Background Over the last few years,the rapid advancement of technology has led to the development of many approaches to digitalization.In this respect,metaverse provides 3D persistent virtual environments that can be ...Background Over the last few years,the rapid advancement of technology has led to the development of many approaches to digitalization.In this respect,metaverse provides 3D persistent virtual environments that can be used to access digital content,meet virtually,and perform several professional and leisure tasks.Among the numerous technologies supporting the metaverse,immersive Virtual Reality(VR)plays a primary role and offers highly interactive social experiences.Despite growing interest in this area,there are no clear design guidelines for creating environments tailored to the metaverse.Methods This study seeks to advance research in this area by moving from state-of-the-art studies on the design of immersive virtual environments in the context of metaverse and proposing how to integrate cutting-edge technologies within this context.Specifically,the best practices were identified by i)analyzing literature studies focused on human behavior in immersive virtual environments,ii)extracting common features of existing social VR platforms,and iii)conducting interviews with experts in a specific application domain.Specifically,this study considered the creation of a new virtual environment for MetaLibrary,a VR-based social platform aimed at integrating public libraries into metaverse.Several implementation challenges and additional requirements have been identified for the development of virtual environments(VEs).These elements were considered in the selection of specific cutting-edge technologies and their integration into the development process.A user study was also conducted to investigate some design aspects(namely lighting conditions and richness of the scene layout)for which deriving clear indications from the above analysis was not possible because different alternative configurations could be chosen.Results The work reported in this paper seeks to bridge the gap between existing VR platforms and related literature in the field,on the one hand,and requirements regarding immersive virtual environments for the metaverse,on the other hand,by reporting a set of best practices which were used to build a social virtual environment that meets users'expectations and needs.Conclusions Results suggest that carefully designed virtual environments can positively affect user experience and interaction within metaverse.The insights gained from this study offer valuable cues for developing immersive virtual environments for the metaverse to deliver more effective and engaging experiences.展开更多
BACKGROUND Preschoolers become anxious when they are about to undergo anesthesia and surgery,warranting the development of more appropriate and effective interventions.AIM To explore the effect of static cartoons comb...BACKGROUND Preschoolers become anxious when they are about to undergo anesthesia and surgery,warranting the development of more appropriate and effective interventions.AIM To explore the effect of static cartoons combined with dynamic virtual environments on preoperative anxiety and anesthesia induction compliance in preschool-aged children undergoing surgery.METHODS One hundred and sixteen preschool-aged children were selected and assigned to the drug(n=37),intervention(n=40),and control(n=39)groups.All the children received routine preoperative checkups and nursing before being transferred to the preoperative preparation room on the day of the operation.The drug group received 0.5 mg/kg midazolam and the intervention group treatment consisting of static cartoons combined with dynamic virtual environments.The control group received no intervention.The modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale was used to evaluate the children’s anxiety level on the day before surgery(T0),before leaving the preoperative preparation room(T1),when entering the operating room(T2),and at anesthesia induction(T3).Compliance during anesthesia induction(T3)was evaluated using the Induction Compliance Checklist(ICC).Changes in mean arterial pressure(MAP),heart rate(HR),and respiratory rate(RR)were also recorded at each time point.RESULTS The anxiety scores of the three groups increased variously at T1 and T2.At T3,both the drug and intervention groups had similar anxiety scores,both of which were lower than those in the control group.At T1 and T2,MAP,HR,and RR of the three groups increased.The drug and control groups had significantly higher MAP and RR than the intervention group at T2.At T3,the MAP,HR,and RR of the drug group decreased and were significantly lower than those in the control group but were comparable to those in the intervention group.Both the drug and intervention groups had similar ICC scores and duration of anesthesia induction(T3),both of which were higher than those of the control group.CONCLUSION Combining static cartoons with dynamic virtual environments as effective as medication,specifically midazolam,in reducing preoperative anxiety and fear in preschool-aged children.This approach also improve their compliance during anesthesia induction and helped maintain their stable vital signs.展开更多
This paper presents research into applying virtual environment (VE) technology to supply chain management (SCM). Our research work has employed virtual manufacturing environments to represent supply chain nodes to sim...This paper presents research into applying virtual environment (VE) technology to supply chain management (SCM). Our research work has employed virtual manufacturing environments to represent supply chain nodes to simulate processes and activities in supply chain management. This will enable those who are involved in these processes and activities to gain an intuitive understanding of them, so as to design robust supply chains and make correct decisions at the right time. A framework system and its hierarchical structure for visualising and simulating supply chains in virtual environments are reported and detailed in this paper.展开更多
This paper presents the design and implementation of reconfigurable virtual environments (VEs) for virtual testing. It proposes a hybrid design approach that is derived from a so-called integration and composition of ...This paper presents the design and implementation of reconfigurable virtual environments (VEs) for virtual testing. It proposes a hybrid design approach that is derived from a so-called integration and composition of the reconfiguration strategy. The designing process has thus evolved from binding virtual objects using reconfiguration rules within the context of virtual testing scenarios. Therefore reconfigurable virtual environments are established with improved flexibility and scalability, tailored to a wide range of virtual testing applications. Those virtual environments integrate virtual testing scenarios, data acquisition, databases, rule mapping and application interfaces, which yield modular testing functions and an open-ended system architecture with a set of extensible interface tools to realize data exchange within reconfigurable VEs. This enables virtual testing scenarios to be reconfigured interactively based on real time data and communication between virtual environments and real environments. A virtual testing application has been implemented using reconfigurable VEs. Keywords Virtual environment - virtual testing - reconfigurable virtual reality Wenyan Wu graduated from Dalian University of Technology, China, with BSc and MSc in 1988 and 1991 respectively. She earned her PhD degree from University of Derby, UK, in 2002. She had taught and researched in Harbin Institute of Technology, China and De Montfort University, UK. She is currently a senior lecturer in simulation and virtual reality at Staffordshire University, UK. Her research interests include computer graphics, Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality system, advanced interface, modelling and simulation, distribution system.Zhengxu Zhao BSc, MSc, PhD, CEng, CITP, MBCS, full Professor in Applied Computing, Director of Virtual Reality Centre. He is also a Cheng Kong Scholar Project Professor in Virtual Reality Technology and Director of Virtual Reality Research Centre at the Southeast University, P R China. Professor Zhao’s research interests include computing graphics and VR systems, industrial process simulation, CIM and manufacturing management systems.展开更多
