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With ageing, travel becomes more and more complex. Physical and cognitive abilities may decline, and thus, elderly people may experience several problems that hinder them from travelling independently. One of the most difficult issues when addressing the problem of age-related travel restrictions is the heterogeneity of the ageing population. SOULMATE offers a non-intrusive and personalized mobility package that evolves with the end-user across his/her different life stages to ensure him/her to make secure trips. SOULMATE aggregates three types of mobility support: Indoor virtual training of a route, active routing during trips and monitoring by a coach at a distance during trips. For each individual, the desired or necessary functionalities can be chosen, based on his/her specific abilities and travel needs. The SOULMATE solution will be developed iteratively, in co-creation with end-users and stakeholders, and the package will be tested intensively, and evaluated in three countries (Belgium, The Netherlands and Austria) based on usability, technical and business aspects. ; The SOULMATE project is co-founded by the AAL Programme of the European Union; and by the funding authorities Agentschap Innoveren en Ondernemen (Flanders, Belgium), Austrian Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology (Austria) and ZonMw, the Netherlands Organization for Health Research & Development (The Netherlands). The SOULMATE consortium consists of partners from: ABEONAconsult, Eindhoven University of Technology, University of Applied Science FH JOANNEUM GmbH, Activ84Health, Roessingh Research and Development, Happy Aging, Slimmer Leven, GEFAS STEIERMARK, c.c.com Moser GmbH and FRAISS – IT Consulting & Mediendesign. The authors want to thank all partners involved in the consortium.

Objective: The aim of this article is to discuss how user experience (UX) evaluation can benefit from the use of virtual reality (VR). Background: UX is usually evaluated in laboratory settings. However, considering that UX occurs as a consequence of the interaction between the product, the user, and the context of use, the assessment of UX can benefit from a more ecological test setting. VR provides the means to develop realistic-looking virtual environments with the advantage of allowing greater control of the experimental conditions while granting good ecological validity. Method: The methods used to evaluate UX, as well as their main limitations, are identified. The current VR equipment and its potential applications (as well as its limitations and drawbacks) to overcome some of the limitations in the assessment of UX are highlighted. Results: The relevance of VR for UX studies is discussed, and a VR-based framework for evaluating UX is presented. Conclusion: UX research may benefit from a VR-based methodology in the scopes of user research (e.g., assessment of users' expectations derived from their lifestyles) and human–product interaction (e.g., assessment of users' emotions since the first moment of contact with the product and then during the interaction). Application: This article provides knowledge to researchers and professionals engaged in the design of technological interfaces about the usefulness of VR in the evaluation of UX.

Purpose The present study explored participants experiences with and perceptions of using fully immersive head-mounted virtual reality (VR) gaming as rehabilitation after stroke. Methods Four men and three women (median age 64 years) with chronic stroke and varying motor impairment (mild to severe) were interviewed after 10 weeks of VR training on the commercial HTC Vive system, focusing on the upper extremities. Inductive qualitative thematic analysis was performed. Results The analysis revealed three main themes: playing the game, benefits and effects, and personalizing the game. Playing the game encompasses both the feeling of being immersed in the game and descriptions of the gaming being motivating and fun. Benefits and effects describe the participants expectations of potential benefits, the importance of getting feed-back, and the impact in daily life. Personalizing the game includes finding the right game and level, and the participants need for support to achieve full use of the training. Conclusions Participants with chronic stroke described the fully immersive VR gaming intervention as a fun and motivating way to improve their functioning in everyday life. Qualitative studies are needed to explore how people with stroke perceive VR gaming when it is implemented in real clinical environments.Clinical implications VR gaming was perceived as a positive and motivating rehabilitation after stroke. Getting feedback and perceiving benefits are essential parts of VR rehabilitation. Commercial fully immersive VR-games might be an option for stroke rehabilitation when the game can be personalized and support is available. ; Funding Agencies|Swedish government; Swedish county councils [ALFGBG-718711]; Swedish county councils, the ALF agreement [ALFGBG-718711]; Swedish Research CouncilSwedish Research CouncilEuropean Commission [VR 2017-00946]; Swedish Heart-Lung FoundationSwedish Heart-Lung Foundation; Swedish Brain Foundation; Promobilia; Norrbacka Eugenia Foundation

In this paper, we present the VREditor, an easy-to-use authoring tool for annotating a scene with augmented reality features (images, videos, animations, sounds, and texts). The output of this editor is the creation of an augmented reality world. The user lives in this generated virtual world and he can choose according to his preferences (for instance, artistic, political, cultural, military data, etc.), which augmented reality features he desires to be presented to him, having as a result to live an immersive experience virtually. © 2009 IEEE.

