• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content

VRSUN

Hot Virtual Reality News

HOTTEST VR NEWS OF THE DAY

  • Home

VR Healthcare

Study Says Flirting In VR May Help Prevent Cheating

February 8, 2023 From vrscout

Is there anything immersive technology can’t do?

Love conquers all, right? That’s true for most. However, in today’s complex society, it can be hard for some people to maintain a monogamous relationship. A harsh reality indeed, but it’s true. So true that Doron Friedman, a professor at the Sammy Ofer School, and Gurit Birnbaum, a psychology professor at Reichman University, worked together to explore the possibility of using VR to help people in monogamous relationships resist the temptation to cheat.

Joining Friedman and Birn as part of the research were Yael R. Chen, Kobi Zholtack, and Jonathan Giron.

According to the research team, the concept of inoculation refers to the idea that exposure to a weakened threat can increase one’s self-control. For instance, if you decide to restrict your food intake to lose weight, a certain encounter with an open bag of chips or freshly baked cookies can remind you of that desire.

The goal you set for yourself is designed to help you resist the temptations of finishing off that bag of chips or shoving two (or three) cookies into your mouth, which is not an easy task.

Credit: Gurit Birnbaum, Doron Friedman

In three experiments, researchers tested the effects of varying levels of commitment using VR scenarios. Participants were asked to flirt with a virtual character in order to test the effects of a weakened threat on their relationships. Like the bag of chips or cookies, Friedman and Birn could see how this type of exposure can help people prepare for a more serious situation in their relationship.

They concluded that being exposed to a seductive character in VR can not only help people strengthen their relationships, but can also make them feel more attracted to their current partner.

For the experiments, researchers asked participants to enter a VR bar. Participants then had a conversation with a virtual bartender, who was the same gender as their respective partners. The researchers then split the virtual character into two groups: one that was in control and remained neutral and professional with participants and another who flirted with the participants.

Participants were then asked to rate their perceptions and feelings about the virtual characters. Afterward, these participants would then meet with an actual person who would then interview them.

In the first experiment, the interviewer conducted a survey to gather information about the participants’ attitudes toward various interpersonal issues, asking questions such as “Should people play ‘hard-to-get’ at the onset of a relationship?”

Credit: Gurit Birnbaum, Doron Friedman

Interviewers were trained to convey interest and warmth to the participants. After completing the interview, they were asked to rate how sexually attractive they thought the interviewer was. The results of the experiment revealed that those who were exposed to the flirtatious virtual character were more likely to perceive the human interviewer as less attractive compared to those interacting with the neutral virtual bartender.

Researchers conducted another experiment to see if the participants would view a random person as less attractive after they interacted with the virtual character. They then introduced the participants to an attractive stranger. The goal of the experiment was to find a way to help participants express their interest in a potential partner without resorting to sexual innuendo.

For this experiment, participants were introduced to an attractive individual (collaborator) who was the same sex as their current real-life partner and then asked to complete a project together. For the experiment, the two individuals were asked to build five-story pyramids using plastic cups.

When the “collaborator” finished building the third floor of the pyramid, they would then purposely knock it over and make it look like an accident, saying: “Oh! I’m so clumsy! Could you please help me rebuild my pyramid?” Using a stopwatch hidden in their pocket, a research team member would then measure the amount of time the participants spent helping to rebuild the pyramid with the collaborator.

The results of the experiment revealed that the participants who had been exposed to the seductive virtual character spent less time helping the pyramid’s builder.

Credit: Shutterstock, De Repente

The third experiment involved two couples. The partners were separated into different rooms, where one of them interacted with a virtual character, while the other watched a video. After completing the virtual session, the couples were reunited and asked to talk about their sex lives. The participants then rated the extent of their sexual desire for both partners and other individuals.

The results of the study revealed that the individuals who had interacted with the seductive virtual character were more likely to have a stronger sexual desire than the individuals who had not.

According to Prof Gurit Birnbaum of Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, “The findings of the three studies indicate that it is possible to inoculate people and make them more resistant to threats to their romantic relationship. This is the first study in the world to illustrate how a virtual reality interaction can improve real-world relationships.”

