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User Experience in Extended Reality

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Computing and Artificial Intelligence".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2023) | Viewed by 18556

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Cultural Technology and Communication, University of the Aegean, 81100 Mytilene, Greece
Interests: virtual reality; mixed reality; user experience; games; pervasive computing

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Guest Editor
Department of Product and Systems Design Engineering, University of the Aegean, Ermoupolis, Greece
Interests: virtual, augmented and mixed reality; natural user interfaces; 3D user interfaces; serious games; digital heritage; intelligent virtual agents
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Technological advances, taking place during the last decade, triggered the design and development of a variety of novel interactive systems that seamlessly integrate both real and virtual elements in a unified environment, along with natural and multi-modal user interfaces enabled by a variety of technologies and wearables. The complexity of the categorization of such environments and their continuous evolvement led to the emergence of the term extended reality (XR), where the X stands for any already developed, or future technology, enabling such environments to exist. Currently, XR includes augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), and virtual reality (VR), i.e., the most predominant categories of systems and experiences combining real and virtual elements. Nevertheless, newly introduced technologies and interaction techniques continuously emerge in the field of XR, greatly affecting the experience of the users when immersed in XR environments, raising a need for further studies regarding usability and user experience. This Special Issue servers as an opportunity for researchers to present their high-quality works towards user experience in the continuously growing and changing field of XR.

Dr. Vlasios Kasapakis
Dr. Spyros Vosinakis
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • user experience studies in XR environments
  • theoretical frameworks and user experience models for XR applications
  • human–computer interaction in XR environments
  • XR applications user studies/surveys
  • shared/multiuser XR environments
  • cognitive studies in XR environments
  • XR technologies development and evaluation
  • usability and accessibility of XR technologies

