Social interaction in augmented reality

Digital connection, real bonding: Brief online chats boost interpersonal closeness regardless of the conversational topic

This study explores how the quality of brief dyadic written exchanges (lasting under 5 min) on a virtual platform and the nature of the conversational topic (abstract or concrete), influences physical, interpersonal, and psychological closeness between interlocutors. In the first experiment, participants engaged in written conversations on either an abstract or concrete topic under two conditions: (i) an interactive condition, where participants exchanged messages with another person, and (ii) a non-interactive condition, where participants wrote independently on the same topic, aware that another person was simultaneously doing the same. Results indicated that participants in the interactive condition reported feeling significantly closer to their interlocutor than those in the non-interactive condition. In addition, greater perceived pleasantness, intimacy, and the importance of the other person's contribution to the conversation were associated with increased feelings of closeness. However, inconclusive evidence was obtained regarding the interaction of the other person's contribution with the abstractness of the conversational topic during the written exchanges in fostering feelings of closeness. The second experiment focused only on the interactive condition, where we examined interpersonal dynamics across different subcategories of abstract (e.g., philosophical/spiritual, emotional, social, physical/spatio-temporal) and concrete topics (e.g., tools, animals, food). The results of the first experiment were replicated, reinforcing the idea that the quality of the virtual exchange-rather than the topic itself-plays a crucial role in fostering feelings of closeness between individuals.

How Video Passthrough Headsets Influence Perception of Self and Others

With the increasing adoption of mixed reality (MR) headsets with video passthrough functionality, concerns over perceptual and social effects have surfaced. Building on prior qualitative findings,1 this study quantitatively investigates the impact of video passthrough on users. Forty participants completed a body transfer task twice, once while wearing a headset in video passthrough and once without a headset. Using video passthrough induced simulator sickness, created social absence (another person in the physical room feels less present), altered self-reported body schema, and distorted distance perception. On the other hand, compared with past research that showed perceptual aftereffects from video passthrough, the current study found none. We discuss the broader implications for the widespread adoption of MR headsets and their impact on theories surrounding presence and body transfer.

Bridging the digital and physical: The psychology of augmented reality

By blurring the boundaries between digital and physical realities, Augmented Reality (AR) is transforming consumers' perceptions of themselves and their environments. This review demonstrates AR's capacity to influence psychology and behavior in profound ways. We begin by providing a concise introduction to AR, considering its technical, practical, and theoretical properties. Next, we showcase a multi-disciplinary set of recent studies that explore AR's impact on psychological processes and behavioral outcomes. We conclude by offering a selection of potential future research directions designed to deepen our understanding of the psychological and behavioral implications of AR experiences.

Introducing IOS11 as an extended interactive version of the 'Inclusion of Other in the Self' scale to estimate relationship closeness

The study of relationship closeness has a long history in psychology and is currently expanding across the social sciences, including economics. Estimating relationship closeness requires appropriate tools. Here, we introduce and test a tool for estimating relationship closeness: 'IOS11'. The IOS11 scale has an 11-point response scale and is a refinement of the widely used Inclusion-of-Other-in-the-Self scale. Our tool has three key features. First, the IOS11 scale is easy to understand and administer. Second, we provide a portable, interactive interface for the IOS11 scale, which can be used in lab and online studies. Third, and crucially, based on within-participant correlations of 751 individuals, we demonstrate strong validity of the IOS11 scale in terms of representing features of relationships captured by a range of more complex survey instruments. Based on these correlations we find that the IOS11 scale outperforms the IOS scale and performs as well as the related Oneness scale.

The Microsoft HoloLens 2 Provides Accurate Biomechanical Measures of Performance During Military-Relevant Activities in Healthy Adults

INTRODUCTION

Augmented reality systems, like the HoloLens 2 (HL2), have the potential to provide accurate assessments of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) symptoms in military personnel by simulating complex military scenarios while objectively measuring the user's movements with embedded motion sensors. The aim of this project was to determine if biomechanical measures of marching and squatting, derived from the HL2 motion sensors, were statistically equivalent, within 5%, to metrics derived from the gold-standard three-dimensional motion capture (MoCap) system.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Sixty-four adults (18-45 years; 34 males) completed a squatting and a marching task under single- (motor) and dual-task (motor + cognitive) conditions. Positional data from the HL2 and MoCap were simultaneously collected during the tasks and used to calculate and compare biomechanical outcomes. The HL2's augmented reality capabilities were utilized to deliver the cognitive component of the marching dual task.

