In this paper we explore the benefits that self-embodied virtual avatars provide to a user’s sense of presence while wearing a headmounted display in a immersive virtual environment (IVE). Recent work has shown that providing a user with a virtual avatar can increase their performance when completing tasks such as ego-centric distance judgment [5]. The results of this research imply that a heig...

This paper reviews current approaches to designing virtual environments and investigates aspects of influence in designing auditory spaces to support novel forms of interaction in virtual places. Initial research on human imagined sounds from places has identified ‘expectation’ as an important psychological construct, which must be considered when designing sounds for virtual places. The resear...

In previous work, we have found significant differences in participants’ distance perception accuracy in different types of immersive virtual environments (IVEs). Could these differences be an indication of, or consequence of, differences in participants’ sense of presence under these different virtual environment conditions? In this paper, we report the results of an experiment that seeks furt...

In this paper, it is hypothesized that consistency across modalities in terms of matching the visual space to the auditory space is important for the sense of presence. An experiment was carried out where thirty participants were exposed to four conditions having different degrees of auditory-visual consistency (one purely visual and three auditory-visual). A presence questionnaire was used aft...

A first-person perspective role-playing game by its very nature attempts to create a sense of presence by fostering a deep connection between a user and her avatar. However, the current communication interfaces found within such environments endanger this connection by both forcing the player to consider the interface instead of the game and removing control over the character’s behavior from t...

This paper presents a new sound-based approach for providing an effective sense of presence in virtual environments. Instead of reproducing realistic sounds, our technique is based on finding minimal sound objects and sound events. We present the results from a user study of people’s sound expectations in different physical spaces. Expectation and discrimination are identified as two important ...

Technology offers many opportunities for educators to support teaching, learning and assessment. This paper introduces a project to design and implement a virtual environment (SAVE Science) intended to assess (not teach) middle school students’ knowledge and use of scientific inquiry through two modules developed around curriculum taught in middle schools in Pennsylvania, U.S.A. We explore how ...

The paper describes the design and implementation of a novel low cost virtual rugby decision making interactive for use in a visitor centre. Original laboratory-based experimental work in decision making in rugby, using a virtual reality headset [1] is adapted for use in a public visitor centre, with consideration given to usability, costs, practicality and health and safety. Movement of profes...

This paper describes an Augmented Reality (AR) system for the treatment of acrophobia. First, the technical characteristics of the first prototype are described. Second, the capacity of the immersive photography used in the AR system to provoke sense of presence in users is tested. Forty-one participants without fear of heights, walked around a staircase in both a real environment and an immers...

Over the centuries artists have developed a range of techniques for inducing a sense of presence in an audience. The goals of these are however essentially open-ended. The presence engineer, on the other hand aims to use presence for practical applications. After summarizing ways in which presence can be detected and measured this paper places 21 century presence techniques and technologies in ...