Virtual Worlds

With origins in video gaming, 3D virtual worlds (VWs) are digital environments where people engage and interact synchronously using digital characters called avatars. VWs may have future potential for delivering youth mental health (YMH) services. Despite progress in developing VW-based YMH interventions, limited consultation with young people may be contributing to mixed uptake and engagement. This study aimed to understand how young people with experiences accessing YMH services view the potential (i.e., hypothetical) use of VWs for YMH service delivery to understand qualitative factors influencing uptake. Eleven 18–25-year-old consumers (M = 22.91 years; five women, five men, and one non-binary person) took part in one-on-one, semi-structured interviews via videoconferencing. Interviews explored anticipated ease of use, helpfulness, and perceived intention to use VW-based YMH interventions if they were made available. Interviews were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Four themes were produced: (1) VWs as unique therapeutic spaces; (2) creative engagement for therapy; (3) VW communication promoting both connection and distance; (4) flexible access. All participants expressed a level of openness towards the potential use of VWs for YMH interventions. Features such as creative world-building and avatar customisation, increased anonymity, and remote accessibility were seen as ways to improve access to convenient, personalised, and engaging mental healthcare. Concerns included technology misuse, privacy risks, and reduced physical and emotional presence. Future research and service development should test real-world outcomes to ensure clinical benefit and employ codesign approaches that leverage servicer-users’ expectations to ensure accessible and acceptable delivery. Full article

Introduction: The integration of Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) into teacher education is a significant innovation that can enhance the learning and practical training of future teachers. IVR enables highly interactive, immersive experiences in simulated educational environments where student teachers confront realistic classroom challenges. The objective was to synthesize how IVR is implemented in the training of future teachers and its level of effectiveness, in order to develop recommendations for practice and identify potential barriers to implementation. Method: A systematic review was carried out following the PRISMA model. A total of 1677 articles published in the Web of Science, Scopus, and SciELO databases were reviewed between 2021 and 2025, with 13 articles selected for analysis. Results: The reviewed articles highlight Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) as a virtual tool that facilitates the training of future teachers. Among its most common applications are the use of virtual and augmented reality for conflict resolution, classroom management, and teacher adaptation. However, its implementation is limited by access to equipment, scenario development, and integration into university institutions. Conclusions: There is converging evidence that supports the strengths of using IVR as an emerging technology in teacher training, offering facilitating elements for the development of pedagogical competencies through the simulation of practical situations in a safe environment. Thus, this review summarizes recommendations for practice and warnings about implementation barriers, identifying the most potential uses and proposing actionable steps for its phased adoption in initial teacher training. Full article

Digital twins are increasingly utilized across all lifecycle stages of physical entities. Augmented reality (AR) offers real-time immersion into three-dimensional (3D) data, which provides an immersive experience with dynamic, high-quality, and multi-dimensional digital twins. A robust and customizable data platform is essential to create scalable 3D digital twins; Universal Scene Description (USD) provides these necessary qualities. Given the potential for integrating immersive AR and 3D digital twins, we developed a software application to bridge the gap between multi-modal AR immersion and USD-based digital twins. Our application provides real-time, multi-user AR immersion into USD-based digital twins, making it suitable for time-critical tasks and workflows. AR digital twin software is currently being tested and evaluated in an application we are developing to train astronauts. Our work demonstrates the feasibility of integrating immersive AR with dynamic 3D digital twins. AR-enabled digital twins have the potential to be adopted in various real-time, time-critical, multi-user, and multi-modal workflows. Full article

The Gaia System is a tabletop projection mapping system for museum exhibitions, now in its third iteration and installed at the Sortland Museum (Norway). It presents socio-economic, environmental, and historical topics through an interactive spatial display. The system supports both multi-user interaction—allowing many visitors to engage simultaneously—and a tour guide mode for staff-led presentations. It combines scientific, data-driven visualizations with popular-science, story-driven content and integrates both real-time and locally stored data streams. Its design and development processes are thoroughly described. A field study with 32 participants yielded a System Usability Scale (SUS) score of 84.14 and a mean User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ-S) overall score of 1.93, indicating high usability and a positive user experience. The participants found the projection technology impressive and the content informative while noting challenges such as information overload, unclear temporal structuring of the content, and minor technical issues. Planned developments focus on restructuring the content for shorter sessions, implementing a new content management system, and refining the technical stability. Finally, this work reframes projection mapping as operational infrastructure rather than a fixed display, offering practical guidance for researchers advancing PM methodologies and museum practitioners deploying innovative, technology-driven exhibitions. Full article

