlds, like walking through a grocery store or strolling on the beach.

Gabaldon says the system provides her treatment flexibility, as she is able to address two things at oncea patients anxiety (through Relaxation mode) while completing functional treatments, such as the standing frame.

Stuart is excited about continuing his therapies and put in a solid 90 minutes of training.

I felt it was a good workout when I was done in there, Stuart said. Even before I got into the standing frame, it wears me out, but its good. I like that.

Stuarts motivation is sourced from his lengthy stay, but he is also aware that he has more work to do. Of course, I want to go home, but I dont want to leave here until I have taken advantage of every opportunity, he added.

Stuart said he advocates for the technology because he feels it has played a huge role in his recovery process.

One of the things I like about it is that its like recess, because you get to get away from here, Stuart said. You know I dont want to see another hospital, but the VR, it allows me to kind of step away.

Singhals vision means Stuart is not off the hook yet.

My vision is being able to engage Veterans after they leave the hospital and maximize the potential for an optimal recovery, Singhal said. It can enhance their wellbeing, staying engaged with therapists and most importantly serving as an important addition to part of the wellbeing in between clinic visits.

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Virtual reality: Veteran on virtual trips around the world - VA News - Veterans Affairs (.gov)

MALDEN, MA A Malden dancer will soon feature in what organizers describe as an experimental augmented reality dance experience centered in Cambridges Kendall Square Canal District.

Dubbed Emotive Lands, the performance is a product of the arts collective The Click. Anyone can access the performance via a corresponding app available from Oct. 1 through Nov. 30. There will also be a live performance where artists will interact with the digital, augmented reality Emotive Lands content along the water in the Canal District on Oct. 1 at 1 p.m.

Audience members can access the app, once it is available, via The Clicks website, via the Apple App Store, the Google Play Store, or via other app vendors.

Audience members will be able to go to the Canal District, either during the live launch show or at any other time during the apps availability to view the augmented reality show around them. Viewers who download the app and open it near Kendall Square will see visual prompts that will lead them to spots where they can see virtual dancers on their screens. Dancers will interact with various physical objects in the environment as part of the show.

The app uses technology that is somewhat similar to technology seen in massively popular games like Pokemon Go.

At least nine local artists are involved in the Emotive Lands project, including Maldens Alexandria Nunweiler, who appears in some aspects of the app.

The overlap of AR technology and the arts is pretty small right now, but it's growing, app developer James Peerless said in a press release announcing this project. Its a way to bring the feeling of being at a live performance in an on-demand way.

We want people to see the power of community when engaging with this work, dancer Kristin Wagner added.

Our work is heightened by the creative freedom that technology offers audience members are free to come and go at any time, Wagner later continued.

Emotive Lands is backed by a series of grants and residency programs.

The Click dates back to 2021 and is marking its first project as a group with the launch of Emotive Lands.

The Click's Emotive Lands app and live performance are both free.

The live performance will begin at 15 Broad Canal Way in Cambridge and follow a walking path along the Charles River with several stops.

A rain date is set for Oct. 2.

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Malden Dancer Part Of Upcoming Augmented Reality Dance Project - Patch

Duration judgments

The sun was a constant component of the environment and was designed to move with either its natural speed on the horizon or to not move at all. Participants completed 8 trials in total, 6 minutes each, and were not informed of the fact that trials were of equal length, nor of the number of trials they would complete. Moreover, throughout the experiment participants listened to ambient sounds of sea waves and wind through headphones.

We experimentally manipulated the level of immersion by asking participants to complete the task in both a non-immersive and an immersive environment, in front of the LCD monitor or with the head mounted device (HMD) respectively. In order to probe the effect of cognitive load, as in the original study, in half of the trials participants were asked to complete the classical n-back task30. These experimental conditions amount to 2 (immersion) 2 (sun movement) 2 (cognitive load) design. At the end of each trial, participants were asked to estimate the duration of the time of the passed trial in seconds, following Schatzschneider et al. 2016 design. At the beginning and the end of the experimental session participants were also asked to complete a Simulator Sickness Questionnaire (SSQ), the change of this score is used as Simulator Sickness Score. To test the effects of each experimental condition we run a 2 2 2 Repeated measures ANOVA, with the Simulator Sickness Score as a covariate in a separate run. Results were adjusted for multiple comparison with a Bonferroni correction where needed.

First, we tested the effect of the manipulation of the sun. In the original study authors found that when no task was executed, participants estimated the time to be longer when the sun was still than when it moved at its natural speed. We found no significant effect of the manipulation of the speed of the movement of the sun on time estimation (F(1,36) = 0.103, p = 0.750, Fig. 1A) even when we look only at the condition with no-task (two-tailed t(36) = 0.191, p = 1, adjusted for multiple comparisons, Fig. 2). To make sure that the effect was not inhibited by the unpleasant simulator effect we included the score as a covariate to the ANOVA analysis. Although adding the SSQ score improves fit of the model, (residuals(full + SSQ) < residuals (full), where residual = data fit), it has no significant effect on the sun, immersion, or interaction between sun and immersion.

Mean duration estimation for each experimental condition. Error bars indicate SEM. We found no significant effect of sun (A) nor immersion (C). We found a significant effect of cognitive load (B). Post-hoc tests indicated that subjects estimated time to be shorter in the condition with an n-back task compared to the condition with no task (t(36)=8.307, p=6.876e10,d=0.59).