RESULTS

Equivalence testing indicated the HL2 and MoCap measures were within 5% in all squatting metrics-trial time, squat duration, squat velocity, squat depth, and dwell time. Marching metrics, including trial time, step count, stepping rate, and step interval, were also equivalent between the two systems. The mean reaction time for responses during the Stroop test was 810 (125) milliseconds per response.

CONCLUSIONS

Biomechanical outcomes characterizing performance during two common military movements, squatting and marching, were equivalent between the HL2 and MoCap systems in healthy adults. Squatting and marching are two military-relevant tasks that require strength, motor coordination, and balance to perform, all of which are known to be affected by mTBI. Taken together, the data provide support for using the HL2 platform to deliver military-specific assessment scenarios and accurately measure performance during these activities. Utilizing objective and quantitative measures of motor function may enhance the management of military mTBI and reduce unnecessary risk to service members.

Social isolation and loneliness: Undervalued risk factors for disease states and mortality

Social isolation and loneliness are two common but undervalued conditions associated with a poor quality of life, decreased overall health and mortality. In this review, we aim to discuss the health consequences of social isolation and loneliness. We first provide the potential causes of these two conditions. Then, we explain the pathophysiological processes underlying the effects of social isolation and loneliness in disease states. Afterwards, we explain the important associations between these conditions and different non-communicable diseases, as well as the impact of social isolation and loneliness on health-related behaviours. Finally, we discuss the current and novel potential management strategies for these conditions. Healthcare professionals who attend to socially isolated and/or lonely patients should be fully competent in these conditions and assess their patients thoroughly to detect and properly understand the effects of isolation and loneliness. Patients should be offered education and treatment alternatives through shared decision-making. Future studies are needed to understand the underlying mechanisms better and to improve the treatment strategies for both social isolation and loneliness.

I see you, you see me: the impact of social presence on social interaction processes in autistic and non-autistic people

Environments that require social interaction are complex, challenging and sometimes experienced as overwhelming by autistic people. However, all too often theories relating to social interaction processes are created, and interventions are proposed, on the basis of data collected from studies that do not involve genuine social encounters nor do they consider the perception of social presence to be a potentially influential factor. In this review, we begin by considering why face-to-face interaction research is important in this field. We then discuss how the perception of social agency and social presence can influence conclusions about social interaction processes. We then outline some insights gained from face-to-face interaction research conducted with both autistic and non-autistic people. We finish by considering the impact of social presence on cognitive processes more broadly, including theory of mind. Overall, we demonstrate that choice of stimuli in studies assessing social interaction processes has the potential to substantially alter conclusions drawn. Ecological validity matters and social presence, in particular, is a critical factor that fundamentally impacts social interaction processes in both autistic and non-autistic people. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Face2face: advancing the science of social interaction'.

Establishing conversational engagement and being effective: The role of body movement in mediated communication

A model for investigating the effects of body movement on conversational effectiveness in computer-mediated communication (CMC) is developed based on theories of motor cognition and embodiment. Movement is relevant to a wide range of CMC settings, including remote interviews, court testimonials, instructing, medical consultation, and socializing. The present work allows for a consideration of different forms of motoric activation, including gesturing and full-body motion, in mediated conversational settings and the derivation of a range of testable hypothesis. Motor cognition and embodiment provide an account of how speaker and listener become subject to the consequences of the muscular activation patterns that come with body movement. While movement supports internal elaboration, thus helping the speaker in formulating messages, it also has direct effects on the listener through behavioral synchrony and motor contagion. The effects of movement in CMC environments depend on two general characteristics: the level of visibility of movement and the extent to which the technology facilitates or inhibits movement. Available channels, set-up of technology, and further customization therefore determine whether movement can fulfil its internal functions (relevant to cognitive-affective elaboration of what is being said by the speaker) and its external functions (relevant to what is being perceived by and activated within the listener). Several indicators of conversational effectiveness are identified that serve as outcome variables. This MCEE model is intended to help users, developers and service provides to make CMC more engaging and more meaningful.