Virtual reality (VR) is a rapidly developing technology that has a wide spectrum of industrial and commercial applications. Networked (distributed or shared) virtual environments (VE) are of growing interest to modern...Virtual reality (VR) is a rapidly developing technology that has a wide spectrum of industrial and commercial applications. Networked (distributed or shared) virtual environments (VE) are of growing interest to modern manufacturing industry; a dominating use of networked virtual manufacturing environments (VMEs) is on-line visualisation and collaborative control of 3D information. This has to be supported by real-time data transfer. To meet a broad range of common requirements for Internet-based VE communications, particularly for virtual manufacturing and collaborative design and control, this paper presents a networked virtual environment system that is designed to support networked virtual design and manufacturing. The system is implemented with manufacturing message specification (MMS) standards so as to integrate a range of manufacturing services into networked VEs over the Internet.展开更多
This paper first introduces a way to improve interactivity with high polygon count virtual objects through the "mixed" use of image-based representation within one object. That is, both 3D polygonal and imag...This paper first introduces a way to improve interactivity with high polygon count virtual objects through the "mixed" use of image-based representation within one object. That is, both 3D polygonal and image-based representations are maintained for an object, and switched for rendering depending on the functional requirement of the object. Furthermore, in order to reduce the popping effect and provide smooth and gradual transition during the object representation switch, the object is subdivided with the subdivided parts possibly represented differently, i.e., using 3D models or images. As for the image-based representation, the relief texture (RT) method is used. In particular, through the use of the mixed representation, a new way called TangibleScreen is pro-posed to provide object tangibility by associating the image-based representation with a physical prop (projecting the RTs) in a selective and flexible way. Overall, the proposed method provides a way to maintain an interactive frame rate with selective perceptual details in a large-scale virtual environment, while allowing the user to interact with virtual objects in a tangible way.展开更多
Background Physical entity interactions in mixed reality(MR)environments aim to harness human capabilities in manipulating physical objects,thereby enhancing virtual environment(VEs)functionality.In MR,a common strate...Background Physical entity interactions in mixed reality(MR)environments aim to harness human capabilities in manipulating physical objects,thereby enhancing virtual environment(VEs)functionality.In MR,a common strategy is to use virtual agents as substitutes for physical entities,balancing interaction efficiency with environmental immersion.However,the impact of virtual agent size and form on interaction performance remains unclear.Methods Two experiments were conducted to explore how virtual agent size and form affect interaction performance,immersion,and preference in MR environments.The first experiment assessed five virtual agent sizes(25%,50%,75%,100%,and 125%of physical size).The second experiment tested four types of frames(no frame,consistent frame,half frame,and surrounding frame)across all agent sizes.Participants,utilizing a head mounted display,performed tasks involving moving cups,typing words,and using a mouse.They completed questionnaires assessing aspects such as the virtual environment effects,interaction effects,collision concerns,and preferences.Results Results from the first experiment revealed that agents matching physical object size produced the best overall performance.The second experiment demonstrated that consistent framing notably enhances interaction accuracy and speed but reduces immersion.To balance efficiency and immersion,frameless agents matching physical object sizes were deemed optimal.Conclusions Virtual agents matching physical entity sizes enhance user experience and interaction performance.Conversely,familiar frames from 2D interfaces detrimentally affect interaction and immersion in virtual spaces.This study provides valuable insights for the future development of MR systems.展开更多
Background Fibromyalgia(FM)is a chronic rheumatic disorder characterised by musculoskeletal pain,fatigue,and psychoemotional symptoms.Virtual reality(VR)has proven to be an innovative and motivating tool for managing ...Background Fibromyalgia(FM)is a chronic rheumatic disorder characterised by musculoskeletal pain,fatigue,and psychoemotional symptoms.Virtual reality(VR)has proven to be an innovative and motivating tool for managing FM,with several studies indicating that it can improve quality of life indices and reduce psychoemotional symptoms.However,studies on immersive VR-based exercise(iVRE)are limited.Methods The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of iVRE on quality of life,stress,anxiety,depression,and handgrip strength in patients with FM.A single-arm pre-post-test pilot study was conducted.Individuals diagnosed with FM were recruited using convenience sampling.The iVRE protocol consisted of 12 sessions of 10 min warm-up and 15 min exercises applied with the Oculus Quest 2TM device.The impact on quality of life was assessed using the Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire,and the effects on stress,anxiety,and depression were determined using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 questionnaire.Handgrip strength was evaluated using the Baseline®dynamometer.The normality assumption was evaluated,and the pre-post means were compared using Student's ttest(p<0.05).Results Eleven individuals(40.6±11.2 years)completed the protocol(10 women).There were significant differences in favour of iVRE in quality of life impact(p<0.001,Cohen's d:1.48),handgrip strength(p<0.05,Cohen's d:0.26),depression(p<0.05,Cohen's d:0.73),and anxiety(p<0.05,Cohen's d:0.73).Conclusions A six-week iVRE program significantly reduces the impact on quality of life,anxiety,and depression and improves handgrip strength in people with FM.Future studies should investigate the physiological effects using systemic biomarkers to explain the scope of this therapeutic modality.展开更多
