Mixed reality alters motor planning and control.

Compared to physical unmediated reality (UR), mixed reality technologies, such as Virtual (VR) and Augmented (AR) Reality, entail perturbations across multiple sensory modalities (visual, haptic, etc.) that could alter how actors move within the different environments. Because of the mediated nature, goal-directed movements in VR and AR may rely on planning and control processes that are different from movements in UR, resulting in less efficient motor control.

The geometry of the vergence-accommodation conflict in mixed reality systems.

Mixed reality technologies, such as virtual (VR) and augmented (AR) reality, present promising opportunities to advance education and professional training due to their adaptability to diverse contexts. Distortions in the perceived distance in such mediated conditions, however, are well documented and have imposed nontrivial challenges that complicate and limit transferring task performance in a virtual setting to the unmediated reality (UR). One potential source of the distance distortion is the vergence-accommodation conflict-the discrepancy between the depth specified by the eyes' accommodative state and the angle at which the eyes converge to fixate on a target.

Prolonged exposure to mixed reality alters task performance in the unmediated environment.

The popularity of mixed reality (MR) technologies, including virtual (VR) and augmented (AR) reality, have advanced many training and skill development applications. If successful, these technologies could be valuable for high-impact professional training, like medical operations or sports, where the physical resources could be limited or inaccessible. Despite MR's potential, it is still unclear whether repeatedly performing a task in MR would affect performance in the same or related tasks in the physical environment.

Virtual Reality and Stress Management: A Systematic Review.

Amidst the growing prevalence of chronic stress and its potential negative impacts on mental health, this review explores the use of virtual reality (VR) as a stress management solution, aiming to assess its viability and effectiveness in this context. A comprehensive search was conducted on MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Embase from inception until February 2024. Eligible studies were primary research papers that focused on the use of VR as an intervention to mitigate psychological stress and/or distress.

Do Changes in the Body-Part Compatibility Effect Index Tool-Embodiment?

Tool-embodiment is said to occur when the representation of the body extends to incorporate the representation of a tool following goal-directed tool-use. The present study was designed to determine if tool-embodiment-like phenomenon emerges following different interventions. Participants completed body-part compatibility task in which they responded with foot or hand presses to colored targets presented on the foot or hand of a model, or on a rake held by the model.

Design of embodied interfaces for engaging spatial cognition.

Aspects of spatial cognition, specifically spatial skills, are strongly correlated with interest and success in STEM courses and STEM-related professions. Because growth in STEM-related industries is expected to continue for the foreseeable future, it is important to develop evidence-based and theoretically grounded methods and interventions that can help train relevant spatial skills. In this article, we discuss research showing that aspects of spatial cognition are embodied and how these findings and theoretical developments can be used to influence the design of tangible and embodied interfaces (TEIs).

The limb-specific embodiment of a tool following experience.

The present study was designed to investigate the incorporation of tools into the human body schema. Previous research on tool use suggests that through physical interaction with a tool, the representation of the body is adjusted to incorporate or "embody" the tool. The present experiment was conducted to test the limb-specific nature of tool embodiment.