Thesis subject

Virtual Reality: A focus on Human Computer Interaction (BSc / MSc)

It is quite possible that we will be interacting with VR much more in the near future in our everyday activities. This project involves exploring Human Computer Interaction to better understand how users feel when using VR.

Short description

Virtual Reality (VR) applications are being increasingly deployed in various domains for entertainment, research, education and training etc. It is quite possible that we will be interacting with VR much more in the near future in our everyday activities. This increase is driven by growing trends such as the ‘metaverse’ (experiencing the Web in 3D), immersive training & education, online communication and entertainment. But how do people feel when they use the technology for prolonged periods? Foundationally, VR can be multisensory and requires the inclusion of haptics, which is the hardware technology required for interaction with the digital content (controllers, feedback sensory gloves, etc.). The study of haptics is part of a field of research known as Human Computer Interaction (HCI). When extended to include the integration of cognitive capabilities, this is known as Brain Computer Interaction (BCI). This project will involve exploring HCI and BCI for measures of cyber-sickness, relaxation and alertness levels when using VR applications for training and education, in order to better understand how the user feels when using VR. To conduct this study, the hardware (including BCI and VR devices) will be provided for use by the student. No prior knowledge of VR development is needed, only a dedicated interest in the topic.


Objectives

  1. Investigate the current state of the art in VR, HCI and BCI;
  2. Propose, design and evaluate a VR application for training/education;

    Tasks

    The work in this thesis entails:

    • To conduct a detailed literature-based investigation into related research into HCI/BCI for Virtual Reality;
    • To design a suitable VR application for a training/education scenario, driven by the background investigation;
    • To develop a proof-of-concept VR application for deployment and testing;
    • Investigate/Evaluate by means of a research-driven questionnaire;
    • Document the findings in a scientific format;

    Requirements

    • Courses: (Optional) Programming in Python (INF-22306), Data Science Concepts (INF-34306)

      Key words: Virtual Reality, Human Computer Interaction, Brain Computer Interaction

      Contact person(s)