Watching me … watching you: Training and assessment in a virtual world

Virtual education isn't new. Teaching has been delivered remotely for many years, although it came to prominence with the enforced move to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Technologies provide tools that are integral to our everyday lives, and training and assessment are no different. Stepping back from the obligatory remote delivery of practical skills training, now we have the opportunity to review and evaluate our own learning (as educators) about the value of resources for training delivery. Combining sound educational principles with the available technologies, we can use remotely delivered learning to enhance our teaching and to increase access to learning, without hindrance because of distance or the type of facility. Remote connections allow expertise and best practice to become suddenly available to a wider cohort of researchers, rapidly spreading new ideas about refinement of in vivo procedures and supporting colleagues to learn and develop. We currently use only a few of the technological tools available, and there is much to learn from other disciplines where virtual and augmented reality are assisting surgeons, aircraft pilots and others daily. By harnessing remote and assisted technologies in teaching, we can also develop the mindset and ability of the biomedical community to use them to augment, or even to replace, animal studies in future and to democratise training globally.

A Conceptual Model and Taxonomy for Collaborative Augmented Reality

To support the nuances of collaborative work, many researchers have been exploring the field of Augmented Reality (AR), aiming to assist in co-located or remote scenarios. Solutions using AR allow taking advantage from seamless integration of virtual objects and real-world objects, thus providing collaborators with a shared understanding or common ground environment. However, most of the research efforts, so far, have been devoted to experiment with technology and mature methods to support its design and development. Therefore, it is now time to understand where the field stands and how well can it address collaborative work with AR, to better characterize and evaluate the collaboration process. In this article, we perform an analysis of the different dimensions that should be taken into account when analysing the contributions of AR to the collaborative work effort. Then, we bring these dimensions forward into a conceptual framework and propose an extended human-centered taxonomy for the categorization of the main features of Collaborative AR. Our goal is to foster harmonization of perspectives for the field, which may help create a common ground for systematization and discussion. We hope to influence and improve how research in this field is reported by providing a structured list of the defining characteristics. Finally, some examples of the use of the taxonomy are presented to show how it can serve to gather information for characterizing AR-supported collaborative work, and illustrate its potential as the grounds to elicit further studies.

The reality of remote extended reality research: Practical case studies and taxonomy

Remote user studies—those where the experimenter and participant are not physically located together—offer challenges and opportunities in HCI research in general, and extended reality (XR) research specifically. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced this form of research to overcome a long period of unprecedented circumstances. However, this experience has produced a lot of lessons learned that should be shared. We propose guidelines based on findings from a set of six remote virtual reality studies, by analyzing participants' and researchers' feedback. These studies ranged from one-session types to longitudinal ones and spanned a variety of subjects such as cybersickness, selection tasks, and visual search. In this paper, we offer a big-picture summary of how we conducted these studies, our research design considerations, our findings in these case studies, and what worked well and what did not in different scenarios. Additionally, we propose a taxonomy for devising such studies in a systematic and easy-to-follow manner. We argue that the XR community should move from theoretical proposals and thought pieces to testing and sharing practical data-informed proposals and guidelines.

Impact of Efficient Resource Management Practices on Sustainable Performance: Moderating Role of Innovative Culture-Evidence From Oil and Gas Firms

Academics and practitioners have paid close attention to waste, energy, and resource management due to growing awareness of its effects on sustainable performance. This study aims to explore the status and challenges of efficient resource management in China, an under-researched area. Moreover, it proposes a theoretical framework to fill the academic and practical gap how efficient resource management practices can build sustainable performance. This study justifies the need to explore the need of efficient resource management practices in emerging economies like China. Empirical data derived using a cross-sectional survey of 265 employees from oil and gas firms in China were used to test the theoretical framework developed from mainstream literature. Empirical findings of this study highlight the role of efficient resource management practices such as CSR, process and equipment, human resource practices, product design, and manufacturing planning which have a positive and significant impact on sustainable performance. In addition, innovative culture plays a moderating role in enhancing firms' sustainable performance. The findings suggest that there is further scope to utilize the efficient resource management practices for encouraging innovative culture to build sustainable performance. This study creates a basis for future research of building sustainable organizational performance by integrating efficient resource management practices. This study also highlights gaps in the system and provides insights into policymakers and manufacturing sector employees on holistically building a sustainable organization.

