Search Results (8)

Rapid urbanisation and resource constraints necessitate the adoption of sustainable construction practices in developing economies, yet empirical evidence on the effectiveness of digital technologies remains limited. This study develops and validates an integrated framework to evaluate the contribution of immersive digital technologies to sustainable construction performance in Nigeria. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire survey of 353 construction professionals across Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt. Key constructs—immersive technologies (Building Information Modelling, Virtual Reality, and Augmented Reality), sustainability outcomes, and adoption barriers were measured using multi-item Likert-scale indicators adapted from prior studies. The data were analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM), which was selected for its suitability in handling complex models and for prediction-oriented analysis. The measurement model demonstrated satisfactory reliability and validity, with average variance extracted (AVE) and composite reliability (CR) values ranging from 0.62 to 0.88. The structural model explained a substantial proportion of variance in sustainable construction outcomes (R² = 0.89), with all hypothesised relationships statistically significant (p < 0.01). Immersive technologies showed strong positive effects (β = 0.63–0.82), while barriers such as high costs, limited technical expertise, and inadequate infrastructure constrained adoption. This study’s findings indicate the significant potential of immersive technologies to support sustainable construction in developing economies. Full article

Emerging technologies offer cultural institutions opportunities to expand their audiences and make their content more accessible. Augmented Virtuality (AV), which integrates real-world content into virtual environments, shows particular potential. It enables the transmission of live or pre-recorded stage performances, such as concerts and theater productions, from the stage to virtual audiences via increasingly affordable head-mounted displays (HMDs). However, as AV remains under-researched, little is known about which recording features enable an immersive user experience while maintaining cost-efficiency—an essential requirement for resource-constrained cultural institutions. In this context, we investigate the influence of features of audio and video recordings on key dimensions of user experience in the use case of a real opera performance integrated into a virtual opera house. We conducted a 2 × 2 within-subjects study with 30 participants to measure the effects of 2D versus 3D videos and stereophonic versus spatial audio rendering on several key dimensions of user experience. The results show that spatial audio has a positive impact on Place Illusion, whereas video dimensionality had no significant effect. Recommendations for the design of AV applications are derived from study results, aiming at balancing immersive user experience and cost-efficiency for virtual cultural participation. Full article

The adoption of immersive technologies is increasing in sensory, consumer, and marketing research, yet existing extended reality (XR) systems face limitations in realism, ease of product interaction, presence, data collection, and scalability. This study presents Sense-AV, an augmented virtuality (AV) system designed for large-scale sensory and consumer tests with enhanced immersion and realism. 102 participants evaluated two foods and one beverage across two sessions: a conventional sensory booth and the Sense-AV system, which simulated a sports bar environment. Real-time data collection was supported through API-linked mobile questionnaires, audio prompts via the head-mounted display (HMD), and open comments recorded by voice. Sense-AV was rated highly for usability, efficiency, satisfaction, presence, and sensory awareness. Older participants reported greater ease in handling products, while some difficulties with mobile input were noted but had minimal impact on the overall user experience (UX). Interviews emphasized immersion, intuitive use, and minor technical adjustments. No significant differences in overall product liking were found between methods, except for the mayonnaise, which scored higher in the immersive setting. Although food intake was lower in Sense-AV, oral feedback was more detailed and expressive. The system demonstrates innovation by improving realism and external validity in large-scale sensory evaluations. Full article

Effective teleoperation visualization is crucial but challenging for tasks like remote inspection. This study proposes a VR-based teleoperation framework featuring a ‘Virtual Co-Existence Space’ and systematically investigates visualization modalities within it. We compared four interfaces (2D camera feed, 3D point cloud, combined 2D3D, and Augmented Virtuality-AV) for controlling an industrial robot. Twenty-four participants performed inspection tasks while performance (time, collisions, accuracy, photos) and cognitive load (NASA-TLX, pupillometry) were measured. Results revealed distinct trade-offs: 3D imposed the highest cognitive load but enabled precise navigation (low collisions). 2D3D offered the lowest load and highest user comfort but slightly reduced distance accuracy. AV suffered significantly higher collision rates and participant feedback usability issues. 2D showed low physiological load but high subjective effort. No significant differences were found for completion time, distance accuracy, or photo quality. In conclusion, no visualization modality proved universally superior within the proposed framework. The optimal choice is balancing task priorities like navigation safety versus user workload. Hybrid 2D3D shows promise for minimizing load, while AV requires substantial usability refinement for safe deployment. Full article

