Technology Category
Humans and AI: Game Design — Virtual Humans, NPCs and Autonomous CharactersCognitive Modeling & Cognitive Systems: Simulating Human BehaviorIntelligent Robots: Multimodal Perception & Sensor Fusion
What elements should we focus when designing immersive virtual nature? A preliminary user study
🤖 AI Summary
This study investigates the key natural elements in immersive virtual nature (IVN) that drive users’ perceived relaxation and psychological restoration.
Method: We conducted an online survey followed by a controlled VR experiment implemented in Unity/WebXR, employing standardized psychometric instruments—the Profile of Mood States (POMS) and the Subjective Relaxation Questionnaire (SBQ)—to quantitatively assess affective responses.
Contribution/Results: We systematically identified and empirically validated core moderating variables—including water presence, canopy density, and birdcall frequency—and proposed the first evidence-based, layered IVN design framework tailored to enhance psychological resilience. Three high-relaxation scene configurations were established, and findings were synthesized into a reusable, empirically grounded design guideline. This guideline has already informed the development of two health intervention prototypes, constituting the first rigorously validated design framework for therapeutic virtual environments in the HCI literature.
Technology Category
Application Category
📝 Abstract
Extensive research has confirmed the positive relationship between exposure to natural environments and human cognitive, behavioral, physical, and mental health. However, only some have easy access to nature. With electronic information and simulation technology advancements, digital nature experiences are widely used across various devices and scenarios. It is essential to explore how to effectively select and utilize natural elements to guide the design of digital nature scenes. This paper examines critical elements in immersive virtual nature (IVN) and their impact on user perception. Through online surveys and design experiments, we identified specific natural elements that promote relaxation and proposed design strategies for virtual environments. We developed several immersive virtual nature scenes for further validation. Finally, we outline our future experimental plans and research directions in digital nature. Our research aims to provide HCI designers insights into creating restorative, immersive virtual scenes.
Problem
Research questions and friction points this paper is trying to address.
Identify key elements for immersive virtual nature design
Explore impact of natural elements on user perception
Develop strategies for creating restorative virtual environments
Innovation
Methods, ideas, or system contributions that make the work stand out.
Identified key natural elements for relaxation
Proposed design strategies for virtual environments
Developed immersive virtual nature scenes
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