KIT724Assignment

KIT724 VR Assignment

Introduction:

 

This application using VR technologies with the support of Oculus Quest 2 simulates wire-walking between two buildings. Purpose of this application is to provide users with stimulated experience who fear heights or take heights as stimuli, while avoiding falling/injuries in order to train users with more confidence and precautions when working in heights. 

 

 

Description of the application:

 

This wire-walking application can enable users to have simulated experience in walking or working at heights. By mediating visual images and senses of moving on a wire between two buildings, this application can simulate scenarios of moving and working at the edge of a building or on the top of buildings. In addition, this application can also stimulate falling experiences that train and equip users with more precautions and calms to prevent falling or injuries in real world. 

The significance of this application is it can solve the interface problem by stimulating the scenario of working or walking at heights. It is fairly common people would have discomforts walking at the edge of building or working at heights. While it is not practical to expose people who fear heights to danger or open-air environment accumulating their experiences and reducing their discomfort. Our application can provide users in an indoor environment while stimulating a dangerous scenario that could cause falling and serious injuries. As for the best possible solution for this interface problem, usability features and user experience requirements include visualize all heights and surrounding buildings that allows users to immerge into the digital world. Most of the traditional technology or technology that visualize environment in a screen might not work well because walking or working at heights need movement and sight coordination. Specific displaying headsets, location-based sensor, and hand tracking or controllers tracking system would work better to train and better stimulate users to “walk” inside digital environment. 

Virtual Reality has the strength of full immerse users in environment, and transport users to the scene (Mealy, 2022). Also because of the immerging into the digital world and movement and sight coordination user requirements, as well as the displaying headsets and location-based sensor and hand tracking sensor that would help stimulate and enhance user experience, it is believed that VR technology is the most suitable technology to solve this interface problem. 

 

 

Interaction Design: 

 

This wire-walking application designed to have 3 difficulty modes, including Easy, Normal and Hard. In the Easy mode, a straight wire is connected between two high buildings. In the Normal mode, the wire has two 90 degree angles. While in the Hard mode, the wire has multiple 90 degree angles. These interactions can add more engagements and amusements for users to explore and experience. In addition, users can feel the simulated heights and feelings, while conducting multi-tasking, which, in most cases, is moving near the edge of a building or in a very limited space on the top of a building. 

At the beginning of the application, user can use control to select difficulty modes from Easy, Normal and Hard. If user start wire-walking and fall from the wire, the user will experience falling to the ground and get directed into the original scene that is on the roof of the white building. Also, if user complete the wire walking and reach to the roof of another building, user will get directed to the original scene too.

Technical Development:

 

This application is supported by Oculus Quest 2. Oculus Quest 2 has headsets and controls. The controls can be used to choose difficulty modes and move in the application, while headset can deliver visual images and let users immerge in the digital world. Oculus Integration package is also used that has Interaction SDK that allows users to implement standard interactions. 

 

Descriptions of 3D models

 

The first 3D model used is Japanese Matsuri that provides a real 3D map and architecture that serves as a city background. 

The second 3D model used is White City that provides two white buildings with roof props for wire-walking connected in between. 

The third one is Oculus Integration that provides Interaction SDK that allows users to implement standard interactions. 

 

 

Reference:

 

Mealy, P., 2022. Virtual Reality vs. Augmented Reality: Strengths and Weaknesses - dummies. [online] Dummies.com. Available at: <https: www.dummies.com="" article="" technology="" programming-web-design="" general-programming-web-design="" virtual-reality-vs-augmented-reality-strengths-and-weaknesses-256146=""> [Accessed 19 September 2022].</https:>

 

JapaneseMatsuriCity：

https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/environments/urban/japanese-matsuri-cit...

 

WhiteCity:

https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/environments/urban/white-city-76766

 

Oculus Interaction SDK：

https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/tools/integration/oculus-integration-82022