Pediatric diffuse midline gliomas in the brainstem (bDMGs) are malignant primary brain neoplasms with poor prognosis. Conventional dogma cites that biopsy procedures have risks of devastating injury to the eloquent brainstem and have no direct benefit to affected patients. In recent years, the use of augmented reality (AR) adjuncts has demonstrated potential in providing excellent intraoperative three-dimensional (3D) visualization of intracranial structures. Put together, we hypothesize that the application of AR will be useful as a training tool for brainstem biopsy procedures. Anatomical models of bDMG tumors are created and uploaded to an AR application. The processed data is transferred into designated AR head-mounted devices. Briefly, individual 3D-rendered bDMG images are overlaid with an age-matched, life-sized child mannequin in prone position. A virtual stereotactic brain biopsy needle is deployed by the user into the lesion. At the end of the exercise, each user evaluates their trajectory of choice to assess its accuracy. Overall, the participants reported that the AR platform was useful in reviewing technical nuances for brainstem biopsy in a safe environment. This focused, proof-of-concept study adds to the growing body of literature that AR platforms demonstrate feasibility for neurosurgeons in the understanding of challenging operative neuroanatomy. Full article

This feasibility study explored the integration of physiological monitoring into a virtual reality (VR) intervention for pediatric pain management. The goal of this study is to identify a feasible strategy for collecting physiologic data in the context of a VR intervention currently being developed for youth with chronic pain. We assess the potential of Cognitive Load (CL)—derived from heart rate and pupillometry/eye-tracking data—as a marker of arousal and user engagement in a VR simulation to promote school functioning in youth with chronic pain. The HP Reverb G2 Omnicept headset and Polar H10 heart-rate sensor were utilized. The Child Presence Questionnaire (CPQ) assessed participants’ self-reported immersion and engagement. Data collection focused on feasibility and utility of physiologic data in assessing arousal and correlations with self-reported experience. Nine participants engaged in the simulation, with eight yielding complete data. The simulation and headset were well tolerated. CPQ Transportation subscale showed trend-level correlation with mean CL. Due to small sample and feasibility focus, individual-level results were examined. Combining multiple physiologic markers into a construct like CL is intriguing, but data interpretability was limited. Pupillometry and related metrics show promise as feasible markers of engagement and arousal for VR-based intervention but require appropriate expertise to fully interpret. The study found that integration of physiologic monitoring is feasible, but further work is needed to standardize metrics and identify the most useful and user-friendly markers. Full article

Emerging virtual reality (VR) technologies provide objective and immersive methods for assessing cognitive–motor function, particularly in elite sport. This study evaluated the reliability and validity of VR-based cognitive–motor assessments in a large sample of elite male athletes (n = 829). Ten cognitive–motor tests, delivered via Oculus Quest 2 headsets, were used, covering four domains: Balance and Gait (BG), Decision-Making (DM), Manual Dexterity (MD), and Memory (ME). A Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was conducted to establish a four-factor model and generate data-driven weights for domain-specific composite scores. The results demonstrated that the composite scores for BG, MD, ME, and a Global Cognitive–Motor (CM) score were all normally distributed. However, the DM score significantly deviated from normality, exhibiting a pronounced ceiling effect. Test–retest reliability was high across all cognitive–motor domains. In summary, VR assessments offer ecologically valid and precise measurements of cognitive–motor abilities by capitalising on high-fidelity motion tracking and standardised test delivery. In particular, the Global CM Score offers a robust metric for parametric analyses. While future work should address the DM ceiling effect and validate these tools in diverse populations, this approach holds significant potential for enhancing the precision and sensitivity of psychological and clinical assessment. Full article

