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Now showing 1 - 10 of 26
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    Towards Environment- and Task-Independent Locomotion Prediction for Haptic VR
    (The Eurographics Association, 2024) Varzandeh, Shokoofeh; Vasylevska, Khrystyna; Vonach, Emanuel; Kaufmann, Hannes; Hasegawa, Shoichi; Sakata, Nobuchika; Sundstedt, Veronica
    The use of robots presenting physical props has significantly enhanced the haptic experience in virtual reality. Autonomous mobile robots made haptic interaction in large walkable virtual environments feasible but brought new challenges. For effective operation, a mobile robot must not only track the user but also predict her future position for the next several seconds to be able to plan and navigate in the common space safely and timely. This paper presents a novel environment- and taskindependent concept for locomotion-based prediction of the user position within a chosen range. Our approach supports the dynamic placement of haptic content with minimum restrictions. We validate it based on a real use case by making predictions within a range of 2 m to 4 m or 2 s to 5 s. We also discuss the adaptation to arbitrary space sizes and configurations with minimal real data collection. Finally, we suggest optimal utilization strategies and discuss the limitations of our approach.
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    Virtual Reality Space Moderately Filled with Objects for Linear Self-locomotive Speed Perception
    (The Eurographics Association, 2024) Kosuge, Yuki; Goto, Yuta; Okamoto, Shogo; Tanabe, Takeshi; Yem, Vibol
    This study investigates how object density in virtual reality (VR) affects self-moving speed perception. Using 44 participants, speed perception across six object density levels was assessed through magnitude estimation. The analysis based on Stevens' power law, found that the perceived speed is the highest linearity at moderate object density. Excessive or sparse object environments led to reduced linearity. The findings suggest a critical object density threshold for maintaining accurate speed perception in VR, offering insights for designing immersive environments.
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    Adaptation of Interaction Mechanisms in Virtual Reality Shopping Environments for People with Upper Limb Motor Difficulties
    (The Eurographics Association, 2024) Grande, Rubén; Herrera, Vanesa; Glez-Morcillo, Carlos; Reyes, Ana de los; Castro-Schez, José J.; Albusac, Javier; Marco, Julio; Patow, Gustavo; Grande, Rubén|https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0583-6865; Herrera, Vanesa|https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6187-4794; Glez-Morcillo, Carlos|https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8568-9542; Reyes, Ana de los|https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2905-2405; Castro-Schez, José J.|https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0201-7653; Albusac, Javier|https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1889-3065
    In recent years, there has been research and exploration into the development of new shopping experiences within the field of electronic commerce (e-commerce). One of the technologies that can offer a more immersive shopping experience is Virtual Reality (VR). Retail giants such as Amazon and Alibaba Group have begun to use it. The technological advancement of VR, motivated by its use in various domains like e-commerce, has driven the development of software tools like APIs which allow developers to easily develop applications for these devices. One of the latest technologies included in recent VR headsets is hand tracking, which allows users to use their own hands as an input method to interact with the virtual environment. However, software tools for the development of VR applications are not fully adapted to include accessibility options for people with motor difficulties in their bodies, making it very difficult for these people to use this technology with both controllers and hand tracking. To promote accessibility options in the use of VR shopping environments, this study will present the adaptation of a set of interaction mechanisms, among which we highlight: automatic object grabbing, release of grabbed objects, navigation through the environment, attraction of distant objects, and interaction with the shopping cart. These adaptations will be made using Meta's API for Meta Quest devices as a base. The adapted environment has been tested by healthy students from the faculty and one of them with reduced mobility in the left half of his body after suffering a stroke. In this paper, we present the feedback provided by the volunteers, as well as the verification that these interaction mechanisms meet our expectations. This is an essential previous step to carry out a planned experimental session with patients with spinal cord injuries and therapist at the National Hospital for Paraplegics in Toledo (HNPT).
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    Character-Voice Embodiment Impacts on the Cognitive Task Performance with the Voice Ownership Illusion.