Virtual reality(VR)is a frequently emphasized issue on the Digital Earth(DE)agenda.While current DE research is more engaged in the technical aspects of VR applications,this paper focuses on what is possible with imme...Virtual reality(VR)is a frequently emphasized issue on the Digital Earth(DE)agenda.While current DE research is more engaged in the technical aspects of VR applications,this paper focuses on what is possible with immersive virtual environments(IVE)from the user’s perspective.After a brief discussion of spatial presence and embodiment in the context of IVE,both concepts will be merged into a geovisualization immersion pipeline(GIP)as a framework with which to systematically link technical and cognitive aspects of IVE.We will then analyze the general criteria that must be met by IVE in order to facilitate the experience of spatial presence.Adapting these criteria to the special requirements of geospatial data,a definition of geovisualization immersive virtual environments(GeoIVE)is formulated.Finally,the theoretical considerations of this paper are set into practice,using a GeoIVE of a coral reef ecosystem as an example.As we shall see,while GIS do not provide data models or data compatibility for direct visualization of GeoIVE on VR output devices,game engines can serve as middleware to fill this gap.展开更多
Orientation update message filtering is an important issue in collaborativevirtual environments (CVEs). Dead-reckoning (DR) is a known effective mechanism for update messagefiltering. Yet, previous dead-reckoning tech...Orientation update message filtering is an important issue in collaborativevirtual environments (CVEs). Dead-reckoning (DR) is a known effective mechanism for update messagefiltering. Yet, previous dead-reckoning techniques mainly focus on the update message filtering forpositions. The existing orientation dead-reckoning algorithms are based on fixed threshold values.The drawbacks of fixed thresholding for orientations (FTO) are discussed in this paper. We propose avariable thresholding for orientations (VTO) based on average recent angular velocity. The mainadvantage of the proposed VTO is the ability of balancing the number of state update messages andshift frequency of direction and speed of rotation.展开更多
Daylighting plays an eminent role in the performance of indoor environments and their occupants,thus necessitating the need to investigate daylight perception of potential occupants at early design stages.The present ...Daylighting plays an eminent role in the performance of indoor environments and their occupants,thus necessitating the need to investigate daylight perception of potential occupants at early design stages.The present study introduces an interactive approach to collect and visualize brightness perception of daylighting in a large-scale immersive virtual environment using a game engine as a daylight simulation tool.The developed system allows users to explore building models freely at different day times set in virtual reality and report their perceptions in real time.Following a validation study(N=36)to investigate the consistency of brightness perceptions in a real environment and its virtual replica,a set of 24 participants were recruited to use the system to report their brightness perception in a virtual model of a daylit art museum,through snapshotting the scenes where they perceive as one of the following in terms of daylighting:(very dark,dark,bright,or very bright).Using an output of 419 snapshots,a"Perceptual Light Map"(PLM)was developed to visualize the collective brightness perception of participants as a heat map.Subjective responses were found to be positively correlated with four daylight metrics,with the highest correlation to mean luminance and the lowest to luminance ratio.The findings of this exploratory study represent a step towards a user-oriented supplement tool to the existing quantitative daylight metrics,validating game engines’adequacy as a daylight simulation tool,and illustrating the potentials of immersion and interaction principles for the perception of daylit spaces in virtual reality.展开更多
Design review(DR)is a product development(PD)activity used to inspect the technical characteristics of a design solution.Immersive virtual reality(IVR)technology enables the presentation of spatial information and int...Design review(DR)is a product development(PD)activity used to inspect the technical characteristics of a design solution.Immersive virtual reality(IVR)technology enables the presentation of spatial information and interaction with 3D CAD models inside an immersive virtual environment(IVE).Such capabilities have shown the potential to mitigate the cognitive load needed for the visual perception of spatial information and,consequently,enhance design understanding and DR performance.Thus,an increasing number of studies have explored the effect of IVR technology on DR activities in different domains.However,determining when the implementation of IVR technology rather than a conventional user interface for DRs in mechanical engineering PD projects will be beneficial remains unclear.Hence,a conceptual DR experimental study was conducted to investigate the differences in the ability of engineering students to identify mechanisms and understand their functions when a design solution for a technical system is presented in an IVE by IVR technology and in a non-immersive virtual environment(nIVE)by a conventional user interface(monitor display,keyboard,and mouse).Data were collected by performing DR tasks and having participants complete a prior experience questionnaire,presence questionnaire,and mental rotations test.Findings of the study indicate that IVR does not support an enhanced ability of engineering students to identify mechanisms and understand their functions compared with a conventional user interface.展开更多
We propose a novel method for the automated generation of virtual geographic environments that allows using geographic information system data to build what we call informed virtual geographic environment(IVGE).The de...We propose a novel method for the automated generation of virtual geographic environments that allows using geographic information system data to build what we call informed virtual geographic environment(IVGE).The description of an IVGE integrates semantic information expressed using conceptual graphs,a standard knowledge representation technique.In addition,we propose an abstraction process that uses geometric,topologic,and semantic characteristics of geographic features to build a hierarchical graph-based structure describing this IVGE.Our IVGE model enables the support of large-scale and complex geographic environment modeling for multiagent geo-simulations in which the agents are situated and with which they interact.展开更多
