The usage of virtual avatars in healthcare applications has become widely popular; however, certain critical aspects, such as social distancing and avatar size, remain insufficiently explored. This research investigates user experience and preferences when interacting with a healthcare application utilizing virtual avatars displayed in different sizes. For our study, we had 23 participants interacting with five different avatars (a human-size avatar followed by four, respectively, smaller avatars in a randomized order) varying in size, projected on a wall in front of them. The avatars were fully integrated with an artificial intelligence chatbot to make them conversational. Users were asked to rate the usability of the system after interacting with each avatar and complete a survey regarding trust and an additional questionnaire on social presence. The results of this study show that avatar size significantly influences the perceived attractiveness and perspicuity with the medium-sized avatars having received the highest ratings. Social presence correlated strongly with stimulation and attractiveness, suggesting that an avatar’s visual appeal and interactivity influenced user engagement more than its physical size. Additionally, we observed a tendency for gender-specific differences on some of the UEQ+ scales, with male participants tending to prefer human-sized representations, while female participants slightly favored smaller avatars. These findings highlight the importance of avatar design and representation in optimizing user experience and trust in virtual healthcare environments.

Virtual environments (VEs) are increasingly used for immersive experiences, training simulations, and entertainment, yet factors such as height perception and user stance can significantly influence user experience (UX). Height perception in VEs plays a crucial role in shaping UX, particularly in immersive applications such as climbing simulations. This study investigates the effects of height in various VEs and examines how user stance, sitting or standing, impacts immersion, perceived height, and motion sickness. A user study was conducted with 25 participants who played through five randomized climbing scenarios, ranging from indoor climbing gyms to outdoor cityscapes and mountainous terrains. Participants’ UX was assessed using standardized questionnaires, including the IPQ for general presence, spatial presence, involvement, and experienced realism; as well as the SSQ to evaluate motion sickness symptoms such as nausea, oculomotor strain, and disorientation. Results indicate that seated participants experienced slightly higher immersion but were also more susceptible to motion sickness compared to those standing. While standing participants maintained consistent scores across different environments, seated participants reported increased immersion and discomfort as the VEs became larger, more physically demanding, and visually complex.

This paper explores the effects of visual aspects in virtual environments on user input performance and perception, when conducting a target selection task with raycasting as the interaction technique. Four virtual environments based on combinations of two visual modalities have been created with four different types of objects to conduct a selection task based user study. Each environment was designed to vary according to two key visual elements: the presence or absence of spatial reference points and the inclusion of dynamic elements. Participants completed a questionnaire, which included items from the General Presence and Spatial Presence subscales of the iGroup Presence Questionnaire, as well as the short version of the User Experience Questionnaire, which assessed the perceived qualities of the virtual environment. The results revealed that spatial reference points significantly improved accuracy by reducing selection errors, reinforcing their role as essential visual guides in virtual environments. Dynamic elements, on the other hand, increased selection time, indicating higher cognitive demands during task execution. Additionally, immersion and user experience metrics were positively correlated with both selection time and hit offset, indicating a relationship between higher presence or enjoyment and slower, less precise interactions.

Controlling Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) is a cognitively demanding task, with accidents often arising from insufficient situational awareness, inadequate training, and bad user experiences. Providing more intuitive and immersive visual feedback—particularly through Digital Twin technologies—offers new opportunities to enhance pilot awareness and the overall experience quality. In this study, we investigate how different virtual points of view (POVs) influence user experience and performance during UAV piloting in Virtual Reality (VR), utilizing a digital twin that faithfully replicates the real-world flight environment. We developed a VR application that enables participants to control a physical DJI Mini 4 Pro drone while immersed in a digital twin with four distinct camera perspectives: Baseline View (static external), First Person View, Chase View, and Third Person View. Nineteen participants completed a series of ring-based obstacle courses from each perspective. In addition to objective flight data, we collected standardized subjective assessments of user experience, presence, workload, cybersickness, and situational awareness. Quantitative analyses revealed that the First Person View was associated with significantly higher mental demand and effort, greater trajectory deviation, but smoother control inputs compared to the Third Person and Chase perspectives. Complementing these findings, preference data indicated that the Third Person View was most consistently favored, whereas the First Person View elicited polarized reactions.