Landscape Fusion Method Based on Augmented Reality and Multiview Reconstruction

This paper proposes a fused landscape augmented reality method based on 3D model multiview reconstruction. Based on the principles related to augmented reality technology, the proposed method uses natural features of images for training and extraction, which solves the problems of convenience and aesthetics caused by artificial signs. By extracting and training natural features at different scales of the acquired images, Harris and FREAK algorithms are used to extract features and create binary descriptors for real-time acquired images. Feature matching is performed on the above two features to estimate the location where the reconstructed model will appear. At the same time, for the difficulties of 3D model reconstruction requiring relevant expertise and the defects of poor reconstruction effect, the SFM algorithm is used for multiview reconstruction of landscape models to realize the augmented reality fusion method of natural scenes and landscape models. After the experiments, the fusion achieved by this method works well, which proves that the method is feasible and has potential.

Is Social Distancing Law the New Normal? Forced Shift to Media Online Learning and Its Effectiveness: A Moderating Role of Student Engagement During the Pandemic of COVID-19

The author intends to investigate the role of social distancing laws in the new normal as well as the effectiveness of forced shift to media online learning. This research indicates that student involvement had a moderating influence during the epidemic. This study is based on social learning theory (SLT), which endeavors to emulate the behavior, perceptions, and emotions of other individuals. The data were obtained from various Chinese universities. We gathered data utilizing the stratified sample approach as well as Google Form. A total of 256 students enrolled in a variety of programs at Chinese universities completed a questionnaire for this investigation. The direct, mediating, and moderating effects of the variables were evaluated using partial least square structural equation modeling in this study (PLS-SEM), using the Smart-PLS software 3.0. According to the findings, forced shift to media online learning acts as a mediator between the lack of social interaction, perceived harm, perception of maintaining social distancing, and the law, and the effectiveness of media online learning has a significant effect on the effectiveness of media online learning. In addition, student engagement appears to be a moderator between the forced shift to media online learning and its effectiveness. A future study might concentrate on gaining a deeper understanding of the numerous online engagement-promoting behaviors. Teachers must go above and above to provide themes that enable pupils to connect while learning. Instructors and educational institutions will benefit from the research since it will allow them to define methods for boosting social interaction in online learning and analyze methods for enhancing the efficacy of media in online learning.

The Potential of AR Solutions for Behavioral Learning: A Scoping Review

In recent years, educational researchers and practitioners have become increasingly interested in new technologies for teaching and learning, including augmented reality (AR). The literature has already highlighted the benefit of AR in enhancing learners’ outcomes in natural sciences, with a limited number of studies exploring the support of AR in social sciences. Specifically, there have been a number of systematic and scoping reviews in the AR field, but no peer-reviewed review studies on the contribution of AR within interventions aimed at teaching or training behavioral skills have been published to date. In addition, most AR research focuses on technological or development issues. However, limited studies have explored how technology affects social experiences and, in particular, the impact of using AR on social behavior. To address these research gaps, a scoping review was conducted to identify and analyze studies on the use of AR within interventions to teach behavioral skills. These studies were conducted across several intervention settings. In addition to this research question, the review reports an investigation of the literature regarding the impact of AR technology on social behavior. The state of the art of AR solutions designed for interventions in behavioral teaching and learning is presented, with an emphasis on educational and clinical settings. Moreover, some relevant dimensions of the impact of AR on social behavior are discussed in more detail. Limitations of the reviewed AR solutions and implications for future research and development efforts are finally discussed.

Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Education Using a Virtual Environment in Sexual-Minority Men of Color With HIV: Protocol for a Sequential, Mixed Method, Waitlist Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

It is estimated that 70% of all deaths each year in the United States are due to chronic conditions. Cardiovascular disease (CVD), a chronic condition, is the leading cause of death in ethnic and racial minority males. It has been identified as the second most common cause of death in persons with HIV. By the year 2030, it is estimated that 78% of persons with HIV will be diagnosed with CVD.

OBJECTIVE

We propose the first technology-based virtual environment intervention to address behavioral, modifiable risk factors associated with cardiovascular and metabolic comorbidities in sexual-minority men of color with HIV.

METHODS

This study will be guided using social cognitive theory and the Technology Acceptance Model. A sequential, mixed method, waitlist controlled randomized control feasibility trial will be conducted. Aim 1 is to qualitatively explore perceptions of cardiovascular risk in 15 participants. Aim 2 is to conduct a waitlist controlled comparison to test if a virtual environment is feasible and acceptable for CVD prevention, based on web-based, self-assessed, behavioral, and psychosocial outcomes in 80 sexual-minority men of color with HIV.

RESULTS

The study was approved by the New York University Institutional Review Board in 2019, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston in 2020, and by the Yale University Institutional Review Board in February 2022. As of April 2022, aim 1 data collection is 87% completed. We expect to complete data collection for aim 1 by April 30, 2022. Recruitment for aim 2 will begin mid-May 2022.