Although computer capabilities have been improved significantly, a large-scale virtual reality （VR） system demands much more in terms of memory and computation than the current computer systems can offer. This paper...Although computer capabilities have been improved significantly, a large-scale virtual reality （VR） system demands much more in terms of memory and computation than the current computer systems can offer. This paper discusses two important issues related to VR performance and applications in building navigation. These are dynamic loading of models based on cell segmentation for the optimal VR operation, and the route optimization based on path planning for easy navigation. The VR model of engineering and information technology complex （EITC） building at the University of Manitoba is built as an example to show the feasibility of the proposed methods. The reality, enhanced by three-dimensional （3D） real-time interactivity and visualization, leads navigators into a state of the virtual building immersion.展开更多
In this paper, the properties of distributed virtual environment (DVE) and the requirements on computer networks is briefly reviewed. A multicast protocol, called sender initiated grouping multicast protocol for DVE...In this paper, the properties of distributed virtual environment (DVE) and the requirements on computer networks is briefly reviewed. A multicast protocol, called sender initiated grouping multicast protocol for DVE (SIGMP), is proposed. This new multicast protocol is based on a novel concept, multicast group (MG), which divides all participants in a DVE system into groups, among which there is a multicast group trustee (MGT) node to manage the group. The protocol provides unreliable/reliable, totally ordered and multiple to multiple multicast transmission service for DVE systems without sacrificing the communication efficiency heavily. At the same time, reliable unicast and one to multiple multicast transmission services are also supported. The performance analysis of the new protocols is also presented. Based on SIGMP, a simple demonstration of DVE system is designed and implemented. This demo system is running on several SGI workstations connected by a FDDI and Ethernet network.展开更多
A tele operation method of virtual environment based on gesture is presented.Firstly,the design block diagram and the information flow of the virtual environment tele operation simulation system are given.Secondly,the...A tele operation method of virtual environment based on gesture is presented.Firstly,the design block diagram and the information flow of the virtual environment tele operation simulation system are given.Secondly,the coordination transformation between virtual gesture and the tele operated aircraft is presented.Finally,a tele operation simulation system based on gesture is developed.And the simulation results demonstrate that there is more consistency between the virtual gesture and the moving object.展开更多
There has been a recent explosion of interest from academics across a wide range of disciplines in the use of Multi-User Virtual Environments for education,driven by the success of platforms such as Internet Communica...There has been a recent explosion of interest from academics across a wide range of disciplines in the use of Multi-User Virtual Environments for education,driven by the success of platforms such as Internet Communication Technology learning skills in higher education.While digital virtual worlds are used in the 21st century learning,advances in the capabilities and the spread of technology have fed a recent boom in interest in massively multi-user 3D virtual worlds for entertainment,and this in turn has led to a surge of interest in their educational applications.As these platforms are used more often as environments for teaching and learning,there is increased need to integrate them with other institutional systems,Web-based Virtual Learning Environments(VLE)in particular.In this paper,we briefly review the use of virtual worlds for education,from informal learning to formal instruction,and consider what is required to turn a virtual world from a Multi-User Virtual Environment into a fully fledged 3D Virtual Learning Environment(VLE).In this we focus on the development of Moodle—a system which integrates the popular 3D virtual world of Second Life with the open-source Virtual Learning Environment.展开更多
Two key characteristics of all virtual reality applications are interaction and immersion. Systemic interaction is achieved through a variety of multisensory channels （hearing, sight, touch, and smell）, permitting t...Two key characteristics of all virtual reality applications are interaction and immersion. Systemic interaction is achieved through a variety of multisensory channels （hearing, sight, touch, and smell）, permitting the user to interact with the virtual world in real time. Immersion is the degree to which a person can feel wrapped in the virtual world through a defined interface. Virtual real- ity interface devices such as the Nintendo~ Wii and its peripheral nunchuks-balance board, head mounted displays and joystick allow interaction and immersion in unreal environments created from computer software. Virtual environments are highly interactive, generating great activation of visual, vestibular and proprioceptive systems during the execution of a video game. In addi- tion, they are entertaining and safe for the user. Recently, incorporating therapeutic purposes in virtual reality interface devices has allowed them to be used for the rehabilitation of neurological patients, e.g., balance training in older adults and dynamic stability in healthy participants. The improvements observed in neurological diseases （chronic stroke and cerebral palsy） have been shown by changes in the reorganization of neural networks in patients＇ brain, along with better hand function and other skills, contributing to their quality of life. The data generated by such studies could substantially contribute to physical rehabilitation strategies.展开更多
Dynamic flood disaster simulation is an emerging and promising technology significantly useful in urban planning,risk assessment,and integrated decision support systems.It is still an important issue to integrate the ...Dynamic flood disaster simulation is an emerging and promising technology significantly useful in urban planning,risk assessment,and integrated decision support systems.It is still an important issue to integrate the large assets such as dynamic observational data,numerical flood simulation models,geographic information technologies,and computing resources into a unified framework.For the intended end user,it is also a holistic solution to create computer interpretable representations and gain insightful understanding of the dynamic disaster processes,the complex impacts,and interactions of disaster factors.In particular,it is still difficult to access and join harmonized data,processing algorithms,and models that are provided by different environmental information infrastructures.In this paper,we demonstrate a virtual geographic environments-based integrated environmental simulation framework for flood disaster management based on the notion of interlinked resources,which is capable of automated accumulating and manipulating of sensor data,creating dynamic geo-analysis and three-dimensional visualizations of ongoing geo-process,and updating the contents of simulation models representing the real environment.The prototype system is evaluated by applying it as a proof of concept to integrate in situ weather observations,numerical weather and flood disaster simulation models,visualization,and analysis of the real time flood event.Case applications indicate that the developed framework can be adopted for use by decision-makers for short-term planning and control since the resulting simulation and visualization are completely based on the latest status of environment.展开更多
