The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Exploring the Potential of VR for Decolonial Storytelling
A key focus of the CIIIC stimulus programme is public values. How do we ensure that IX applications are developed, applied and used responsibly? This theme runs as a common thread through all funded projects. The project by Inholland University of Applied Sciences (with, among others, the Nationaal Archief and the Koninklijke Bibliotheek) even focuses entirely on public values. Central to it is the question of how scriptwriters can responsibly develop cinematographic VR narratives about colonial histories and their repercussions in present-day society.
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ImmersiveValidMovement: Validatie van consumenten-XR voor verantwoorde fysiotherapie oefeningen
In physiotherapy, there is a wish to use immersive experiences (IX) such as XR serious games both to motivate patients and to help them perform exercises correctly. To this end, VerseUS Games has developed XR exercise formats that use the built-in sensors of consumer XR headsets (such as Meta Quest and Pico) to record patients' movements. However, it is unclear to what extent these data are reliable and valid enough to assess clinically relevant joint angles, particularly in patients with complex shoulder complaints. ImmersiveValidMovement therefore focuses primarily on "new methodological approaches to measuring usability and effectiveness of IX". We develop and validate methods to derive movements of the head, neck, shoulder and elbow from XR sensor data (headset and hand controllers) and to assess their reliability. We do not develop new IX software or hardware, but work with existing VerseUS games and consumer XR headsets. The emphasis is on measurement methods, analysis techniques and responsible use. In work package 1 (the first three months) we carry out the preparatory work. Together with physiotherapists (FlevoFysiotherapie) we specify which joint angles and variables matter for correctly performing the prescribed exercise (position, speed, acceleration; in a global coordinate system and/or relative to body segments). VerseUS Games provides the XR environment and does the technical work to export the data collection from the headset in time-synchronised form. UMCG provides the research protocol, arranges ethical approval and has the research labs required to conduct the study. In work package 2 we then carry out the validation study, in which the XR measurements are compared with the gold standard (for example Vicon or Optotrak) available at UMCG. Reliability and validity are determined using, among other things, ICC, Bland-Altman plots, correlations and RMSE. Based on this research, UMCG will deliver a report on the validity and reliability of the VerseUS XR exercises as measured by the sensors in the commercial headsets. This provides the basis for further development.
Van ethische dilemma’s naar toekomstdenken: immersieve technologie als katalysator voor inclusieve besluitvorming
Technological innovations bring urgent ethical questions with them. These questions call not only for an assessment of what is desirable, but also for anticipating possible futures and the values that are central to them. A major barrier to inclusive decision-making is a lack of futures awareness and ethical capacity. Many people find it hard to imagine the implications of technology. Non-users in particular experience a knowledge gap and feel they cannot join the conversation, even though they do undergo technology's impact. This problem is reinforced because the future of a technology is often imagined by a handful of companies whose business models encourage polarisation and digital dependency, while environmental impact and social costs are externalised. This increases the likelihood of one-sided decision-making. The project applies ethics-by-design by involving a city's residents inclusively and actively in exploring ethical dilemmas around emerging technology. We use social friction as a source of innovation and connect technology development to values such as safety, power and inclusion. The research focuses on strengthening the imagination through two 'Moral Labs': 1 - a traditional presentation (image and text), followed by a conversation; 2 - an immersive presentation in Virtual Reality (VR), followed by a conversation. In both scenarios, several participants discuss the positions taken and the moral dilemmas together. The VR intervention uses multiplayer functionality to create social presence. By running a moderated split test on the two scenarios above, this research weighs the effectiveness of an immersive experience against the traditional presentation. The richness of both conversations is analysed using Ahvenharju's (2018) five dimensions of futures consciousness and the LIWC tool (Boyd, 2022). The results offer insight into how immersive technology can contribute to inclusive ethical dialogue and democratic decision-making.
Towards a Common Language for Immersive Experiences: a Cross-Sector Exploration of Concepts and Measurement
How are IX effects measured? And do different sectors actually mean the same thing when they use IX concepts and measurement methods? These questions evolve alongside developments in the IX field. For Zuyd University of Applied Sciences, this is reason to critically re-examine the perception of existing concepts and methods, together with other research groups and IX creators from the creative industry.
The Locus Of Fear 7 (TLOF_7)
One example is the project The Locus of Fear, in which UMC Amsterdam collaborates with the University of Twente and two IX creators from the cultural and creative industry. In this practice-oriented art research, they investigate how IX can help to better understand and measure experiences of fear.