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 3030 KiB  
Article
Research on Effective Advertising Types in Virtual Environment
by Donghyun Kang, Joungheum Kwon and Sanghun Nam
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(12), 7063; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13127063 - 12 Jun 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1726
Abstract
Virtual reality (VR) applies various types of advertisements (ads) to promote brands while collaborating with companies. This study aims to present effective advertisement types by verifying user responses in a VR environment. First, by analyzing the cases of advertisements with immersive content, the [...] Read more.
Virtual reality (VR) applies various types of advertisements (ads) to promote brands while collaborating with companies. This study aims to present effective advertisement types by verifying user responses in a VR environment. First, by analyzing the cases of advertisements with immersive content, the types of advertisements in VR were defined as avatar costumes, products, and wall posters. The user response was measured in two categories: gaze response measured by the eye-tracking VR advertisement monitoring system (EVAMS) and the advertisement effect analyzed through surveys. As a result of analyzing the user responses, the avatar costumes among the advertisement types caused the highest visual attention and advertisement effect. In addition, by analyzing the correlation between visual attention and the advertisement effect, it was observed that there was a positive relationship between the number of fixations and advertisement attention, fixation time, and advertisement recall. Thus, it was confirmed that the higher the number of fixations and the longer the fixation time, the more positively an advertisement was affected. In addition, it is expected that the results of this study can be used as a reference for effective advertisement directing in VR content development and advertisement directing and processing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue User Experience in Extended Reality)
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17 pages, 2567 KiB  
Article
Touch Matters: The Impact of Physical Contact on Haptic Product Perception in Virtual Reality
by Francisco Felip, Julia Galán, Manuel Contero and Carlos García-García
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(4), 2649; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13042649 - 18 Feb 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2121
Abstract
Nowadays, the presentation of products through virtual reality and other online media coexists with traditional means. However, while some products may be perceived correctly in digital media, others may need physical contact. In this scenario, this work analyses how presenting a product highlighted [...] Read more.
Nowadays, the presentation of products through virtual reality and other online media coexists with traditional means. However, while some products may be perceived correctly in digital media, others may need physical contact. In this scenario, this work analyses how presenting a product highlighted for its haptic properties and the presence or absence of physical contact during the presentation can influence the perception of its attributes and stimulate purchase intention. To this end, an experiment was designed in which each participant viewed and interacted with a chair presented in five different means that elicited a greater or lesser sense of presence. Participants evaluated the product’s attributes on a semantic scale with bipolar pairs. No relation was found between the presentation means and users’ purchase intention. However, results showed significant differences in the evaluation of some physical characteristics depending on the presentation means, and the product was generally more liked when presented in means in which it could be touched. We conclude that choosing means that allow a product to be touched and elicit a greater sense of presence may impact more positively on evaluations of haptic features when presenting a product with high haptic importance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue User Experience in Extended Reality)
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12 pages, 2562 KiB  
Article
Customizing a Cognitive Stimulation Program for Individuals with Dementia through a Participatory Design Approach
by Mónica Spínola, Joana Câmara, Luís Ferreira, Ana Lúcia Faria and Sergi Bermúdez i Badia
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(22), 11612; https://doi.org/10.3390/app122211612 - 15 Nov 2022
Viewed by 2036
Abstract
(1) Background: Different intervention strategies, such as reminiscence and music-based therapies, effectively mitigate the cognitive decline of individuals with dementia (IwD). An important challenge when implementing these approaches lies in the need for content customization. We designed Musiquence platform, a framework that allows [...] Read more.
(1) Background: Different intervention strategies, such as reminiscence and music-based therapies, effectively mitigate the cognitive decline of individuals with dementia (IwD). An important challenge when implementing these approaches lies in the need for content customization. We designed Musiquence platform, a framework that allows the customization of music and reminiscence content in cognitive stimulation activities. (2) Methods: Here, we present a participatory design methodology for designing a seven-week customized cognitive stimulation program (CCSP) for IwD using Musiquence. We ran focus groups with 19 formal caregivers, who provided information regarding themes and music to be used in activities for IwD, and gathered preferences from 20 IwD. (3) Results: The CCSP consists of seven cycles of tasks combining the activities available in Musiquence, the seven preferential themes of IwD, and the seven songs most frequently referenced by formal caregivers. (4) Conclusions: Finally, we provide a set of guidelines to implement a participatory design approach for content development together with IwD. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue User Experience in Extended Reality)
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21 pages, 5687 KiB  
Article
Workspace and Productivity: Guidelines for Virtual Reality Workplace Design and Optimization
by Lisa Aufegger, Natasha Elliott-Deflo and Tim Nichols
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(15), 7393; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12157393 - 22 Jul 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 6015
Abstract
Employee satisfaction and productivity are highly dependent on the alignment between the design of a workplace, the culture, the work activities, and the technology used, and while the understanding of such interactions has received increased interest in fields including architecture, health, and psychology, [...] Read more.
Employee satisfaction and productivity are highly dependent on the alignment between the design of a workplace, the culture, the work activities, and the technology used, and while the understanding of such interactions has received increased interest in fields including architecture, health, and psychology, very little is known in relation to virtual work and reality (VR). VR workplaces have the potential to become an integral part of new work arrangements, enabling employees to execute teamwork and task work through (mature) simulated environments designed to meet individual, team, and organizational productivity needs. Thus, the aim of this study was three-fold: In study 1, we gained, through expert interviews, insights into contemporary thinking in workplace design, and gathered a greater understanding of the dimensions of design, behaviors, environments, and tools that affect collaborative work and productivity. In study 2, we observed knowledge workers in home environments and open, closed, and balanced office layouts, in order to understand the potential for successful integration in VR. In study 3, we evaluated environmental needs and opportunities through VR. Based on our findings, we developed an Ecology of Work model, combining work systems and pillars of performance success. These are followed by discussions on design needs and implications for VR. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue User Experience in Extended Reality)
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16 pages, 3838 KiB  
Article
Web XR User Interface Research: Design 3D Layout Framework in Static Websites
by Yongkang Xing, Jethro Shell, Conor Fahy, Tiande Xie, Ho Yan Kwan and Wenqiang Xie
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(11), 5600; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12115600 - 31 May 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 4325
Abstract
Advances in digital interactive technologies have created a range of innovative products and services for the well-being of society. Extended Reality (XR) technology has shown enormous potential in the educational, commercial, and medical fields. Considering the potential of XR, we analyzed the use [...] Read more.
Advances in digital interactive technologies have created a range of innovative products and services for the well-being of society. Extended Reality (XR) technology has shown enormous potential in the educational, commercial, and medical fields. Considering the potential of XR, we analyzed the use of XR technology for the improvement of web service user experiences. The paper discusses Web Extended Reality (XR) and its current circumstances. The study also discusses the advantages of web componentization and the Page Builder System, which is a famous framework for web componentization. Furthermore, the study analyzes the characteristics of XR. The research designs the Web XR User Interface framework with XR characteristics and componentization design. A 3D UI framework is proposed for providing an immersive, explorative, and readable user experience. The framework covers three aspects, including main content, a scrollbar, and navigation. In order to evaluate the performance efficiency of the framework, a proof-of-concept prototype was developed to examine the concept. We conducted a user study with 60 participants to evaluate the reading performance. Compared with the traditional web layout, the experimental results showed that the framework can improve the user experience in static websites. The paper indicates possible future views based on the experimental study. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue User Experience in Extended Reality)
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