Colour is a fundamental determinant of affective experience in immersive virtual reality (VR), yet the emotional and physiological impact of individual hues remains poorly characterised. This study investigated how fifteen calibrated Munsell hues influence subjective and autonomic responses when presented in immersive VR. Thirty-six adults (18–45 years) viewed each hue in a within-subject design while pupil diameter and skin conductance were recorded continuously, and self-reported emotions were assessed using the Self-Assessment Manikin across pleasure, arousal, and dominance. Repeated-measures ANOVAs revealed robust hue effects on all three self-report dimensions and on pupil dilation, with medium-to-large effect sizes. Reds and red–purple hues elicited the highest arousal and dominance, whereas blue–green hues were rated most pleasurable. Pupil dilation closely tracked arousal ratings, while skin conductance showed no reliable hue differentiation, likely due to the brief exposure times (30 s). Individual differences in cognitive style and personality modulated overall reactivity but did not alter the relative ranking of hues. Taken together, these findings provide the first systematic hue-by-hue mapping of affective and physiological responses in immersive VR. They demonstrate that calibrated colour shapes both experience and ocular physiology, while also offering practical guidance for educational, clinical, and interface design in virtual environments. Full article

Background: Young children have experienced increased emotional difficulties, including anxiety, emotion dysregulation, and tantrums. Limited access to mental health services has created an urgent need for accessible interventions to equip professionals with effective strategies for managing children’s strong emotions. This study piloted an innovative virtual reality (VR) simulation designed to teach professionals emotion management techniques. Methods: Participants included 107 early childhood professionals (e.g., educational, healthcare, and allied health) working with children aged 3–6 years from the southeastern United States. The multilingual VR simulation taught professionals emotion management strategies. Participants self-selected whether to complete a temper tantrum management simulation (n = 71) or a separation anxiety simulation (n = 36). Participants’ responses to children’s strong emotions were assessed at baseline, post-intervention, and at one-month follow-up, along with a satisfaction survey. Results: Participants reported a significant increase in intent to use effective emotion regulation strategies immediately following VR completion. However, actual use of effective strategies showed no significant change at one-month follow-up. Being a Spanish-speaking professional was associated with significantly greater improvements in both intent and actual use of effective strategies at follow-up. Participants reported high satisfaction ratings with the VR simulations. Conclusions: VR simulations show promise as an innovative tool for teaching emotion management strategies, particularly benefiting Spanish-speaking early childhood professionals. While effective for immediate motivation, additional support mechanisms (e.g., repeated practice, workplace supports) may be needed to sustain long-term behavior change in professional practice. Full article

Background: Virtual reality has been shown to reduce pain during labour. We aimed to determine whether virtual reality reduces analgesia use and shortens labour duration. Methods: A non-randomised pilot study was conducted, using a matched case–control design (1:2 ratio). Cases were women who voluntarily used virtual reality alongside standard intrapartum pain management, including non-pharmacological methods and/or epidural analgesia. Controls received standard intrapartum pain management. Results: A total of 108 women were included for analysis (36 cases vs. 72 controls). Perceived pain scores before and after virtual reality use did not differ significantly (p = 0.43, p = 0.73), suggesting a limited immediate analgesic effect under current conditions. Epidural analgesia rates and cervical dilation at initiation of analgesia did not show significant differences between cases and controls (p = 0.13, p = 0.42). After adjusting for induction of labour and cervical dilation at admission, there were no significant differences for duration of epidural analgesia (p = 0.86, p = 0.56), duration of labour (p = 0.64, p = 0.55), or vaginal birth (p = 0.23). Adjusted models indicated a non-significant trend toward shorter durations of labour, birth, and epidural exposure for cases. Conclusions: Our pilot study did not reveal a decrease in perceived pain or epidural analgesia use or an effect on duration of labour and vaginal birth. Full article

Visual virtuality can be seen as involving the processing and perception of pictorial images. The production of such representations has a longer history than speculations about their perception. Pictorial images of objects and scenes lack two dimensions present in their subject matter—depth and motion. Instruments to investigate stereoscopic depth and apparent motion were invented in the early 1830s. Wheatstone devised stereoscopes and conducted experiments with them; Plateau and Stampfer independently crafted devices for presenting sequences of slightly different patterns that created the impression of motion. Wheatstone later proposed how moving and stereoscopic images could be combined. Thereafter, interpretations of virtual depth and motion perception became more concerned with central processing rather than being based on geometrical optics. Full article

