Immersion (virtual reality)

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Pascal Dombis Installation view of Irrationnal Geometrics 2008

Immersion is the state of consciousness where an immersant's awareness of physical self is diminished or lost by being surrounded in an engrossing total environment; often artificial.[1] This mental state is frequently accompanied with spatial excess, intense focus, a distorted sense of time, and effortless action.[2] The term is widely used for describing immersive virtual reality, installation art and video games, but it is not clear if people are using the same word consistently. The term is also cited as a frequently-used buzzword,[3] in which case its meaning is intentionally vague, but carries the connotation of being particularly engrossing; it is also used to describe suspension of disbelief.

The sensation of total immersion in virtual reality (VR) can be described as implied complete presence within an insinuated space of a virtual surrounding where everything within that sphere relates necessarily to the proposed "reality" of that world's cyberspace and where the immersant is seemingly altogether disconnected from exterior physical space.[4]

Types of immersion

Classic Virtual reality HMD

According to Ernest W. Adams, author and consulter on game design,[5] immersion can be separated into three main categories:

Tactical immersion
Tactical immersion is experienced when performing tactile operations that involve skill. Players feel "in the zone" while perfecting actions that result in success.
Strategic immersion
Strategic immersion is more cerebral, and is associated with mental challenge. Chess players experience strategic immersion when choosing a correct solution among a broad array of possibilities.
Narrative immersion
Narrative immersion occurs when players become invested in a story, and is similar to what is experienced while reading a book or watching a movie.

Staffan Björk and Jussi Holopainen, in Patterns In Game Design,[6] divide immersion into similar categories, but call them sensory-motoric immersion, cognitive immersion and emotional immersion, respectively. In addition to these, they add a new category:

Spatial immersion
Spatial immersion occurs when a player feels the simulated world is perceptually convincing. The player feels that he or she is really "there" and that a simulated world looks and feels "real".

Immersive virtual reality

The Cave Automatic Virtual Environment

Immersive virtual reality is a hypothetical future technology that exists today as virtual reality art projects, for the most part.[7] It consists of immersion in an artificial environment where the user feels just as immersed as they usually feel in consensus reality.

Direct stimulation of the nervous system

The most considered method would be to induce the sensations that made up the virtual reality in the nervous system directly. In functionalism/conventional biology we interact with consensus reality through the nervous system. Thus we receive all input from all the senses as nerve impulses. It gives your neurons a feeling of heightened sensation. It would involve the user receiving inputs as artificially stimulated nerve impulses, the system would receive the CNS outputs (natural nerve impulses) and process them allowing the user to interact with the virtual reality. Natural impulses between the body and central nervous system would need to be prevented.

Requirements

Understanding of the nervous system

A comprehensive understanding of which nerve impulses correspond to which sensations, and which motor impulses correspond to which muscle contractions will be required. This will allow the correct sensations in the user, and actions in the virtual reality to occur. The Blue Brain Project is the current, most promising research with the idea of understanding how the brain works by building very large scale computer models.

Ability to manipulate CNS

The nervous system would obviously need to be manipulated. Whilst non-invasive devices using radiation have been postulated, invasive cybernetic implants are likely to become available sooner and be more accurate. Manipulation could occur at any stage of the nervous system - the spinal cord is likely to be simplest; as all nerves pass through here, this could be the only site of manipulation. Molecular Nanotechnology is likely to provide the degree of precision required and could allow the implant to be built inside the body rather than be inserted by an operation.

Computer hardware/software to process inputs/outputs

A very powerful and probably (but not necessarily) Strong AI would be required to process all the inputs from the CNS, run a simulation of a virtual reality approaching the complexity of consensus reality, and translate its events to a complete set of nerve impulses for the user. Strong artificial intelligence may also be required to write the program for a decent alternate reality.

Immersive digital environments

Cosmopolis (2005), Maurice Benayoun's Giant Virtual Reality Interactive Installation

An immersive digital environment is an artificial, interactive, computer-created scene or "world" within which a user can immerse themselves.[8]

Immersive digital environments could be thought of as synonymous with Virtual reality, but without the implication that actual "reality" is being simulated. An immersive digital environment could be a model of reality, but it could also be a complete fantasy user interface or abstraction, as long as the user of the environment is immersed within it. The definition of immersion is wide and variable, but here it is assumed to mean simply that the user feels like they are part of the simulated "universe". The success with which an immersive digital environment can actually immerse the user is dependent on many factors such as believable 3D computer graphics, surround sound, interactive user-input and other factors such as simplicity, functionality and potential for enjoyment. New technologies are currently under development which claim to bring realistic environmental effects to the players' environment - effects like wind, seat vibration and ambient lighting.

Perception

To create a sense of full immersion, the 5 senses (sight, sound, touch, smell, taste) must perceive the digital environment to be physically real. Immersive technology can perceptually fool the senses through:

  • Panoramic 3D displays (visual)
  • Surround sound acoustics (auditory)
  • Haptics and force feedback (tactile)
  • Smell replication (olfactory)
  • Taste replication (gustation)

Interaction

Once the senses reach a sufficient belief that the digital environment is real, the user must then be able to interact with the environment in a natural, intuitive manner. Various immersive technologies such as gestural controls, motion tracking, and computer vision respond to the user's actions and movements. Brain control interfaces (BCI) respond to the user's brainwave activity.

Examples and applications

Computer games from simple arcade to Massively multiplayer online game and training programs such as flight and driving simulators. Entertainment environments such as motion simulators that immerse the riders/players in a virtual digital environment enhanced by motion, visual and aural cues. There is a motion simulators of the Virunga Mountains in Rwanda to meet a tribe of Mountain Gorillas,[9] or a ride that takes a journey through the arteries and heart to witness the build up of plaque and thus learn about cholesterol and health.[10]

There are art installations such as those made by Knowbotic Research, Donna Cox, Rebecca Allen, Maurice Benayoun, Char Davies, and Jeffrey Shaw.

Other examples of immersion technology include physical environment / immersive space with surrounding digital projections and sound such as the CAVE, and the use of head-mounted displays for viewing movies, with head-tracking and computer control of the image presented, so that the viewer appears to be inside the scene.

Footnotes

  1. ^ "Immersive Ideals / Critical Distances", Joseph Nechvatal 1999 Planetary Collegium
  2. ^ Varney, Allen (August 8, 2006). "Immersion Unexplained". The Escapist. Retrieved 2007-04-06.
  3. ^ Sterling, Jim (December 27, 2008). "The game industry's New Year resolutions". Destructoid. Retrieved 2008-12-31.
  4. ^ Joseph Nechvatal, Immersive Ideals / Critical Distances. LAP Lambert Academic Publishing. 2009, p. 14
  5. ^ Adams, Ernest (July 9, 2004). "Postmodernism and the Three Types of Immersion". Gamasutra. Retrieved 2007-12-26.
  6. ^ Björk, Staffan (2004). Patterns In Game Design. Charles River Media. p. 206. ISBN 1-58450-354-8. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ Joseph Nechvatal, Immersive Ideals / Critical Distances. LAP Lambert Academic Publishing. 2009, pp. 367-368
  8. ^ Joseph Nechvatal, Immersive Ideals / Critical Distances. LAP Lambert Academic Publishing. 2009, pp. 48-60
  9. ^ pulseworks.com
  10. ^ usagainstathero.com

See also

References

External links

Template:3D virtual worlds

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