This study explores user attitudes and preferences towards real-time interactive gamified movie experiences, combining elements of traditional cinema with interactive gaming and advanced technologies like augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR). The integration of these technologies aims to enhance audience engagement, emotional connection, and overall satisfaction. The research employs a mixed-methods approach, using both qualitative and quantitative data collected through surveys, interviews, and focus groups to analyze user preferences, engagement levels, and the impact of personalized interactive elements. Findings reveal a strong preference for interactive and gamified features, with users desiring more control over storylines and appreciating personalized content tailored to their preferences. Additionally, immersive technologies and real-time feedback significantly enhance user engagement and emotional responses. However, challenges such as technological limitations, accessibility issues, and ethical concerns regarding data privacy were also identified. The study concludes that while interactive and gamified movie experiences hold great potential for transforming the entertainment industry, addressing these challenges is crucial for their successful adoption and widespread appeal. Future research should focus on exploring new technologies, ensuring inclusivity, and developing ethical guidelines for data use.

Purpose. The study attempts to define virtual reality in tourism as well as to characterise and present chosen applications created for the purposes of virtual sightseeing. Based on the survey conducted among tourism and recreation students of the Jerzy Kukuczka Academy of Physical Education in Katowice, the study attempts to answer the provocative question: "can virtual tourism replace real-world travel?", and to analyse participants' opinions on the topic of virtual trips. Methods. Analysis of scientific studies as well as information and data on the possibility of using immersive virtual reality in human life with particular consideration given to tourism. An overview of applications enabling taking trips through immersive exploration of virtual environments. The survey was conducted among AWF students. Participants expressed their opinions about virtual sightseeing. Findings. Virtual reality is increasingly used in various fields of human life. It is entering the world of tourism, in which it is used to create presentations of hotels and resorts, and to promote towns and tourist facilities. Appropriate software and IT equipment allow to take deliberate, planned and very realistic virtual trips. The authors of the work defined such tourism as all activities carried out by persons who immerse themselves in virtual reality for learning and entertainment purposes in order to experience the illusion of change of their everyday, real surroundings in time and space. Tourism understood in such a way allows us not only to go to almost any place without the necessity of leaving home. It also allows for visiting areas and objects which cannot be explored in real life. It enables a visitor, among others, to travel in space and visit historical sites which no longer exist in their original form, but have been recreated in computer applications. Virtual tourism also allows for exploring fictional locations created by designers of photorealistic graphics as well as valuable and sensitive monuments, and taking trips to places which are dangerous or prohibited. In the conducted survey, it has been concluded that even though tourism and recreation students found experience with virtual reality to be positive, the majority is not convinced that this form of tourism can replace real-world travel. Research and conclusions limitations. There are only a few publications concerning immersive virtual reality travel experience. Access to the software was quite early. Practical implications. Understanding and reorganisation of issues related to immersive virtual reality travel experience. The study may constitute an original introduction and encouragement to carry out qualitative and quantitative research on newly created virtual tourism. Originality. An original concept of understanding virtual tourism was presented. Type of paper. Empirical research and review.

This volume brings together contributions concerning the relationship between languages and the economy. Paying particular attention to the topic of "names in the economy" this collection opens this relationship to further fields of interest for the study of the role of language (and linguistics) in the economy and that of the economy in the development of languages.

Proceedings of: 10th IEEE International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies (ICALT 2010). Sousse, Tunisia, 5-7 July 2010. ; In this paper, we describe a 3D virtual collaborative system designed for the learning of Spanish as a second language. Several initiatives for second language learning in 3D virtual worlds exploiting immersive, interactive and motivating features of these worlds have been carried out successfully during the last years. However, these systems tend to be sometimes too rigid from a pedagogical point of view, requiring the presence of a teacher. We have used the Wonderland development toolkit to deploy a 3D virtual learning environment, which is flexible enough to allow learners to improve their language skills with minimum teacher's help, setting up an instructional sequence in which fostered, motivating, and pre-designed collaboration is the key for self-learning. The environment includes technical issues such as natural text chatting with synthetic characters, textual tagging of virtual objects, automatic reading of texts, and the integration of a 3D mouse in learning sequences in order to exploit the capabilities of 3D virtual worlds. ; This research has been partially supported by the following projects: The Spanish CDTI project "España Virtual" funded by the Ingenio 2010 programme, subcontracted by Deimos Space2. The Spanish project "Learn3: Towards Learing of the Third Kind" (TIN2008-05163/TSI) funded by the Spanish "Plan Nacional de I+D+i" of the Ministry of Research and Innovation. The project "eMadrid: Investigación y desarrollo de tecnologías para el e-learning en la Comunidad de Madrid" (S2009/TIC-1650) funded by the Government of the Region of Madrid. ; Publicado

This article presents a study regarding how Natyashastra's fundamental principles of storytelling, emotional resonance, and cultural context structure the creation and reception of Virtual Reality (VR) content. Through an attentive examination of a specific VR activity featured in the Prime Minister Museum in Delhi—a helicopter ride showcasing India's modern infrastructure—the paper explains how Natyashastra's influence infuses the narrative structure, emotional engagement strategies, and symbolic representations within the VR experience. By exploring the interaction between ancient cultural frameworks and cutting-edge technology, this research underlines the significance of integrating cultural heritage and traditional storytelling techniques into VR design to enhance user experience, emotional connection, and cultural resonance. Through this article, the importance of incorporating cultural frameworks like Natyashastra into VR design to improve user engagement and enrich the virtual experience has been highlighted.