This study explores how prior exposure to physical objects influences the quality and realism perception of Digital Twins (DT) with varying levels of fidelity in Virtual Reality (VR). In a mixed experimental design, 24 participants were divided into two equal groups: an exposure group, in which members were shown physical objects before inspecting and rating their replicas in VR, and a control group without prior knowledge. Three objects were presented, each under four fidelity conditions with varying texture resolution and geometric detail. Participants rated perceived quality and realism through in-VR self-reports. Statistical analysis revealed that texture resolution significantly affected realism and quality perception, whereas geometric detail only influenced quality ratings. Investigating the between-factor, no significant effect of exposure on quality and realism perception was found. These findings raise important questions about the cognitive relationship between physical objects and their digital counterparts and how fidelity influences the perception of DTs in VR.

This study explored a concept for using Augmented Reality (AR) glasses to customize augmented table setup and lighting in a restaurant. The aim was to provide insights into AR usage in restaurants and contribute to existing research by introducing an extendable and versatile concept for scholars and restaurateurs. A controlled laboratory study, using a within-subjects design, was conducted to investigate the effects of a customizable augmented table setup and lighting on user experience (UX), perceived waiting time, psychological ownership and social acceptability. A simulated restaurant environment was created using 360° image in Virtual Reality (VR). The study implemented default and customizable table setup and lighting. Results from a paired samples t-test showed a statistically significant effect of table setup and lighting on pragmatic quality of UX, hedonic quality of UX, overall UX, Valence, Dominance, psychological ownership and affect. Furthermore, table setup had a significant effect on Arousal and perceived waiting time. Moreover, table setup significantly affected AR Interaction-, Isolation-, and Safety acceptability, while lighting only affected AR Interaction acceptability. Findings suggest that these investigated variables are worth considering for AR applications in a restaurant, especially when offering customizable augmented table setup and lighting.

While current Quality of Experience (QoE) formation models recognize the impact of user states on perception, they often overlook the subjective nuances and individual variations in these experiences. We discuss the integration of both situation-dependent and independent user states, show how dependent states are influenced by varying multimedia content quality, and reflect back into the QoE assessment. To address this gap, we conducted a comprehensive within-subjects lab study (N=92) in a video-telephony setting, employing variables representative of both dependent and independent states, such as affective states, social relationship, sympathy, and bodily needs. Dependent states were assessed per trial and independent states before or after the experiment. Our study investigates two key questions: How does video-telephony call quality influence user-dependent states, and how do both dependent and independent states collectively impact QoE ratings? Our findings reveal a substantial influence of call quality on user emotional states, underscoring the importance of considering these factors in QoE assessments. Moreover, a structural equation model comparison favored the dependent+independent state structure model, highlighting the significant impact of both independent and preceding dependent states on QoE ratings. This research advances QoE models by incorporating a more nuanced mental model of user states, leading to more personalized and accurate multimedia assessment tools, potentially enhancing users’ degree of delight or annoyance and engagement.

This study investigates the feasibility of remote virtual reality (VR) studies conducted at home using VR headsets and video conferencing by deploying an experiment on emotion ratings. 20 participants used head-mounted displays to immerse themselves in 360° videos selected to evoke emotional responses. The research compares continuous ratings using a graphical interface to retrospective questionnaires on a digitized Likert Scale for measuring arousal and valence, both based on the self-assessment manikin (SAM). It was hypothesized that the two different rating methods would lead to significantly different values for both valence and arousal. The goal was to investigate whether continuous ratings during the experience would better reflect users’ emotions compared to the post-questionnaire by mitigating biases such as the peak-end rule. The results show significant differences with moderate to strong effect sizes for valence and no significant differences for arousal with low to moderate effect sizes. This indicates the need for further investigation of the methods used to assess emotion ratings in VR studies. Overall, this study is an example of a remotely conducted VR experiment, offering insights into methods for emotion elicitation in VR by varying the timing and interface of the rating.

The EyeSight feature, introduced with the new Apple Vision Pro XR headset, promises to revolutionize user interaction by simulating real human eye expressions on a digital display. This feature could enhance XR devices’ social acceptability and social presence when communicating with others outside the XR experience. In this pilot study, we explore the implications of the EyeSight feature by examining social acceptability, social presence, emotional responses, and technology acceptance. Eight participants engaged in conversational tasks in three conditions to contrast experiencing the Apple Vision Pro with EyeSight, the Meta Quest 3 as a reference XR headset, and a face-to-face setting. Our preliminary findings indicate that while the EyeSight feature improves perceptions of social presence and acceptability compared to the reference headsets, it does not match the social connectivity of direct human interactions.