Collision avoidance decision-making models of multiple agents in virtual driving environment are studied. Based on the behavioral characteristics and hierarchical structure of the collision avoidance decision-making i...Collision avoidance decision-making models of multiple agents in virtual driving environment are studied. Based on the behavioral characteristics and hierarchical structure of the collision avoidance decision-making in real life driving, delphi approach and mathematical statistics method are introduced to construct pair-wise comparison judgment matrix of collision avoidance decision choices to each collision situation. Analytic hierarchy process （AHP） is adopted to establish the agents＇ collision avoidance decision-making model. To simulate drivers＇ characteristics, driver factors are added to categorize driving modes into impatient mode, normal mode, and the cautious mode. The results show that this model can simulate human＇s thinking process, and the agents in the virtual environment can deal with collision situations and make decisions to avoid collisions without intervention. The model can also reflect diversity and uncertainly of real life driving behaviors, and solves the multi-objective, multi-choice ranking priority problem in multi-vehicle collision scenarios. This collision avoidance model of multi-agents model is feasible and effective, and can provide richer and closer-to-life virtual scene for driving simulator, reflecting real-life traffic environment more truly, this model can also promote the practicality of driving simulator.展开更多
基金Supported by Fondazione TIM in the context of the “Facciamola Facile” initiativeby Programma Operativo Nazionale (PON)“Ricerca e Innovazione” 2014-2020-DM 1062/2021 funds
文摘Background Over the last few years,the rapid advancement of technology has led to the development of many approaches to digitalization.In this respect,metaverse provides 3D persistent virtual environments that can be used to access digital content,meet virtually,and perform several professional and leisure tasks.Among the numerous technologies supporting the metaverse,immersive Virtual Reality(VR)plays a primary role and offers highly interactive social experiences.Despite growing interest in this area,there are no clear design guidelines for creating environments tailored to the metaverse.Methods This study seeks to advance research in this area by moving from state-of-the-art studies on the design of immersive virtual environments in the context of metaverse and proposing how to integrate cutting-edge technologies within this context.Specifically,the best practices were identified by i)analyzing literature studies focused on human behavior in immersive virtual environments,ii)extracting common features of existing social VR platforms,and iii)conducting interviews with experts in a specific application domain.Specifically,this study considered the creation of a new virtual environment for MetaLibrary,a VR-based social platform aimed at integrating public libraries into metaverse.Several implementation challenges and additional requirements have been identified for the development of virtual environments(VEs).These elements were considered in the selection of specific cutting-edge technologies and their integration into the development process.A user study was also conducted to investigate some design aspects(namely lighting conditions and richness of the scene layout)for which deriving clear indications from the above analysis was not possible because different alternative configurations could be chosen.Results The work reported in this paper seeks to bridge the gap between existing VR platforms and related literature in the field,on the one hand,and requirements regarding immersive virtual environments for the metaverse,on the other hand,by reporting a set of best practices which were used to build a social virtual environment that meets users'expectations and needs.Conclusions Results suggest that carefully designed virtual environments can positively affect user experience and interaction within metaverse.The insights gained from this study offer valuable cues for developing immersive virtual environments for the metaverse to deliver more effective and engaging experiences.
基金Supported by Hangzhou Medical and Health Technology Project,No.OO20191141。
文摘BACKGROUND Preschoolers become anxious when they are about to undergo anesthesia and surgery,warranting the development of more appropriate and effective interventions.AIM To explore the effect of static cartoons combined with dynamic virtual environments on preoperative anxiety and anesthesia induction compliance in preschool-aged children undergoing surgery.METHODS One hundred and sixteen preschool-aged children were selected and assigned to the drug(n=37),intervention(n=40),and control(n=39)groups.All the children received routine preoperative checkups and nursing before being transferred to the preoperative preparation room on the day of the operation.The drug group received 0.5 mg/kg midazolam and the intervention group treatment consisting of static cartoons combined with dynamic virtual environments.The control group received no intervention.The modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale was used to evaluate the children’s anxiety level on the day before surgery(T0),before leaving the preoperative preparation room(T1),when entering the operating room(T2),and at anesthesia induction(T3).Compliance during anesthesia induction(T3)was evaluated using the Induction Compliance Checklist(ICC).Changes in mean arterial pressure(MAP),heart rate(HR),and respiratory rate(RR)were also recorded at each time point.RESULTS The anxiety scores of the three groups increased variously at T1 and T2.At T3,both the drug and intervention groups had similar anxiety scores,both of which were lower than those in the control group.At T1 and T2,MAP,HR,and RR of the three groups increased.The drug and control groups had significantly higher MAP and RR than the intervention group at T2.At T3,the MAP,HR,and RR of the drug group decreased and were significantly lower than those in the control group but were comparable to those in the intervention group.Both the drug and intervention groups had similar ICC scores and duration of anesthesia induction(T3),both of which were higher than those of the control group.CONCLUSION Combining static cartoons with dynamic virtual environments as effective as medication,specifically midazolam,in reducing preoperative anxiety and fear in preschool-aged children.This approach also improve their compliance during anesthesia induction and helped maintain their stable vital signs.
基金This work is partially sponsored by the Cheung Kong Scholars Programme of the People's Republic of China.
文摘This paper presents research into applying virtual environment (VE) technology to supply chain management (SCM). Our research work has employed virtual manufacturing environments to represent supply chain nodes to simulate processes and activities in supply chain management. This will enable those who are involved in these processes and activities to gain an intuitive understanding of them, so as to design robust supply chains and make correct decisions at the right time. A framework system and its hierarchical structure for visualising and simulating supply chains in virtual environments are reported and detailed in this paper.
