GRACE WANG
VRision - VR Program
How we can contribute to older adults’ mental health by providing both better connections with nature, and better social interaction with family and friends? VRision is a Virtual Reality program bringing older adults not only immersive experiences with nature but also social interaction with family and friends.
Problem Statement
How can we contribute to older adults’ mental health by providing both better connections with nature, and better social interaction with family and friends?
Target Audience
Older Adults who need to maintain their mental health
Interview Analysis
Methodology and Participant
Overall, we did four individual interviews with four elders who have different life styles and currently all live in Ithaca.
Goals
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Increase communication with family and friends
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More interaction with natural elements
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Simple instructions to use new technological product
Research Key Findings
Concept
Uses of interactive, nature-based virtual reality technology to connect older adults with both natural environment and social interaction with family and friends.
VRision
A VR program brings older adults not only immersive natural experiences but also social interaction with family and friends.
Product Features
VRision has four modes.Individual immersive mode provides older adults immersive experiences to get in touch with nature. In intimate mode, It allows users to connect with their family and friends to experience nature together with the option of chatting directly. The third mode, communal mode, is for users to make new friends and add them into intimate list. Last but not least, training mode can teach users to get used to VRision with clear and simple instructions.
1. Individual Immersive Mode
Individual immersive mode provides older adults immersive experiences to get in touch with nature, such as watching birds and other animals. The mode provides different settings for users to experience different natural views and elements. Users can select the individual immersive mode, and enter the world to have this soothing immersive natural experience.
2. Intimate Mode
Intimate mode allows users to connect with their family and friends to experience nature together with chatting by using voice over or type. Users can connect with other users who are in their friend lists to have immersive natural experiences together in the same environment. Users are in a first perspective, and they can see their friends in the immersive environment
3. Communal Mode
Communal mode also allows users to experience nature with others, and they can chat by using voice over or type. Compared to intimate mode, users come into the immersive experience alone, and they can meet new friends in the immersive environment (see figure 5). They can talk and know each other. If users feel that they want to make friends, they can add those new friends into their intimate list. In this way, they can use intimate mode to experience nature together next time.
4. Training Mode
Training mode teaches users how to use VRision with simple and clear instructions. In this mode, it introduces functions in the whole program for new users to get familiar with VRision. The training mode also guides users to do various sample tasks so that they can learn how to manipulate this program well.
Workflow
Users open the VRision first, and then log into their account, which will guide them into the home page. In the home page, users can select the mode he/she wants to experience among those four modes, individual immersive mode, intimate mode, communal mode, and training mode. Users can go back to the home page after they complete experiencing one mode. Home page will show again for them to either select another mode to have more VR experiences with nature and social interaction, or log out of their account.
Feedback from User Testing
We did user testing to get feedback and then we can revise and develop VRision program. From the in-person and online user testing with spreaded surveys, the advantages of this VRision program is that all participants think that individual immersive mode is very effective to experience nature. One of the participants said that it is fantastic for older adults. If I am far from natural places, or I am ill, or my bone hurts, which I cannot go out, then it’s great to use this VR program! Also, all the participants think that communal mode and intimate mode are effective for them to build social interaction in a new way. Another participant said, ‘if friends are not here, the modes are great for us to be in the woods and experience together.’ However, there are still parts that need improvements. Firstly, the background music in different modes needs to incorporate with natural sounds better. For this feedback, we make the background music volume down and volume up the natural sounds.
Second, the interface of the home page is somehow confusing for older adults users. For this feedback, we revise the flows in the home page. The third one is that it may take some first-time users longer to adopt the immersive experience of VR, including the VR oculus goggles. One of the participants said that VR could make her feel dizzy. Also, one participant said that it is a little bit inconvenient for users who wear glasses. For this one, we definitely need to pay attention in the future.
Next Step
For the next step, we definitely need to do more use testing with older adults who are in different age groups to collect different advice and feelings about the experiences of using VRision. Also, we need to provide instructions for first-time users to adapt to the VR settings at the beginning so that it can prevent them from feeling uncomfortable by using VR equipment and VRision. In addition, developing a way allowing them to take breaks as needed and don’t rush the experience in VRision is also necessary for us to explore in the future.