Sensory analysis methodologies are performed in sensory booths designed to minimise external stimuli, lacking ecological validity. Immersive environments are used to introduce contextual cues, but there is a lack of studies using mixed reality systems. The main goal of this study was to evaluate an augmented virtuality (AV) system where participants are inserted into a virtual environment and evaluate a real product, being able to interact with both dimensions. A panel of 102 consumers evaluated five samples of commercial peach nectars in three sessions, each in a different environment: public food court, living room (AV environments), and laboratory (traditional sensory booth). Consumers rated overall liking, followed by open comments, and also answered an Engagement (EQ) and a Presence Questionnaire (PQ). The type of environment only affected hedonic discrimination among samples, with the laboratory setting being the only one with sample discrimination. Nonetheless, each sample was not evaluated differently across the different environments. Concerning engagement, the environment only significantly influenced the EQ’s ‘Affective Value’ factor, being higher when using an AV system. The level of presence in the virtual environment was significantly higher in the public food court, being significantly correlated with the EQ factor scores. Full article

As modern information technology advances and equipment devices update, extended reality (XR) technologies, including virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and augmented virtuality (AV) have witnessed an increasing use and application in construction training. This review aims to comprehensively examine the evolution of XR training in the construction domain. To achieve this, a systematic literature review of 74 journal papers from the Scopus database was conducted. This paper outlines the progression of XR training from 2009 to 2023, detailing related technologies like development platforms, display devices, and input devices. The literature review reveals that XR application in construction training spans five main areas: (1) safety management, (2) skill/knowledge acquisition, (3) equipment operation, (4) human–computer collaboration, and (5) ergonomics/postural training. Additionally, this review explores the impact of trainee roles on XR training outcomes and identifies the challenges faced by XR technology in construction training applications. The findings of this literature review are hoped to assist researchers and construction engineering trainers in understanding the latest advancements and challenges in XR, thereby providing valuable insights for future research. Full article

In contrast to previous works on data augmentation using LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), which mostly consider point clouds under good weather conditions, this paper uses point clouds which are affected by spray. Spray water can be a cause of phantom braking and understanding how to handle the extra detections caused by it is an important step in the development of ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems)/AV (Autonomous Vehicles) functions. The extra detections caused by spray cannot be safely removed without considering cases in which real solid objects may be present in the same region in which the detections caused by spray take place. As collecting real examples would be extremely difficult, the use of synthetic data is proposed. Real scenes are reconstructed virtually with an added extra object in the spray region, in a way that the detections caused by this obstacle match the characteristics a real object in the same position would have regarding intensity, echo number and occlusion. The detections generated by the obstacle are then used to augment the real data, obtaining, after occlusion effects are added, a good approximation of the desired training data. This data is used to train a classifier achieving an average F-Score of 92. The performance of the classifier is analyzed in detail based on the characteristics of the synthetic object: size, position, reflection, duration. The proposed method can be easily expanded to different kinds of obstacles and classifier types. Full article

Over the last decade, researchers have used virtual- and mixed-reality (VR-MR) techniques for various safety-related applications such as training, hazard monitoring, and preconstruction planning. This paper reviews the recent trends in virtual- and mixed-reality applications in construction safety, explicitly focusing on virtual-reality and mixed-reality techniques as the two major types of computer-generated simulated experiences. Following a systematic literature assessment methodology, this study summarizes the results of articles that have been published over the last decade and illustrates the research trends of virtual- and mixed-reality applications in construction safety while focusing on the technological components of individual studies. Full article