文摘This paper presents the design and implementation of reconfigurable virtual environments (VEs) for virtual testing. It proposes a hybrid design approach that is derived from a so-called integration and composition of the reconfiguration strategy. The designing process has thus evolved from binding virtual objects using reconfiguration rules within the context of virtual testing scenarios. Therefore reconfigurable virtual environments are established with improved flexibility and scalability, tailored to a wide range of virtual testing applications. Those virtual environments integrate virtual testing scenarios, data acquisition, databases, rule mapping and application interfaces, which yield modular testing functions and an open-ended system architecture with a set of extensible interface tools to realize data exchange within reconfigurable VEs. This enables virtual testing scenarios to be reconfigured interactively based on real time data and communication between virtual environments and real environments. A virtual testing application has been implemented using reconfigurable VEs. Keywords Virtual environment - virtual testing - reconfigurable virtual reality Wenyan Wu graduated from Dalian University of Technology, China, with BSc and MSc in 1988 and 1991 respectively. She earned her PhD degree from University of Derby, UK, in 2002. She had taught and researched in Harbin Institute of Technology, China and De Montfort University, UK. She is currently a senior lecturer in simulation and virtual reality at Staffordshire University, UK. Her research interests include computer graphics, Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality system, advanced interface, modelling and simulation, distribution system.Zhengxu Zhao BSc, MSc, PhD, CEng, CITP, MBCS, full Professor in Applied Computing, Director of Virtual Reality Centre. He is also a Cheng Kong Scholar Project Professor in Virtual Reality Technology and Director of Virtual Reality Research Centre at the Southeast University, P R China. Professor Zhao’s research interests include computing graphics and VR systems, industrial process simulation, CIM and manufacturing management systems.
文摘Virtual reality (VR) is a rapidly developing technology that has a wide spectrum of industrial and commercial applications. Networked (distributed or shared) virtual environments (VE) are of growing interest to modern manufacturing industry; a dominating use of networked virtual manufacturing environments (VMEs) is on-line visualisation and collaborative control of 3D information. This has to be supported by real-time data transfer. To meet a broad range of common requirements for Internet-based VE communications, particularly for virtual manufacturing and collaborative design and control, this paper presents a networked virtual environment system that is designed to support networked virtual design and manufacturing. The system is implemented with manufacturing message specification (MMS) standards so as to integrate a range of manufacturing services into networked VEs over the Internet.
基金Project (No. R01-2006-000-11142-0) supported by the "Teukjung Gicho" Program of the Korea Science Foundation
文摘This paper first introduces a way to improve interactivity with high polygon count virtual objects through the "mixed" use of image-based representation within one object. That is, both 3D polygonal and image-based representations are maintained for an object, and switched for rendering depending on the functional requirement of the object. Furthermore, in order to reduce the popping effect and provide smooth and gradual transition during the object representation switch, the object is subdivided with the subdivided parts possibly represented differently, i.e., using 3D models or images. As for the image-based representation, the relief texture (RT) method is used. In particular, through the use of the mixed representation, a new way called TangibleScreen is pro-posed to provide object tangibility by associating the image-based representation with a physical prop (projecting the RTs) in a selective and flexible way. Overall, the proposed method provides a way to maintain an interactive frame rate with selective perceptual details in a large-scale virtual environment, while allowing the user to interact with virtual objects in a tangible way.
基金the Strategic research and consulting project of Chinese Academy of Engineering(2023-HY-14).
文摘Background Physical entity interactions in mixed reality(MR)environments aim to harness human capabilities in manipulating physical objects,thereby enhancing virtual environment(VEs)functionality.In MR,a common strategy is to use virtual agents as substitutes for physical entities,balancing interaction efficiency with environmental immersion.However,the impact of virtual agent size and form on interaction performance remains unclear.Methods Two experiments were conducted to explore how virtual agent size and form affect interaction performance,immersion,and preference in MR environments.The first experiment assessed five virtual agent sizes(25%,50%,75%,100%,and 125%of physical size).The second experiment tested four types of frames(no frame,consistent frame,half frame,and surrounding frame)across all agent sizes.Participants,utilizing a head mounted display,performed tasks involving moving cups,typing words,and using a mouse.They completed questionnaires assessing aspects such as the virtual environment effects,interaction effects,collision concerns,and preferences.Results Results from the first experiment revealed that agents matching physical object size produced the best overall performance.The second experiment demonstrated that consistent framing notably enhances interaction accuracy and speed but reduces immersion.To balance efficiency and immersion,frameless agents matching physical object sizes were deemed optimal.Conclusions Virtual agents matching physical entity sizes enhance user experience and interaction performance.Conversely,familiar frames from 2D interfaces detrimentally affect interaction and immersion in virtual spaces.This study provides valuable insights for the future development of MR systems.
基金Supported by collaborative project(ID3003)of the Vice-Rectors Office for University Outreach(VCM,Spanish acronym)of the Universidad San Sebastián Concepción,Republic of Chile.
文摘Background Fibromyalgia(FM)is a chronic rheumatic disorder characterised by musculoskeletal pain,fatigue,and psychoemotional symptoms.Virtual reality(VR)has proven to be an innovative and motivating tool for managing FM,with several studies indicating that it can improve quality of life indices and reduce psychoemotional symptoms.However,studies on immersive VR-based exercise(iVRE)are limited.Methods The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of iVRE on quality of life,stress,anxiety,depression,and handgrip strength in patients with FM.A single-arm pre-post-test pilot study was conducted.Individuals diagnosed with FM were recruited using convenience sampling.The iVRE protocol consisted of 12 sessions of 10 min warm-up and 15 min exercises applied with the Oculus Quest 2TM device.The impact on quality of life was assessed using the Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire,and the effects on stress,anxiety,and depression were determined using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 questionnaire.Handgrip strength was evaluated using the Baseline®dynamometer.The normality assumption was evaluated,and the pre-post means were compared using Student's ttest(p<0.05).Results Eleven individuals(40.6±11.2 years)completed the protocol(10 women).There were significant differences in favour of iVRE in quality of life impact(p<0.001,Cohen's d:1.48),handgrip strength(p<0.05,Cohen's d:0.26),depression(p<0.05,Cohen's d:0.73),and anxiety(p<0.05,Cohen's d:0.73).Conclusions A six-week iVRE program significantly reduces the impact on quality of life,anxiety,and depression and improves handgrip strength in people with FM.Future studies should investigate the physiological effects using systemic biomarkers to explain the scope of this therapeutic modality.