Virtual reality (VR) is becoming an increasingly popular tool across a range of domains, from education and healthcare to entertainment and workforce development. Organizations are now beginning to adopt VR for personnel management purposes, including training, evaluation, and decision-making. However, little is known about how such uses influence public perceptions of the organizations themselves. To address this gap, we conducted a three-study investigation examining how individuals perceive organizations that implement VR for various workplace applications. Across the studies, participants were presented with scenarios involving fictitious companies using VR in either low-stakes (e.g., team meeting) or high-stakes (e.g., job interview) contexts. Our findings suggest that people generally view VR technology and the organizations who use the technology positively. However, the context of use significantly shapes perceptions, where organizations that used VR in high-stakes applications were evaluated more negatively than those using it in low-stakes settings. This pattern suggests that while VR carries a general technological appeal, its application in high-stakes contexts may lead to skepticism or concern. We discuss the implications of these findings for organizations considering the integration of VR into personnel practices, highlighting the importance of context and transparency in shaping stakeholder perceptions. Full article

Natural walking locomotion in virtual reality (VR) allows intuitive movement through a virtual environment (VE), lower rates of simulator sickness, and increased immersion. However, it is limited by available play-space. Impossible spaces are VEs that use self-overlapping geometry to imitate larger play-spaces within a smaller area. Understanding how users interact with impossible spaces requires understanding how they perceive and remember VEs. However, it is unknown how impossible spaces impact users’ memory. An experiment was conducted comparing 32 participants’ memory from two conditions: natural walking in an impossible space and joystick movement in a similar non-impossible space. Participants were given up to 20 min to explore a virtual museum and were not instructed on what to remember. The experience was designed to allow participants to freely explore the VE at their own pace, allowing engagement duration to vary naturally. No significant differences were found between conditions for object or spatial memory; however, participants in the natural walking condition spent more time in the environment, revisited more areas, and were more confident identifying objects not encountered in the VE. This suggests natural walking in impossible spaces may be a viable alternative to traditional locomotion techniques. Full article

Herein, we report a USB-powered VR-HMD prototype integrated with our 33 mm aperture varifocal liquid lenses and electronic drive components, all assembled in a conventional VR-HMD form-factor. In this volumetric-display-based VR system, a sequence of virtual images are rapidly flash-projected at different plane depths in front of the observer and are synchronized with the correct accommodations provided by the varifocal lenses for depth-matched focusing at chosen sweep frequency. This projection mechanism aids in resolving the VAC that is present in conventional fixed-depth VR. Additionally, this system can address refractive error corrections like myopia and hyperopia for prescription users and do not require any eye-tracking systems. We experimentally demonstrate these lenses can vibrate up to frequencies approaching 100 Hz and report the frequency response of the varifocal lenses and their focal characteristics in real time as a function of the drive frequency. When integrated with the prototype’s 120 fps VR display system, these lenses produce a net diopter change of 2.3 D at a sweep frequency of 45 Hz while operating at ~70% of its maximum actuation voltage. The components add a total weight of around 50 g to the off-the-shelf VR set, making it a cost-effective but lightweight minimal solution. Full article

Virtual Reality (VR) is a useful educational tool in healthcare, allowing students to practise and improve practical skills. In speech therapy (ST), the need to revise academic curricula to adapt them to university contexts and integrate them into advanced clinical practices has highlighted the need to analyse the use of VR in this sector. The objective of this scoping review was to investigate whether research has considered using VR to support ST students’ training and highlight potential gaps in the literature. The study followed the JBI methodology for scoping reviews and was reported according to PRISMA-ScR guidelines. A protocol to conduct the current review was developed and registered on the Open Science Framework. The articles considered were retrieved from databases specialising in healthcare, computer science, and education, and were enhanced by results found with the help of AI-based tools. No constraints were applied and all study types were considered. Fourteen studies were included in the review and analysed under four core subjects: VR technology, ST context, training purposes, and main outcomes and assessment methods. The VR types identified in the studies were grouped into four categories, i.e., non-immersive VR (6/14, 42.9%), immersive VR (5/14, 35.7%), non-specified VR type (2/14, 14.3%), and semi-immersive VR (1/14, 7.1%). Most studies (5/14, 35.7%) focused on clinical skills acquisition, others addressed communication and interpersonal collaborative skills (3/14, 21.4%), while the remaining focused on person-centred care and awareness, clinical interviewing or reasoning skills, and performance knowledge (2/14 each, 14.3%). VR is still in its early stages in ST education. Some recent studies suggest VR supports students’ communication, interdisciplinary, and clinical skills. Although still limited in the context of ST education, the increasing affordability and ease of development of VR, along with its growing use in other healthcare fields, suggest that its underuse might be due to institutional barriers and lack of standardised frameworks. Overall, the findings suggest that VR offers promising support for experiential and skills-based learning. Full article

