Keyword: Virtual Reality

Sin, Zackary PT, Jia, Ye, Li, Richard Chen, Leong, Hong Va, Li, Qing, Ng, Peter HF

2024 IEEE Conference Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces (VR) (2024)

Locomotion has a marked impact on user experience in VR, but currently, common to-go techniques such as steering and teleportation have their limitations. Particularly, steering is prone to cybersickness, while teleportation trades presence for mitigating cybersickness. Inspired by how we manipulate a picture on a mobile phone, we propose illumotion, an optical-illusion-based method that, we believe, can provide an alternative to these two typical techniques. Instead of zooming in a picture by pinching two fingers, we can move forward by "zooming" toward part of the 3D virtual scene with pinched hands. Not only is the proposed technique easy to use, it also seems to minimize cybersickness to some degree. illumotion relies on the manipulation of optics; as such, it requires solving motion parameters in screen space and a model of how we perceive depth. To evaluate it, a comprehensive user study with 66 users was conducted. Results show that, compared with either teleportation, steering or both, illumotion has better performance, presence, usability, user experience and cybersickness alleviation. We believe the result is a clear indication that our novel opticallydriven method is a promising candidate for generalized locomotion.

Chen Li, Jeff K. T., Ye Jia*, Yufei Lu, Peter H. F. Ng, Laura Zhou, Jing Liu, Qing Li

18th International Conference on Blended Learning (2025)

Experiential learning in virtual reality (VR) has gained con-siderable attention from both practitioners and researchers in recentyears. Despite its potential, there is still a gap in effectively engagingstudents through experiential learning. Gamification has emerged as apromising strategy to bridge this gap by incorporating interactive andmotivational elements into learning experiences. To explore the poten-tial of combining gamification with experiential learning in VR, we con-ducted a longitudinal study with 68 undergraduate students enrolled ina human-computer interaction (HCI) course. The study focused on agamified simulation of Fitts’ Law, a fundamental concept for modellinghuman movement in HCI, to evaluate its impact on learner engagementand the translation of this engagement into knowledge gains over boththe short and long term. Our findings indicated that the gamified ex-periential learning approach significantly enhanced learner engagement,especially affective engagement, compared to traditional methods thatrely on texts and figures. The longitudinal data also suggested that theapproachledtobetterknowledgeretention.However,norelationshipwasfound between the observed learner engagement and knowledge change.This highlights the need for further research to study how to effectivelyconvert learner engagement into measurable knowledge gains throughexperiential learning in gamified simulations.

Ye Jia, Chen Li, Zackary P. T. Sin, Wang, Xiangzhi Eric, Jiongning Lian, Peter H. F. Ng, Xiao Huang, George Baciu, Cao, Jiannong, Qing Li

IEEE International Conference on Metaverse 2025 (2025)

This study examines the impact of an AI-powered Virtual Teaching Assistant (NivTA) within a VR-based Edu-Metaverse (K-Cube), highlighting the roles of social presence, trust, and engagement in shaping learning outcomes. Grounded in Social Presence Theory, the Uses and Gratifications framework, and the Cognitive-Affective Theory of Learning with Media (CASTLE), our AI-Assisted Immersive Learning Framework emphasizes both cognitive and affective dimensions. A user study with 21 participants in a Cave Automatic Virtual Environment (CAVE) setting collected quantitative and qualitative data on trust, social presence, engagement, workload, and learning performance. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling revealed that heightened social presence fosters trust, which in turn drives behavioral, cognitive, and affective engagement. Notably, cognitive social presence was directly linked to better knowledge test scores, while confidence in test responses stemmed primarily from all forms of engagement. Overall, these findings underscore the significance of nurturing trust and social presence to enhance learner engagement and outcomes in AI-driven immersive educational environments.

Ye Jia, Zackary P. T. Sin, Chen Li, Peter H. F. Ng, Xiao Huang, George Baciu, Jiannong Cao, Qing Li

International Journal of Human-Computer Studies (2025)

In virtual reality, point-and-teleport (P&T) is a locomotion technique that is popular for its user-friendliness, lowering workload and mitigating cybersickness. However, most P&T schemes use instantaneous transitions, which has been known to hinder spatial learning. While replacing instantaneous transitions with animated interpolations can address this issue, they may inadvertently induce cybersickness. To counter these deficiencies, we propose Traceable Teleportation (TTP), an enhanced locomotion technique grounded in a theoretical framework that was designed to improve spatial learning. TTP incorporates two novel features: an Undo-Redo mechanism that facilitates rapid back-and-forth movements, and a Visualized Path that offers additional visual cues. We have conducted a user study via a set of spatial learning tests within a virtual labyrinth to assess the effect of these enhancements on the P&T technique. Our findings indicate that the TTP Undo-Redo design generally facilitates the learning of orientational spatial knowledge without incurring additional cybersickness or diminishing sense of presence.

Yushen Dai, Jiaying Li, Yan Li, Frances Kam Yuet Wong, Mengqi Li, Chen Li, Ye Jia, Yueying Wang, Janelle Yorke

npj Digital Medicine (2025)

Virtual walking has the potential to be an adjunct to traditional physical therapy. This scoping review aims to synthesize evidence on the characteristics, effectiveness, feasibility, and neurological mechanism of virtual walking interventions on health-related outcomes. Articles in English were retrieved from twelve databases (January 2014–October 2024). Thirteen interventional studies were included, focusing on three types of virtual walking: passive observing moving (71.4%), arm swing locomotion (21.5%), and foot tracking locomotion (7.1%). Most studies (84.6%) involved individuals with spinal cord injuries, while the remaining studies focused on lower back pain (7.7%) and lower limb pain (7.7%). Over 70% of studies lasted 11–20 min, 1–5 weekly sessions for 10–14 days. Statistically significant findings included pain reduction (84.6%), improved physical function (mobility and muscle strength), and reduced depression. Mild adverse effects (fatigue and dizziness) were transient. Neurological evidence indicates somatosensory cortex activation during virtual walking, possibly linked to neuropathic pain.