文摘Virtual reality(VR)is a frequently emphasized issue on the Digital Earth(DE)agenda.While current DE research is more engaged in the technical aspects of VR applications,this paper focuses on what is possible with immersive virtual environments(IVE)from the user’s perspective.After a brief discussion of spatial presence and embodiment in the context of IVE,both concepts will be merged into a geovisualization immersion pipeline(GIP)as a framework with which to systematically link technical and cognitive aspects of IVE.We will then analyze the general criteria that must be met by IVE in order to facilitate the experience of spatial presence.Adapting these criteria to the special requirements of geospatial data,a definition of geovisualization immersive virtual environments(GeoIVE)is formulated.Finally,the theoretical considerations of this paper are set into practice,using a GeoIVE of a coral reef ecosystem as an example.As we shall see,while GIS do not provide data models or data compatibility for direct visualization of GeoIVE on VR output devices,game engines can serve as middleware to fill this gap.
文摘Orientation update message filtering is an important issue in collaborativevirtual environments (CVEs). Dead-reckoning (DR) is a known effective mechanism for update messagefiltering. Yet, previous dead-reckoning techniques mainly focus on the update message filtering forpositions. The existing orientation dead-reckoning algorithms are based on fixed threshold values.The drawbacks of fixed thresholding for orientations (FTO) are discussed in this paper. We propose avariable thresholding for orientations (VTO) based on average recent angular velocity. The mainadvantage of the proposed VTO is the ability of balancing the number of state update messages andshift frequency of direction and speed of rotation.
文摘Daylighting plays an eminent role in the performance of indoor environments and their occupants,thus necessitating the need to investigate daylight perception of potential occupants at early design stages.The present study introduces an interactive approach to collect and visualize brightness perception of daylighting in a large-scale immersive virtual environment using a game engine as a daylight simulation tool.The developed system allows users to explore building models freely at different day times set in virtual reality and report their perceptions in real time.Following a validation study(N=36)to investigate the consistency of brightness perceptions in a real environment and its virtual replica,a set of 24 participants were recruited to use the system to report their brightness perception in a virtual model of a daylit art museum,through snapshotting the scenes where they perceive as one of the following in terms of daylighting:(very dark,dark,bright,or very bright).Using an output of 419 snapshots,a"Perceptual Light Map"(PLM)was developed to visualize the collective brightness perception of participants as a heat map.Subjective responses were found to be positively correlated with four daylight metrics,with the highest correlation to mean luminance and the lowest to luminance ratio.The findings of this exploratory study represent a step towards a user-oriented supplement tool to the existing quantitative daylight metrics,validating game engines’adequacy as a daylight simulation tool,and illustrating the potentials of immersion and interaction principles for the perception of daylit spaces in virtual reality.
基金This paper reports work funded by the Croatian Science Foundation project IP-2018-01-7269:Team Adaptability for Innovation-Oriented Product Development(http://www.taide.org).
文摘Design review(DR)is a product development(PD)activity used to inspect the technical characteristics of a design solution.Immersive virtual reality(IVR)technology enables the presentation of spatial information and interaction with 3D CAD models inside an immersive virtual environment(IVE).Such capabilities have shown the potential to mitigate the cognitive load needed for the visual perception of spatial information and,consequently,enhance design understanding and DR performance.Thus,an increasing number of studies have explored the effect of IVR technology on DR activities in different domains.However,determining when the implementation of IVR technology rather than a conventional user interface for DRs in mechanical engineering PD projects will be beneficial remains unclear.Hence,a conceptual DR experimental study was conducted to investigate the differences in the ability of engineering students to identify mechanisms and understand their functions when a design solution for a technical system is presented in an IVE by IVR technology and in a non-immersive virtual environment(nIVE)by a conventional user interface(monitor display,keyboard,and mouse).Data were collected by performing DR tasks and having participants complete a prior experience questionnaire,presence questionnaire,and mental rotations test.Findings of the study indicate that IVR does not support an enhanced ability of engineering students to identify mechanisms and understand their functions compared with a conventional user interface.
基金The author thanks Dr Bernard Moulin,Laval University,Dr Phil Graniero,University of Windsor,and Dr Normand Bergeron,Institute for their advice during this research.Supported by the Canadian Network of Centers of Excellence in Geomatics(GEOIDE)the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council(NSERC)of Canadaand the Fonds Québécois de la Recherche sur la Nature et les Technologies(FQRNT).
文摘We propose a novel method for the automated generation of virtual geographic environments that allows using geographic information system data to build what we call informed virtual geographic environment(IVGE).The description of an IVGE integrates semantic information expressed using conceptual graphs,a standard knowledge representation technique.In addition,we propose an abstraction process that uses geometric,topologic,and semantic characteristics of geographic features to build a hierarchical graph-based structure describing this IVGE.Our IVGE model enables the support of large-scale and complex geographic environment modeling for multiagent geo-simulations in which the agents are situated and with which they interact.
基金supported by Discovery Grants of National Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and Faculty of Engineering at University of Manitoba
文摘Although computer capabilities have been improved significantly, a large-scale virtual reality （VR） system demands much more in terms of memory and computation than the current computer systems can offer. This paper discusses two important issues related to VR performance and applications in building navigation. These are dynamic loading of models based on cell segmentation for the optimal VR operation, and the route optimization based on path planning for easy navigation. The VR model of engineering and information technology complex （EITC） building at the University of Manitoba is built as an example to show the feasibility of the proposed methods. The reality, enhanced by three-dimensional （3D） real-time interactivity and visualization, leads navigators into a state of the virtual building immersion.