Traditionally, formal education has favored boys, while girls, in the past, were relegated to the domestic sphere. This has been the case for centuries, without considering the possible specific cognitive needs of girls, which have been ignored. In Western countries, this has generated significant educational problems, especially in the learning of more technical subjects, with which girls not only do not identify but also often exclude themselves with the excuse that “it is not for them” (i.e., they tend to display a strong stereotype, a false belief, regarding these disciplines). The consequences have not been long in coming. Currently, in many Western countries, the low percentage of women in technical careers (such as Physics, Engineering, and Computer Science) is alarming. Is it possible to change stereotypes? This article addresses this complex issue, placing particular emphasis on the learning of spatial abilities, so important in all STEM careers (i.e., science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). This study concludes with examples of other stereotypes (mainly cultural) that have been eliminated or significantly reduced thanks to virtual reality (VR) and the help of artificial intelligence (AI). Could the same be achieved in the spatial domain? Full article

Due to the effect of room acoustics on musical interpretation, a musician’s rehearsal may be greatly enhanced by leveraging virtual and augmented reality technology. This paper presents a preliminary study on a rehearsal tool designed for musicians, enabling practice in a virtual acoustic environment with audience-positioned playback. Fourteen participants, both professional and non-professional musicians, were recruited to practice with the rehearsal tool prior to performing in an unfamiliar venue. Throughout the rehearsal, the subjects either played in a virtual environment that matched the acoustics of the performance venue or one that was acoustically different. A control group rehearsed in an acoustically dry room with no virtual acoustic environment. The tool’s effectiveness was evaluated with two 16-item questionnaires that assessed quality, usefulness, satisfaction with the rehearsal, and aspects of the performance. Findings indicate that rehearsing in a virtual acoustic environment that matches the performance venue improves acoustic awareness during the performance and enhances ease and comfort on stage compared to practising in a different environment. These results support the integration of virtual acoustics in rehearsal tools to help musicians better adapt their performance to concert settings. Full article

Background: Current methods of postural control assessments and interventions to improve postural stability and thereby prevent falls often fail to incorporate the hazardous perturbation situations that frequently accompany falls. Virtual environments can safely incorporate these hazards. The purpose of the study was to identify if virtual slip and trip perturbations can be used as an exposure paradigm in place of real slip and trip perturbations to improve postural control. Methods: Fifteen healthy young adults were included in this study. Two paradigms, real gait exposure (real) and virtual environment gait exposure (virtual), consisting of real and virtual slip and trip trials, were performed by each participant in a counterbalanced order to avoid order effects. At baseline and following real and virtual paradigms, the modified clinical test for sensory integration and balance (mCTSIB), limits of stability (LOS), and single-leg stance (SLS) using BTracks balance plate were administered. Separate one-way (baseline vs. Real vs. Virtual) repeated measures analysis of variance were conducted on response variables. Results: In the posterior left quadrant of the LOS, significant differences were found after the real paradigm compared to baseline (p = 0.04). For the anterior left quadrant and total LOS, significant differences post real paradigm (p = 0.002 and p < 0.001) and virtual paradigm (p = 0.007 and p < 0.001) compared to baseline were observed. For the SLS, the left-leg significant differences were observed post real paradigm (p = 0.019) and virtual paradigm (p = 0.009) compared to BL in path length, while significant main effects were found for mean sway velocity for the left leg only (p = 0.004). For the right leg, significant differences were only observed after the virtual paradigm (p = 0.01) compared to BL. Conclusions: Both virtual and real paradigms were identified to improve postural control. The virtual paradigm led to increased postural control in the right-leg SLS condition, while the real paradigm did not, without any adverse effects. Findings suggest virtual reality perturbation exposure acutely improves postural control ability compared to baseline among healthy young adults. Full article