2021
Authors
Goncalves, G; Monteiro, P; Coelho, H; Melo, M; Bessa, M;
Publication
IEEE ACCESS
Abstract
Proper evaluation of realism in immersive virtual experiences is crucial to ensure optimisation of resources. This way, we can take better decisions while designing realistic immersive experiences, prioritising factors that have a higher impact on the perceived realism of the virtual experience. This systematic review aims to provide readers with an overview of methodologies used throughout the literature to evaluate realism in immersive virtual, augmented and mixed reality. A total of 79 from 1300 gathered articles met the eligibility criteria and were analysed. Results have shown that virtual reality is by far the platform where realism studies were performed. Head-mounted displays are by far the preferred equipment for such studies. Visual realism is the most researched, followed by audiovisual. The majority of methodologies consisted of subjective, as well as a combination of objective and subjective measures. The most used evaluation instrument is questionnaires where many of which are custom and non-validated. Presence questionnaires are the most used ones and are often used to evaluate the presence, perceived realism and involvement. Cybersickness evaluation is consistently assessed by one self-report questionnaire.
2020
Authors
Coelho, H; Melo, M; Martins, J; Bessa, M;
Publication
Multim. Tools Appl.
Abstract
2022
Authors
Melo, M; Goncalves, G; Monteiro, P; Coelho, H; Vasconcelos Raposo, J; Bessa, M;
Publication
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON VISUALIZATION AND COMPUTER GRAPHICS
Abstract
The majority of virtual reality (VR) applications rely on audiovisual stimuli and do not exploit the addition of other sensory cues that could increase the potential of VR. This systematic review surveys the existing literature on multisensory VR and the impact of haptic, olfactory, and taste cues over audiovisual VR. The goal is to identify the extent to which multisensory stimuli affect the VR experience, which stimuli are used in multisensory VR, the type of VR setups used, and the application fields covered. An analysis of the 105 studies that met the eligibility criteria revealed that 84.8 percent of the studies show a positive impact of multisensory VR experiences. Haptics is the most commonly used stimulus in multisensory VR systems (86.6 percent). Non-immersive and immersive VR setups are preferred over semi-immersive setups. Regarding the application fields, a considerable part was adopted by health professionals and science and engineering professionals. We further conclude that smell and taste are still underexplored, and they can bring significant value to VR applications. More research is recommended on how to synthesize and deliver these stimuli, which still require complex and costly apparatus be integrated into the VR experience in a controlled and straightforward manner.
2022
Authors
Melo, M; Coelho, H; Goncalves, G; Losada, N; Jorge, F; Teixeira, MS; Bessa, M;
Publication
MULTIMEDIA SYSTEMS
Abstract
Virtual reality (VR) technologies have been used successfully in tourism marketing. While most conventional VR applications are of an audiovisual nature, the constant evolution of these technologies allows providing enriched multisensory VR content that can further increase the potential of VR applied to the tourism field. To generate insights into the impact of such VR technologies, this manuscript investigates the impact of such multisensory VR setups and gender on the user's sense of presence, satisfaction, emotions, and attitudes. A user study with a gender-balanced sample (N = 80) was carried where two VR setups (audiovisual vs multisensory) were compared taking into account the user's gender. Results revealed that the female sample scored significantly higher spatial presence across VR setups and reported more involvement and overall presence in the audiovisual condition. In addition, correlations were found between the pairs Spatial Presence-Emotions, Spatial Presence-Enjoyment, Satisfaction-Involvement, Satisfaction-Enjoyment, and Satisfaction and Usefulness to perceive the destination. Results also suggest that multisensory stimulus can mitigate possible gender differences in passive VR scenarios. We concluded that the capability of the VR system to make users feel physically present in the virtual environment contributes significantly to the development of positive emotions and enjoyment, which can contribute positively to the user's consumer behaviour towards the touristic products and services.
2022
Authors
Coelho, H; Monteiro, P; Goncalves, G; Melo, M; Bessa, M;
Publication
MULTIMEDIA TOOLS AND APPLICATIONS
Abstract
Virtual reality (VR) is used in different application fields like health, tourism, or training. Most VR applications for these fields have been built from the ground up without any authoring tool to help the process. This systematic review surveys the existing literature on authoring tools for immersive content and critically analyzes its features and how they are evaluated. It proposes a research agenda with key contribution opportunities for the field. An analysis of the 29 studies that met the eligibility criteria revealed that four records did not present any evaluation regarding the authoring tools' evaluation, and only five records used specialized users to evaluate their authoring tools; all the others used non-specialized users. The most evaluated metrics were usability, effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction. The data collected to evaluate the metrics consisted mainly of Likert scales and reported mean opinion score (MOS). However, few records used well-established questionnaires to evaluate those metrics like System Usability Scale, Post-Study System Usability Questionnaire, After-Scenario Questionnaire and Igroup Presence Questionnaire. Additionally, five of the analyzed records included stimuli other than audiovisual. More research is recommended about the usage of ontologies in authoring tools to comprehend the full potential of its usage since none of them had ontologies.
2022
Authors
Machado, R; Rodrigues, R; Coelho, H; Melo, M; Barbosa, L; Bessa, M;
Publication
2022 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON GRAPHICS AND INTERACTION (ICGI)
Abstract
Virtual reality (VR) is still a field that is in constant development, and people are trying to use it to have a close representation of reality by creating immersive environments. However, despite the existence of some tools that have been adapted to work with VR, they require some experience to work with, and there is a considerable amount of resources that need to be spent to create and maintain the VR experiences, which prevents the adoption and use of all the benefits that VR can bring. This work proposes an architecture for an authoring tool that allows users to create their own virtual experiences without the need for an extensive understanding of it and use them to create a virtual training exercise. This paper uses a case study built upon a real training context scenario applied to the agroforestry field. To validate this proposal, a prototype was built and subject to usability and satisfaction tests that demonstrated the ease of understanding and learning of the interfaces and all the functionalities implemented.
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