CONCLUSIONS

This study will be the first online virtual environment intervention for CVD prevention in sexual-minority men of color with HIV. We anticipate that the intervention will be beneficial for CVD prevention education and building peer social supports, resulting in change or modification over time in risk behaviors for CVD.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05242952; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05242952.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

PRR1-10.2196/38348.

The Microsoft HoloLens 2 Provides Accurate Measures of Gait, Turning, and Functional Mobility in Healthy Adults

Augmented-reality (AR) headsets, such as the Microsoft HoloLens 2 (HL2), have the potential to be the next generation of wearable technology as they provide interactive digital stimuli in the context of ecologically-valid daily activities while containing inertial measurement units (IMUs) to objectively quantify the movements of the user. A necessary precursor to the widespread utilization of the HL2 in the fields of movement science and rehabilitation is the rigorous validation of its capacity to generate biomechanical outcomes comparable to gold standard outcomes. This project sought to determine equivalency of kinematic outcomes characterizing lower-extremity function derived from the HL2 and three-dimensional (3D) motion capture systems (MoCap). Sixty-six healthy adults completed two lower-extremity tasks while kinematic data were collected from the HL2 and MoCap: (1) continuous walking and (2) timed up-and-go (TUG). For all the continuous walking metrics (cumulative distance, time, number of steps, step and stride length, and velocity), equivalence testing indicated that the HL2 and MoCap were statistically equivalent (error ≤ 5%). The TUG metrics, including turn duration and turn velocity, were also statistically equivalent between the two systems. The accurate quantification of gait and turning using a wearable such as the HL2 provides initial evidence for its use as a platform for the development and delivery of gait and mobility assessments, including the in-person and remote delivery of highly salient digital movement assessments and rehabilitation protocols.

Augmented proximity: Integration of physical and virtual proximity to enhance network connectivity

With the continuing increase in online communications, virtual proximity as well as physical proximity has become a common way to connect individuals. Virtual proximity refers to the psychological closeness felt by people based on their participation in a virtual space. Hence, augmenting physical proximity with virtual types is believed to enhance connectivity within social networks, and applications that consider both types have the capability to provide new forms of interaction. However, despite the importance of their coexistence, these proximity concepts have been studied separately or are being integrated using diverse terminologies that often lead to misunderstandings. Furthermore, although some applications reflect the two proximity types (e.g., location-based services), there is no metric of comparison. This paper proposes the concept of augmented proximity (AP), which combines physical and virtual forms into a network analogous to one of mixed reality (MR). The concept provides a clear distinction between physical and virtual proximity using a single quantitative value. Using this concept, a formal taxonomy is established to compare and evaluate AP-based networks. The taxonomy consists of three dimensions that can be analyzed using graph theory, including the extent of connectivity degree, diffusion effect, and extent of perceived closeness. Furthermore, using the services underlying AP-based network, the proposed taxonomy can be applied to evaluate the suitability of the services as an indicator for comparison. The results show that one of the two services has a higher taxonomy-based value, and a reasonable basis for selecting one based on proximity is established. This study suggests that AP will play an important role as a quantitative indicator in developing and comparing applications that consider proximity in both virtual and physical modes.

Protean Kinematics: A Blended Model of VR Physics

Avatar research largely focuses on the effects of the appearance and external characteristics of avatars, but may also warrant further consideration of the effects of avatar movement characteristics. With Protean kinematics, we offer an expansion the avatar-user appearances-based effects of the Proteus Effect to a systematic exploration into the role of movement in affecting social perceptions (about others) and idealized perceptions (about self). This work presents both a theoretical (typology) and methodological (physics-based measurement) approach to understanding the complex blend of physical inputs and virtual outputs that occur in the perceptual experience of VR, particularly in consideration of the collection of hippocampal (e.g., place cells, grid cells) and entorhinal neurons (e.g., speed cells) that fire topologically relative to physical movement in physical space. Offered is a novel method that distills the blend of physical and virtual kinematics to contribute to modern understandings of human-agent interaction and cognitive psychology.

[Ethical implications in the development of functional training in mixed and augmented reality environments to treat hypertension in old age: A qualitative content analysis]

BACKGROUND

E-Health is of increasing importance in ensuring demand-oriented health care. In addition to technical feasibility, issues concerning the normative requirements for their use are growing. This paper discusses the ethical, legal and social implications of the use of mixed reality (MR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies in the therapy of elderly people with hypertension. It is based on the results of a study conducted as a part of the BMBF project BewARe.