文摘In this paper, the properties of distributed virtual environment (DVE) and the requirements on computer networks is briefly reviewed. A multicast protocol, called sender initiated grouping multicast protocol for DVE (SIGMP), is proposed. This new multicast protocol is based on a novel concept, multicast group (MG), which divides all participants in a DVE system into groups, among which there is a multicast group trustee (MGT) node to manage the group. The protocol provides unreliable/reliable, totally ordered and multiple to multiple multicast transmission service for DVE systems without sacrificing the communication efficiency heavily. At the same time, reliable unicast and one to multiple multicast transmission services are also supported. The performance analysis of the new protocols is also presented. Based on SIGMP, a simple demonstration of DVE system is designed and implemented. This demo system is running on several SGI workstations connected by a FDDI and Ethernet network.
文摘A tele operation method of virtual environment based on gesture is presented.Firstly,the design block diagram and the information flow of the virtual environment tele operation simulation system are given.Secondly,the coordination transformation between virtual gesture and the tele operated aircraft is presented.Finally,a tele operation simulation system based on gesture is developed.And the simulation results demonstrate that there is more consistency between the virtual gesture and the moving object.
文摘There has been a recent explosion of interest from academics across a wide range of disciplines in the use of Multi-User Virtual Environments for education,driven by the success of platforms such as Internet Communication Technology learning skills in higher education.While digital virtual worlds are used in the 21st century learning,advances in the capabilities and the spread of technology have fed a recent boom in interest in massively multi-user 3D virtual worlds for entertainment,and this in turn has led to a surge of interest in their educational applications.As these platforms are used more often as environments for teaching and learning,there is increased need to integrate them with other institutional systems,Web-based Virtual Learning Environments(VLE)in particular.In this paper,we briefly review the use of virtual worlds for education,from informal learning to formal instruction,and consider what is required to turn a virtual world from a Multi-User Virtual Environment into a fully fledged 3D Virtual Learning Environment(VLE).In this we focus on the development of Moodle—a system which integrates the popular 3D virtual world of Second Life with the open-source Virtual Learning Environment.
基金financially supported by the National Fund for Health Research and Development(FONIS) of the National Commission for Scientific and Technological Research(CONICYT),No.Sa11i2018a grant from Research Department of the University of Talca
文摘Two key characteristics of all virtual reality applications are interaction and immersion. Systemic interaction is achieved through a variety of multisensory channels （hearing, sight, touch, and smell）, permitting the user to interact with the virtual world in real time. Immersion is the degree to which a person can feel wrapped in the virtual world through a defined interface. Virtual real- ity interface devices such as the Nintendo~ Wii and its peripheral nunchuks-balance board, head mounted displays and joystick allow interaction and immersion in unreal environments created from computer software. Virtual environments are highly interactive, generating great activation of visual, vestibular and proprioceptive systems during the execution of a video game. In addi- tion, they are entertaining and safe for the user. Recently, incorporating therapeutic purposes in virtual reality interface devices has allowed them to be used for the rehabilitation of neurological patients, e.g., balance training in older adults and dynamic stability in healthy participants. The improvements observed in neurological diseases （chronic stroke and cerebral palsy） have been shown by changes in the reorganization of neural networks in patients＇ brain, along with better hand function and other skills, contributing to their quality of life. The data generated by such studies could substantially contribute to physical rehabilitation strategies.
基金This study is supported by the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China(863 Program)(Nos.2012AA121305 and 2013AA120701)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.41471320 and 41201440).
文摘Dynamic flood disaster simulation is an emerging and promising technology significantly useful in urban planning,risk assessment,and integrated decision support systems.It is still an important issue to integrate the large assets such as dynamic observational data,numerical flood simulation models,geographic information technologies,and computing resources into a unified framework.For the intended end user,it is also a holistic solution to create computer interpretable representations and gain insightful understanding of the dynamic disaster processes,the complex impacts,and interactions of disaster factors.In particular,it is still difficult to access and join harmonized data,processing algorithms,and models that are provided by different environmental information infrastructures.In this paper,we demonstrate a virtual geographic environments-based integrated environmental simulation framework for flood disaster management based on the notion of interlinked resources,which is capable of automated accumulating and manipulating of sensor data,creating dynamic geo-analysis and three-dimensional visualizations of ongoing geo-process,and updating the contents of simulation models representing the real environment.The prototype system is evaluated by applying it as a proof of concept to integrate in situ weather observations,numerical weather and flood disaster simulation models,visualization,and analysis of the real time flood event.Case applications indicate that the developed framework can be adopted for use by decision-makers for short-term planning and control since the resulting simulation and visualization are completely based on the latest status of environment.
基金supported by National Basic Research Program (973 Program,No.2004CB719402)National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.60736019)Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province, China(No.Y105430).
文摘Collision avoidance decision-making models of multiple agents in virtual driving environment are studied. Based on the behavioral characteristics and hierarchical structure of the collision avoidance decision-making in real life driving, delphi approach and mathematical statistics method are introduced to construct pair-wise comparison judgment matrix of collision avoidance decision choices to each collision situation. Analytic hierarchy process （AHP） is adopted to establish the agents＇ collision avoidance decision-making model. To simulate drivers＇ characteristics, driver factors are added to categorize driving modes into impatient mode, normal mode, and the cautious mode. The results show that this model can simulate human＇s thinking process, and the agents in the virtual environment can deal with collision situations and make decisions to avoid collisions without intervention. The model can also reflect diversity and uncertainly of real life driving behaviors, and solves the multi-objective, multi-choice ranking priority problem in multi-vehicle collision scenarios. This collision avoidance model of multi-agents model is feasible and effective, and can provide richer and closer-to-life virtual scene for driving simulator, reflecting real-life traffic environment more truly, this model can also promote the practicality of driving simulator.