In the end, the research team concluded that the interactions with the virtual character could actually help people maintain a monogamous relationship with their partners. They also noted that these types of interactions could help prepare people for the challenges that they might encounter in the real world to “prepare ahead of time to deal more effectively with significant threats in the real world. In this way, virtual reality interactions may contribute to people’s ability to maintain stable and satisfying relationships with their actual partners.”

If you’d like to learn more about the study, you can read their findings here. Lastly, some word of advice for you, don’t compare your significant other to a bag of opened chips…

Feature Image Credit: Shutterstock, View Apart

Filed Under: News, VR Healthcare

VR Robotics Could Save Lives On The Battlefield

November 11, 2022 From vrscout

“Congratulations! You are being rescued.”

Researchers based out of the University of Sheffield are developing a new telepresence system that will allow trained medical personnel to safely provide life-saving treatment to soldiers while in combat. First reported by Engadget, the system features a unique combination of VR technology, haptics, and advanced robotics.

Using a VR headset and haptic glove, medical personnel can remotely observe a patient’s condition on the battlefield, including their blood pressure and temperature. They can even take mouth swabs, obtain blood samples, and perform medical triage using the latest in robotic surgery technology.

Credit: University of Sheffield 

“Developing a remotely-operated robotic system would significantly improve safety by reducing the amount of danger military personnel are exposed to on the frontline,” said Project Lead Professor Sanja Dogramadzi from the University of Sheffield’s Department of Automatic Control and Systems Engineering in an official release. “Our platform uses the latest technology and would integrate it in a way that hasn’t been done before. We are excited to lead on this research and share how the technology could be used in active service.”

“The MediTel project aims to help defence and security medical personnel remotely triage and treat casualties,” added David King, head of digital design at the University of Sheffield AMRC. “MediTel will reduce the risk to medical personnel by limiting their exposure to potential hazards while providing an improved chance of survival for the casualty.”

Credit: Telexistence Inc.

We’ve seen our fair share of VR-controlled robots in the past, from VR convenience store employees to a remote-controlled bomb squad bot. That said, this is the first we’ve heard of VR-powered medical robots.

Not only could this technology reduce the time it takes to treat wounded soldiers on the battlefield, but it could also improve the safety of trained medical professionals by removing them from potentially dangerous combat scenarios.

The project is being developed by the University of Sheffield’s Department of Automatic Control and Systems Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with funding from the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory and Nuclear Decommissioning Authority through the Defence and Security Accelerator. Additional support was provided by I3DRobotics and Emergency Medicine clinical consultants.

For more information check out the official report from the University of Sheffield.

Feature Image Credit: University of Sheffield 

Filed Under: News, VR Entertainment, VR Games, VR Healthcare

VR Technology Used To Help Separate Conjoined Twins

August 1, 2022 From vrscout

Surgeons call it ‘Man-on-Mars stuff.’

In one of the most complex separation procedures ever conducted, three-year-old conjoined twins Bernardo and Arthur Lima were successfully separated by medical professionals with the help of VR technology. According to the BBC, the revolutionary procedure lasted a total of 27 hours and included seven individual surgeries involving over 100 medical staff.

In order to prepare for the complex procedure, surgeons partnered with VR engineers to develop an accurate 3D model of the twins’ anatomy using CT and MRI scans, allowing for a better perspective of their “fused brain.” Medical professionals were then able to safely experiment with different surgical techniques to identify the most effective route.

The procedure itself was conducted by surgeons in Rio de Janeiro with the assistance of professionals from Great Ormond Street Hospital in London. According to Noor ul Owase Jeelani, founder of Gemini Untwined, the charity which funded the surgery, multiple surgeons from different countries were able to work side-by-side in the same room using VR headsets.

“In some ways these operations are considered the hardest of our time, and to do it in virtual reality was just really man-on-Mars stuff,” said while speaking to British agency PA Media. “It’s just wonderful. It’s really great to see the anatomy and do the surgery before you actually put the children at any risk.”

Following the operation, the twins showed a dramatic increase in blood pressure, but relaxed after reuniting with one another four days later. The twins are currently in good condition and receiving continued support as part of their six-month probation.

Image Credit: BBC via PA Media

Filed Under: News, VR Healthcare

  • Home