METHODS

In the context of the above-mentioned background, an expert workshop was held with various stakeholders in an early phase of the BewARe project in accordance with the MEESTAR model, in which ethical, social and legal requirements for the development and use of AR/MR technologies were anticipated. The results of the workshop were subsequently evaluated using content analysis.

RESULTS

Content analysis identified eight main challenges for the development and use of AR/MR technologies in the therapy of elderly people with hypertension: ethical challenges for the decision-making and action capacity of older users (1), stereotyping (2), user-oriented development and implementation (3), data protection (4), support (5), health risks (6), social participation (7), and the need for an integrative approach (8).

DISCUSSION

In line with other studies, it can be shown that orientation towards medical guidelines and behavioral principles is essential to promote acceptance and adherence among end users and to minimize potential health risks. In addition, end users should be more strongly involved in the development process to overcome existing user stereotypes and establish qualification strategies for health-promoting use. Finally, legal and health economic framework conditions must be created to ensure data security and sustainable application concepts.

CONCLUSION

For a successful diffusion of AR/MR applications in health care, a holistic implementation concept is required which must involve various groups of social actors. In this context, the article discusses eight main challenges that can be understood as current challenges in this process.

The Virtual Reality Lab: Realization and Application of Virtual Sound Environments

To assess perception with and performance of modern and future hearing devices with advanced adaptive signal processing capabilities, novel evaluation methods are required that go beyond already established methods. These novel methods will simulate to a certain extent the complexity and variability of acoustic conditions and acoustic communication styles in real life. This article discusses the current state and the perspectives of virtual reality technology use in the lab for designing complex audiovisual communication environments for hearing assessment and hearing device design and evaluation. In an effort to increase the ecological validity of lab experiments, that is, to increase the degree to which lab data reflect real-life hearing-related function, and to support the development of improved hearing-related procedures and interventions, this virtual reality lab marks a transition from conventional (audio-only) lab experiments to the field. The first part of the article introduces and discusses the notion of the communication loop as a theoretical basis for understanding the factors that are relevant for acoustic communication in real life. From this, requirements are derived that allow an assessment of the extent to which a virtual reality lab reflects these factors, and which may be used as a proxy for ecological validity. The most important factor of real-life communication identified is a closed communication loop among the actively behaving participants. The second part of the article gives an overview of the current developments towards a virtual reality lab at Oldenburg University that aims at interactive and reproducible testing of subjects with and without hearing devices in challenging communication conditions. The extent to which the virtual reality lab in its current state meets the requirements defined in the first part is discussed, along with its limitations and potential further developments. Finally, data are presented from a qualitative study that compared subject behavior and performance in two audiovisual environments presented in the virtual reality lab-a street and a cafeteria-with the corresponding field environments. The results show similarities and differences in subject behavior and performance between the lab and the field, indicating that the virtual reality lab in its current state marks a step towards more ecological validity in lab-based hearing and hearing device research, but requires further development towards higher levels of ecological validity.

Effects of Augmented Reality Object and Texture Presentation on Walking Behavior

Wearable devices that display visual augmented reality (AR) are now on the market, and we are becoming able to see AR displays on a daily basis. By being able to use AR displays in everyday environments, we can benefit from the ability to display AR objects in places where it has been difficult to place signs, to change the content of the display according to the user or time of day, and to display video. However, there has not been sufficient research on AR displays’ effect on users in everyday environments. In this study, we investigate how users are affected by AR displays. In this paper, we report our research results on the AR displays’ effect on the user’s walking behavior. We conducted two types of experiments—one on the effects of displaying AR objects on the user’s walking path, and the other on the effects of changing the floor texture by AR on the user’s walking behavior. As a result of the experiments, we found that the AR objects/textures affected the user’s walking behavior.

Cross Reality (XR): Challenges and Opportunities Across the Spectrum

Cross Reality (XR) resources hold promise for enhancing instruction and learning experiences in and out of the classroom. Appropriate XR applications can provide the foundation for new types of learning environments and experiences while bringing users together to create unique communities of inquiry and practice. Here we explore the opportunities and benefits of harnessing the affordances of XR while exploring the challenges associated with implementation. Recommendations and implications for future research are also addressed.

