Virtual reality expertise may significantly aid in treating individuals suffering from arachnophobia, specifically those with intense fear responses to spiders.
What if a single expertise could empower robots to conduct meticulous security checks at nuclear facilities, alleviate the phobias of those fearing spiders by generating a calming atmosphere, and simulate the warmth of a long-distance family member’s embrace?
Welcome to the world of prolonged actuality. EU-funded researchers have endeavored to demonstrate the vast and impressive scope of its capabilities.
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Their aim was to merge the physical and virtual realms by enhancing reality with digital elements, and create an even more engaging experience for users through fully immersive computer-generated environments.
Erik Hernandez Jimenez, a researcher, couldn’t have predicted the lightning-fast relevance his project gained when it launched in mid-2019. Within a year, the COVID-19 pandemic’s far-reaching impact led to repeated lockdowns, forcing people to adapt by working and socializing remotely through video conferencing platforms from the comfort of their own homes.
When asked about their approach to staying connected during lockdown, Hernandez Jimenez explained, “We realized that despite being physically distant, we could still apply our expertise and maintain human connection through computer technology.”
He spearheaded the EU Analysis Initiative, a project that operated from July 2019 to September 2022.
Tactility’s innovative workforce has designed a groundbreaking glove capable of replicating tactile sensations. The tactile sensation is simulated through subtle electrical impulses transmitted to the wearer’s fingertips by discreetly integrated electrodes within the wearable device.
Experiencing tactile sensations encompasses a range from pressing a single button and perceiving tension in the digit, to engaging with a steadfast object and comprehending its shape, proportions, and surface characteristics.
Glove and swimsuit
“Tactility refers to the exploration and interaction with tactile cues in a simulated virtual reality environment,” explained Hernandez Jimenez, a venture manager at Spain’s TECNALIA research institute.
The concept may potentially be extended from the glove to a comprehensive full-body swimwear design.
According to Hernandez Jimenez, the electro-tactile stimulation approach yields a more realistic outcome at a lower cost by contrast with previous attempts to replicate contact sensations using motors.
By expanding access to expertise, new opportunities emerge for people worldwide to tap into valuable knowledge.
The findings provide a boost to the European Commission’s initiatives aimed at fostering growth in the virtual worlds sector, which could emerge as a significant market in Europe by the end of this decade, given the global industry is projected to expand from €27 billion in 2022?
According to the Fee, the EU has approximately 3,700 corporations, analysis organizations, and government bodies operating within this sphere.
Phobias to factories
Researchers from the TACTILITY group explored the feasibility of various healthcare applications.
“We envisioned innovative methods to leverage our expertise, allowing us to foster genuine human connections despite physical distance.”
– Erik Hernandez Jimenez, TACTILITY
As the sun dips below the horizon, that’s when the nocturnal residents of this eerie landscape emerge to claim their territory: the spiders. The team has explored various objects as part of their experiments to replicate human touch.
As he described the most unforgettable experience during his time working at the farm, Hernandez Jimenez’s eyes sparkled with vivid recollection: “One that still stands out to me, although I didn’t particularly enjoy it, was having a spider or cockroach crawl over your hand.”
By leveraging expert knowledge, individuals plagued by phobias may benefit from a gradual exposure-based approach, where they are systematically acclimated to stimuli that previously triggered anxiety. Starting with eerily cartoonish renderings of insects before gradually transitioning to more realistic portrayals.
While companies that manufacture automobiles often require employees to perform physically demanding tasks on the factory floor, the tactile glove can be a valuable tool in preparing workers for such challenges.
By doing so, it would enable individuals to work more effectively alongside remotely controlled robots in high-risk settings, thereby enhancing overall collaboration and task efficiency. A real-time representation of a nuclear power plant’s operations is an instance where an individual in a control room can intuitively sense the actions taken by a robot as if physically interacting with it.
According to Hernandez Jimenez, the system receives an additional sensory input and a supplementary form of suggestion, accompanied by further data to facilitate more rigorous verification processes.
Joyful and playful
Wearables for digital actuality.
The intersection of wearable technologies and virtual-reality environments is being driven forward by the innovative approaches of the gaming industry.
Building upon previous EU initiatives, researchers embarked on a new project aimed at expanding the scope of applied sciences, which have already demonstrated significant potential in various fields. The initiative, dubbed , operated from May 2019 through late 2021.
“Wearable technology serves as a canvas for personal expression, allowing individuals to curate their identity through stylish and functional accessories.”
– Oğuz ‘Oz’ Buruk, WEARTUAL
“Focusing on the experiential dimension’s joyful and playful aspects was core to our venture,” explained Oğuz “Oz” Buruk, coordinator of WEARTUAL and assistant professor of gameful expertise at Finland’s Tampere University.
Until recently, navigating a virtual-reality environment typically required either a handheld controller or a head-mounted display.
Researchers at WEARTUAL explored innovative ways to integrate wearable devices, such as those worn on the wrist or ankle, into digital reality experiences, enabling users to achieve greater levels of immersion.
As a consultant’s digital presence blushed with nervous excitement, its avatar reinforced its identity by subtly conveying emotions.
On the cusp
The workforce successfully created a prototype that seamlessly integrates diverse physical sensations into the digital realm, effectively transcribing real-world expertise, such as heart rate, into an immersive experience.
As humanity hurtles towards a convergence of flesh and machine in the “posthuman” era, Buruk ponders the existential implications on the video game landscape. With bodily implants, advanced robotics, and seamless interfaces between human minds and computers, the boundaries between man and machine will continue to blur.
It’s challenging to overemphasize the long-term impact of innovations on daily life, despite their varying time scales: wearables are likely to be more widely used in digital reality within the next decade, while widespread adoption of physical implants may require a timespan of 50 to 100 years.
As humans’ physical and emotional reliance on technology intensifies, the art of digitally mapping our bodies may become increasingly sophisticated, leading people to spend more extended periods within virtual realms, according to Buruk’s findings.
Digital reality applications are being harnessed for practical purposes such as gamifying crucial information like fire safety procedures, making them more engaging and easier to learn. Potential applications of this concept could span numerous fields.
In a bold departure from the norm, several fashion brands are now offering garments designed specifically for virtual wear, allowing individuals to express their identity and creativity within digital realms.
“Wearable technology, such as smartwatches and fitness trackers, has become an integral aspect of personal branding,” Buruk observed. Investments in digital reality, extended reality, and augmented reality continue to grow exponentially each day.
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