Mean estimation as an interaction between the sun and cognitive load. We did not replicate the effect from the original study.

We replicated the classical cognitive load result11 and found a significant effect of the task on trial duration estimation (F(1,36) = 69.013; p = 6.874e-10, p2= 0.657). Post-hoc test revealed duration estimation to be shorter when participants performed a task than when they were passively present in the environment (t(36) = 8.307, p = 6.876e10,d = 0.59, Fig. 1B).

Schatzschneider et al.28 reported shorter duration estimation in non-immersive (LCD) than in immersive (HMD) environments. We did not replicate this result and no effect of the environment was found on duration estimation (F(1,36)=0.588; p=0.448, Fig.1C), however, we found a significant interaction between cognitive load and immersion (F(1,36)=6.854; p=0.013, (upeta _{P}^{2} = 0.16))when no task was assigned participants estimated time to be longer in an immersive environment, but when participants performed a task, they estimated the duration to be longer in a non-immersive environment (Fig.3A). We initially thought that this is again a cognitive load effectin immersive environment participants were exposed to fewer distractors and could focus on the task more, and engage more cognitive resources. However, performance was slightly higher in the LCD condition (paired t(73)=2.7156, p=0.0083, Fig.3A inset). In light of these results, we hypothesize that HMD was somehow a more challenging environment. In the non-immersive environment, in the condition with no task, participants were exposed to the rest of the experimental room, which resulted in a more complex environment as opposed to the HMD condition where only the virtual island could be observed.

(A) Mean estimation as interaction between immersion and cognitive load. Inset Performance (sensitivity index A) during the n-back task for the two immersion levels. (B) Average time estimation over the course of the experiment, regardless the experimental condition. In gray label shuffled permutation, shaded area represents standard deviation. (C) Scatter plot of the mean duration estimation during HMD trials and the SSQ score. Each dot represents one participant.

Although negative simulator symptoms did not specifically affect the effect of the sun on time estimation, we tested whether it had any effect on average time estimation. To assess the statistical significance of this relationship we regressed the SSQ score on duration estimation measurements. The SSQ score explained a significant amount of the variance of the duration estimation (F(1,294) = 9.590, p = 0.002,R = 0.178,R2 = 0.032). The regression coefficient (B = 3.765,95%,CI = [1.372,6.156]) indicated that an increase in SSQ score by 1 increased, on average, the duration estimation by 4 seconds (Fig. 3C). We hypothesize that this effect of aversive simulator sickness symptoms, like nausea or vertigo, is mediated by the link between physiological arousal and time perception. It has previously been shown that various types of arousal affect interval timing4,5,6, especially unpleasant stimuli dilate time perception31. Although Schatzschneider et al.28 also collected SSQ responses, they did not provide analysis beyond score change.

As stated above, we did not replicate the effect of immersion on time duration estimation. Although the effect reported in the original paper was not significant, it did appear as a strong trend, at least for conditions with a task. In the original paradigm, participants had always started with a non-immersive block and continued onto an immersive block. Such a linear design is confounded by fatigue. At the beginning of the experiment, participants may estimate the duration to be shorter just because they are less tired than at the end, so we hypothesize that this is the reason we did not replicate the immersion effect reported by Schatzschneider et al.28. In our design, we controlled for this effect by randomizing the immersion blocks. Whatever the condition with which participants have started or finished the experiment, they estimated the time to be shorter at the beginning of the experiment than at the end (Fig. 3B) with a transient constricting effect of the environment change mid-experiment.

Non-significant results of frequentist tests do not discriminate between absence of evidence and evidence of absence. To test our ability to present evidence in favor of the null hypothesis (no effects of sun movement on time perception) we went beyond the frequentist approach, turned to Bayesian Inference, and conducted Bayesian Repeated ANOVA and separate Bayesian Paired-Sample t-tests for each condition. We first conducted a Bayesian Repeated Measures ANOVA on the data with the experimental conditions [immersion (2) task (2) sun (2)] as within-subjects factors. We used the default prior options for the effects (i.e., r = 0.5 for the fixed effects). To assess the robustness of the result, we also repeat the analysis for two different prior specifications (details in the ''Methods'' section). Analysis of effects indicates moderate to strong evidence for exclusion of immersion (BFexcl = 4.803, where BFexcl is the change from prior to posterior exclusion odds for model-averaged results, our notation follows JASP manual), sun (BFexcl = 16.815), and all interactions between the two. In fact, only the model with a single cognitive load term had BFexcl smaller than 1 (BFexcl = 3.724e13). Post-hoc tests indicated robustness of these findings to prior width (Figs. 4, S2). We can therefore conclude that in our data we can observe moderately strong evidence for no effect of the manipulation of sun or immersion on duration estimation.

Results of the post-hoc Bayesian paired sample t-test between the two levels of sun manipulation. On the left, the effect size as a function of the prior and posterior density. In the middle BF10 as a function of tested prior. On the right, accumulation of evidence towards H0 as a function of the number of samples (participants).

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Cognitive load, fatigue and aversive simulator symptoms but not manipulated zeitgebers affect duration perception in virtual reality | Scientific...