Extended Reality for the Clinical, Affective, and Social Neurosciences

Brain science research often involves the use of low-dimensional tools and stimuli that lack several of the potentially valuable features of everyday activities and interactions. Although this research has provided important information about cognitive, affective, and social processes for both clinical and nonclinical populations, there is growing interest in high-dimensional simulations that extend reality. These high-dimensional simulations involve dynamic stimuli presented serially or concurrently to permit the assessment and training of perceivers' integrative processes over time. Moreover, high-dimensional simulation platforms can contextually restrain interpretations of cues about a target's internal states. Extended reality environments extend assessment and training platforms that balance experimental control with emotionally engaging background narratives aimed at extending the affective experience and social interactions. Herein, we highlight the promise of extended reality platforms for greater ecological validity in the clinical, affective, and social neurosciences.

Multi-Platform Expansion of the Virtual Human Toolkit: Ubiquitous Conversational Agents

We present an extension of the Virtual Human Toolkit to include a range of computing platforms, including mobile, web, Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR). The Toolkit uses a mix of in-house and commodity technologies to support audio-visual sensing, speech recognition, natural language processing, nonverbal behavior generation and realization, text-to-speech generation and rendering. It has been extended to support computing platforms beyond Windows by leveraging microservices. The resulting framework maintains the modularity of the underlying architecture, allows re-use of both logic and content through cloud services, and is extensible by porting lightweight clients. We present the current state of the framework, discuss how we model and animate our characters, and offer lessons learned through several use cases, including expressive character animation in seated VR, shared space and navigation in room-scale VR, autonomous AI in mobile AR, and real-time user performance feedback leveraging mobile sensors in headset AR.

I'll trade you diamonds for toilet paper: Consumer reacting, coping and adapting behaviors in the COVID-19 pandemic

In this research, we document some of the many unusual consumer behavior patterns that came to dominate the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. We offer insights based on theory to help explain and predict these behaviors and associated outcomes in order to inform future research and marketing practice. Taking an environmentally-imposed constraints point of view, we examine behaviors during each of three phases: reacting (e.g., hoarding and rejecting), coping (e.g. maintaining social connectedness, do-it-yourself behaviors, changing views of brands) and longer-term adapting (e.g. potentially transformative changes in consumption and individual and social identity). We discuss implications for marketing researchers and practice.

Effects of visual information presented by augmented reality on children's behavior

The effects on children's behavior of visual information presented by augmented reality (AR) were investigated. A human-like AR character was presented standing in one of two physical pathways to children aged 5-7 years old and 8-10 years old before they completed a filler task. After the task, the children were required to walk through one of the two pathways to obtain a reward. Both the 5-7- and 8-10-year-olds chose the pathway that was not associated with the AR character more frequently than the pathway that was. Subsequently, adult participants tested in a similar manner showed no significant bias in pathway selection. Taken together, these results suggest that the presentation of an AR character within the present experimental setting affected the behavior of children aged from 5-10 years but not that of adults. The results are discussed in the context of developmental changes in sensitivity to insubstantial agents (e.g., imaginary companion), the reality of information displayed by AR technology, and differences in the methods of AR presentation (e.g., hand-held devices vs. head-mounted devices).

Potential of Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Technologies to Promote Wellbeing in Older Adults

Older adults face significant loss and limitations in terms of mobility, cognitive ability, and socialization. By using augmented reality and virtual reality technologies they have the potential to overcome such loss and limitations, and to eventually improve their quality of life. However, this group is often excluded in augmented reality and virtual reality deployment. Further, limited studies address their challenges when using augmented reality and virtual reality. Therefore, for a critical review of augmented reality and virtual reality for older adults, we developed a framework to evaluate related factors, including physical, social, and psychological wellbeing. Through the critical review, we identified that most augmented reality and virtual reality studies focus on physical wellbeing of older adults but also make substantial efforts to increase their psychological wellbeing. Fun factors that would motivate them are also extensively considered. Further, social isolation continues to be a significant issue for older adults, but the appropriate content to increase their social wellbeing is insufficient, although many commercial products have been developed. The contribution of the present study is to provide a contextual framework and an evaluation framework for the critical review of augmented reality and virtual reality technologies to promote wellbeing in older adults. This study also suggests the augmented reality and virtual reality research direction for studies on this group by identifying the research gap through the critical review process. Lastly, this study investigates design directions of augmented reality and virtual reality for older adults by introducing challenges and design issues that emerged through the critical review.