    (The Eurographics Association, 2024) Kunimi, Yusuke; Kimura, Kenta; Matsumoto, Keigo; Takamichi, Shinnosuke; Narumi, Takuji; Mochimaru, Masaaki; Hasegawa, Shoichi; Sakata, Nobuchika; Sundstedt, Veronica
    Embodying a voice quality different from the innate one by utilizing real-time voice conversion has paid attention to enhance the cognitive abilities and manipulating emotions while social interaction in physical activity. Past research has shown that embodying voice qualities that evoke specific stereotypes can induce a variety of cognitive effects and emotion. However, such an approach has been criticized for its active use of stereotypes and thus reinforces stereotypes about certain groups within society. In contrast, the use of images of well-known characters in stories has the potential to influence thinking and behavior without reinforcing stereotypes of specific social groups. This paper investigate the impact of voice conversion to a animation character voice quality on attitude, behavior, and personality. The results show that animation character-based voice conversion enhanced the planning ability according to the social image of the character.
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    Avatar Walking Control with Sole Load
    (The Eurographics Association, 2024) Makara, Tomoki; Wakita, Wataru; Tanabe, Takeshi; Yem, Vibol
    We propose a low-cost avatar walking control method that can restrain the feet and estimate the avatar's walking and turning movements in all directions from the sole load. Walking devices are required to control avatars under spatial constraints, but there is still no optimal solution for walking devices. Therefore, in this study, we restrain the user's feet and estimate the avatar's walking and turning movements in all directions from eight loads on the front, back, left, and right sides of the soles of the feet.
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    Towards an Experiment Planner for Cognitive Studies in Virtual Heritage Environments. A Pilot Study.
    (The Eurographics Association, 2024) Massidda, Marcello; Bordignon, Alice; Fabbri, Francesca; Nori, Raffaella; Piccardi, Laura; Travaglini, Laura; Veggi, Manuele; Pescarin, Sofia; Corsini, Massimiliano; Ferdani, Daniele; Kuijper, Arjan; Kutlu, Hasan
    The increasing role of Virtual Reality in psychology introduces new methods for replicable experiments and enhances techniques for analysing human behaviours. Despite the technological advancements, a flexible and user-friendly approach for researchers and psychologists is still lacking, making it challenging to meet their specific needs and requirements. This paper describes the design, development and testing of a prototype for configuring and managing experiments in virtual sessions in cultural 3D spaces. The prototype represents the first version of a future tool dedicated to the planning of assessment sessions in Virtual Heritage environments. To test this prototype we have used the Digital Twin of a physical Exhibition dedicated to Aldrovandi.
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    Effect of Physical Extension on the Range of Demonstrative Indicators by Wearing Non-Humanoid Avatars with Different Looks
    (The Eurographics Association, 2024) Yamada, Takayoshi; Horii, Moeki; Ebihara, Tadashi; Wakatsuki, Naoto; Zempo, Keiichi; Hasegawa, Shoichi; Sakata, Nobuchika; Sundstedt, Veronica
    Users can interact in virtual reality (VR) spaces through avatars that differ markedly from their real-world looks. These avatars can be customized to any appearance and size, whether they are based on real entities or are entirely fictitious. These avatars include non-humanoid avatars as well. Some non-humanoid avatars do not have hands, in which case the problem arises that they cannot reference using gesture. In this case, the interlocutor must determine the object from the direction of the referent's gaze and the context. Given the impact of avatar characteristics on the visual communication process of joint attention among users, it is essential to elucidate the connection between avatar traits and the range of reference to facilitate smooth interaction. In this study, the influence of avatar looks on the referential range of demonstrative indicators was elucidated. Experiments were conducted in a VR spaces using avatars of different appearances and sizes, with the aim of understanding how these differences impact the ability to refer to objects using both distal and proximal indicators. Specifically, the study aimed to identify the transition point from the proximal to the distal referential field for each type of avatar. This research seeks to deepen the understanding of how avatars, as proxies for humans in VR spaces, influence communication dynamics. Looking forward, it is anticipated that the findings will enhance the VR experience by improving referential communication among avatars of diverse appearances and sizes. This enhancement is expected to foster richer user interactions, thereby contributing to the future growth of the VR market.
