Communicating slow, invisible environmental processes such as corrosion remains challenging in public contexts. We explore how smell can function as a creative design material in a multisensory VR experience for science communication. Using Research-through-Design (RtD), we developed and iteratively refined a 5-minute VR experience across co-design, prototyping, and public deployment. Olfaction was introduced as an embodied layer to translate imperceptible chemical processes into experiential form. Findings from a festival deployment with 73 participants show that smell enhanced immersion and memorability for some users but was perceived inconsistently and often amplified already salient visual moments. We characterise smell as an unruly material due to variability in perception, diffusion, and context, and contribute an RtD account of multisensory VR design for science communication, outlining implications for designing with olfaction in public settings.

The demands of creating an immersive Virtual Reality (VR) experience often exceed the raw capabilities of graphics hardware. Perceptually-driven techniques can reduce rendering costs by directing effort away from features that do not significantly impact the overall user experience while maintaining a high level of quality where it matters most. One such approach is foveated rendering, which allows for a reduction in the quality of the image in the peripheral region of the field-of-view where lower visual acuity results in users being less able to resolve fine details. 6 Degrees of Freedom tracking allows for the exploration of VR environments through different modalities, such as user-generated head or body movements. The effect of self-induced motion on rendering optimization has generally been overlooked and is not yet well understood. To explore this, we used Variable Rate Shading (VRS) to create a foveated rendering method triggered by the translational velocity of the users and studied different levels of shading Level-of-Detail (LOD). We asked 10 participants in a within-subjects design to report whether they noticed a degradation in the rendering of a rich environment when performing active ego-movement or when being passively transported through the environment. We ran a psychophysical experiment using an accelerated stochastic approximation staircase method and modified the diameter and the LOD of the peripheral region. Our results show that self-induced walking can be used to significantly improve the savings of foveated rendering by allowing for an increased size of the low-quality area in a foveated algorithm compared to the passive condition. After fitting psychometric functions showcasing the percentage of correct responses related to different shading rates in the two types of movements, we also report the threshold severity (75%) point for when participants are able to detect such degradation. We argue such metrics can inform the future design of movement-dependent foveated techniques that could reduce computational load and increase energy savings.

Recent years have seen a growing research interest towards designing computer-assisted health interventions aiming to improve mental health services. Digital technologies are becoming common methods for diagnosis, therapy, and training. With the advent of lower-cost VR head-mounted-displays (HMDs) and high internet data transfer capacity, there is a new opportunity for applying immersive VR tools to augment existing interventions. This study is among the first to explore the use of a Multi-User Virtual Reality (MUVR) system as a therapeutic medium for participants at high-risk for developing Eating Disorders. This paper demonstrates the positive effect of using MUVR remote psychotherapy to enhance traditional therapeutic practices. The study capitalises on the opportunities which are offered by a MUVR remote psychotherapeutic session to enhance the outcome of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Play Therapy and Exposure Therapy for sufferers with body shape and weight concerns. Moreover, the study presents the design opportunities and challenges of such technology, while strengths on the feasibility, and the positive user acceptability of introducing MUVR to facilitate remote psychotherapy. Finally, the appeal of using VR for remote psychotherapy and its observed positive impact on both therapists and participants is discussed.