Effective visual accessibility in Virtual Reality (VR) is crucial for Blind and Low Vision (BLV) users. However, designing visual accessibility systems is challenging due to the complexity of 3D VR environments and the need for techniques that can be easily retrofitted into existing applications. While prior work has studied how to enhance or translate visual information, the advancement of Vision Language Models (VLMs) provides an exciting opportunity to advance the scene interpretation capability of current systems. This paper presents EnVisionVR, an accessibility tool for VR scene interpretation. Through a formative study of usability barriers, we confirmed the lack of visual accessibility features as a key barrier for BLV users of VR content and applications. In response, we used our findings from the formative study to inform the design and development of EnVisionVR, a novel visual accessibility system leveraging a VLM, voice input and multimodal feedback for scene interpretation and virtual object interaction in VR. An evaluation with 12 BLV users demonstrated that EnVisionVR significantly improved their ability to locate virtual objects, effectively supporting scene understanding and object interaction.

This paper examines the levels of exclusion encountered by disabled and older users of consumer-level VR and AR technology and identifies methods formed by people with diverse access needs to circumvent encountered barriers to use. First, we estimate exclusion rates for a selection of nine immersive experiences of VR and AR, computed using population statistics data for the United Kingdom (UK). We then present an empirical lab-based study evaluating the usability of the same VR and AR experiences. The study involved 60 UK-based participants with varying access needs and the study results were used to calculate the empirical exclusion rates. Both the estimated and empirical exclusion rates display high levels of exclusion, which for the more complex experiences in the study reached 100 %. However, multiple participants overcame usability barriers and completed experiences through provided assistance and self-initiated adaptations, suggesting that future VR and AR can become more inclusive if designed to counter these barriers.

Abstract Virtual Production is a new process in the audiovisual industry, taking advantage of emerging technologies and attracting a significant degree of interest in academic and industrial research. This article documents a research process focusing on co-design of innovative solutions for Virtual Production relying on immersive technologies. Two remote collaborative workshops were organized involving audiovisual professionals covering different roles in different phases of the making process of audiovisual production. A range of innovative design concepts was generated as part of the research following group-based iterative discussion and evaluation. The study has contributed a set of innovative design solutions in relation to applications of immersive technologies in the audiovisual industry. The authors argue that the methods adopted have the potential to serve as a blueprint for design and implementation of future remote collaborative co-design processes in relation to audiovisual studies and, more generally, across disciplinary boundaries.

In common with many industries, the audiovisual sector is likely to be transformed by real-time graphic engines in combination with immersive technologies such as Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality. This technological mix enables what is presently known as Virtual Production, introducing a new process to the audiovisual professional, capable of fostering creativity, collaboration, and decision making, while at the same time increasing efficiency. The potential for Virtual Production to transform workflows and creative processes within large-scale productions in the audiovisual sector is significant and includes the prospective introduction of new capabilities for remote co-creation of content. However, barriers to democratisation need to be overcome, particularly in relation to adoption of the technology by small and medium independent productions that generally have limited access to resources and technical knowledge. Following an extensive study of the current literature and involvement in the research of professionals working in the field through online interviews, this article documents a first step towards filling this gap by investigating Virtual Production adoption scenarios for small and medium independent productions. The primary aim is to design intuitive, engaging, and effective solutions to address the needs of Directors, Cinematographers, and Producers. Thanks to the valuable time and experience of industry professionals, this study has gathered user requirements for a Virtual Production design solution capable of facilitating location scouting and pre-production. A novel framework for remote exploration of target locations within immersive environments, co-created with relevant stakeholders, is presented to lay the foundations of future co-design work.

The process of using remote vision was simulated in order to determine the effects of video image frame rate on the performance in visual recognition of stationary environmental hazards in the dynamic video footage of the pedestrian travel environment. The recognition performance was assessed against two different video image frame rate variations: 25 and 2 fps. The assessment included a range of objective and subjective criteria. The obtained results show that the effects of the frame rate variations on the performance are statistically insignificant. This paper belongs to the process of development of a novel system for navigation of visually impaired pedestrians. The navigation system includes a remote vision facility, and the visual recognition of the environmental hazards by the sighted human guide is a basic activity in aiding the visually impaired user of the system in mobility.