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    Conversational Agent for Procedural Building Design in Virtual Reality
    (The Eurographics Association, 2024) Bosco, Matteo; Kán, Peter; Kaufmann, Hannes; Hasegawa, Shoichi; Sakata, Nobuchika; Sundstedt, Veronica
    With the emergence of large language models (LLMs), conversational agents have gained significant attention across various domains, including virtual reality (VR). This paper investigates the use of conversational agents as an interface for procedural building design in VR. We propose a voice interface that allows a user to control parameters of procedural generation and gain insights about the building construction metrics through natural conversation. The pipeline introduced for the conversational agent involves utilizing LLMs in two separate API calls for natural language understanding and natural language generation. This separation enables the invocation of various actions in procedural generation as well as meaningful agent responses to building-related questions. Furthermore, we conducted a user study to assess our proposed conversational interface in comparison to a traditional graphical user interface (GUI) in a VR architectural design task focused on circular economy. The study scrutinize the user-reported usability, presence, realism, errors, and effectiveness of both interfaces. Results suggest that while the non-embodied conversational agent enhances effectiveness due to its explanatory capabilities, it surprisingly decreases realism compared to the GUI. Overall, the preference between the conversational agent and the GUI varied greatly among participants, highlighting the need for further research into the evolving shift towards speech interaction in VR.
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    Insights from an Experiment Investigating the Relationship between the Effect of Electrical Stimulation of the Ankle Tendons and the User's Biological Structure, Gender, or Age
    (The Eurographics Association, 2024) Ota, Takashi; Kuzuoka, Hideaki; Amemiya, Tomohiro; Aoyama, Kazuma; Hasegawa, Shoichi; Sakata, Nobuchika; Sundstedt, Veronica
    The effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) have individual differences in sensory presentation. These differences may stem from variations in the user's biological structure, including body size and skin conditions. In particular, TENS of the lower limbs is assumed to be affected by the differences in biological structure because the muscles of the lower limbs are larger than the muscles of the upper limbs, and a certain number of people have more hair on their skin than those of the upper limbs. Identifying the factors that explain these individual differences in TENS is crucial for evaluating the potential applications of TENS and developing appropriate research protocols in the future. In this study, we examined the individual differences in the effects of TENS by focusing on tendon electrical stimulation of the ankle, a method that presents body tilt sensations. Specifically, we investigated the correlation between the body tilt sensations and demographic (age, gender) or biostructure metrics (body weight, body fat percentage, etc.) in 28 experimental participants. The results revealed significant differences in the correct answer rate and the magnitude of body tilt sensations based on gender. Furthermore, there was a correlation between the correct answer rate or magnitude and the age of female participants at specific stimulation intensities. No biostructure metrics in this study were sufficiently correlated with the correct answer rate or magnitude of body tilt sensations.
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    Influence of Virtual Reality Setup on Locomotion Technique Usage during Navigation with Walking, Steering and Teleportation
    (The Eurographics Association, 2024) Brument, Hugo; Zhang, Renate; Kaufmann, Hannes; Hasegawa, Shoichi; Sakata, Nobuchika; Sundstedt, Veronica
    The evaluations of Locomotion Techniques (LTs) provide information regarding the advantages and shortcomings of LTs for navigating in Virtual Reality (VR). While the primary approach is to assess the LTs separately (e.g., comparing walking versus steering versus teleportation), little is known about how LTs can be used simultaneously (i.e., how users navigate when several options are offered), especially in different VR setups. This paper aimed to investigate the influence of real and virtual environment size on LT usage during VR navigation for the first time. We conducted a user study (n=24), where participants had to explore a virtual garden and pick up mushrooms. Participants could choose to walk, steer, or teleport. We varied the size of the virtual environment as well as the size of the user's physical workspace. We found that users' LT usage depends on the VR setup. For instance, they tend to do more displacements with teleportation (which was users' favorite technique overall) but would rather walk or steer when the size of the virtual environment is the same as the workspace. This work contributes to understanding user behavior in VR, particularly regarding LT usage, which tends to be an overlooked topic.