Search Results (231)

In historic districts, the audiovisual environment plays an important role in shaping both cultural expression and spatial experience. However, the influence of acoustic and visual environmental factors on perceived street vitality remains insufficiently understood. Taking the Shangxiahang Historic District in Fuzhou as a case study, this paper employs on-site sound pressure level measurements, panoramic visual data collection, questionnaire surveys, principal component analysis, correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis to systematically examine the effects of acoustic and visual environmental factors on perceived street vitality. The results indicate that traditional cultural sounds and natural sounds have a significant positive impact on perceived street vitality, while construction noise and tour guide’s horn sound exhibit negative effects. Regarding the visual environment, street and alley spaces, traditional architecture, greenery, and the sky are all important factors in promoting perceived street vitality. Further regression analysis reveals that the perception rate of street and alley spaces has the strongest influence, followed by the perception rate of traditional architecture, the perceived frequency of folk activity sounds, preference for greenery, and the perception rate of the sky. These findings demonstrate that perceived street vitality in historic districts does not depend on a single environmental factor but rather arises from synergistic interaction between culturally meaningful acoustic cues and legible spatial forms. These results offer practical implications for multisensory design and vitality-oriented regeneration in historic districts. Full article

This paper presents a systematic review, conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines, synthesising evidence on how visual and spatial features of classical concert settings—such as performer visibility, seating position and sightlines, stage layout, lighting, and vibrotactile cues—shape listeners’ engagement and judgments. RILM, APA PsycNet, PubMed, and Scopus were searched for peer-reviewed experimental studies that manipulated or compared visual/spatial dimensions and reported subjective or physiological outcomes relevant to live, non-amplified contexts. Titles, abstracts, and full texts were screened, and data were extracted and analysed with respect to study design, stimulus environment, outcome measures, and main effects. Heterogeneity across studies precluded meta-analysis; therefore, a narrative synthesis was conducted. A total of 23 publications—22 experiments and one meta-analysis—met the inclusion criteria: the reviewed studies primarily examined issues related to visual presence and spatial configuration. Most studies relied on laboratory or home-based audiovisual reproductions, with only one study collecting data in a naturalistic performance setting. The evidence is limited by methodological heterogeneity, the predominance of simulated environments, and variability in outcome measures. Overall, visual and spatial factors substantially shape classical music listening and the audience experience, underscoring the need for more field-based and methodologically standardised research. Full article

People spend most of their time indoors, highlighting the importance of indoor environmental quality for health and wellbeing. While previous studies have shown that exposure to nature can benefit wellbeing, much of this research has focused on outdoor environments, and less is known about how indoor plants and their spatial characteristics influence human perceptions and experiences. This paper reports on a survey study exploring how perceived health and wellbeing are influenced by indoor plants and human preferences for their characteristics, spatial arrangement, and other features within indoor environments. Indoor plants serve as visual and multisensory environmental stimuli. By examining the relationship between indoor plants, preferences, perceptions, visual comfort, multisensory experiences, and wellbeing, the study aims to understand these influences. The questionnaires include multiple-choice questions, yes-no questions, and open-ended questions, allowing the collection of both quantitative and qualitative data. The survey findings highlight the unique benefits of indoor plants, emphasising their potential to enhance wellbeing in ways that outdoor nature may not fully replicate in indoor settings. One significant finding of this study is that scattering indoor plants throughout a space can enhance the connection to nature through three-dimensional spatial interaction, potentially improving wellbeing. This arrangement may serve as a bridge to the outdoors, providing a psychological link to the natural environment. Crucial preference factors also include the complexity and coherence of indoor plants’ appearance, such as colour, shape, and size. The results further indicate that students prefer indoor plants over other elements such as cut flowers, fake plants, or artificial plant representations. The findings indicate that caring for indoor plants may foster emotional engagement, a sense of fulfilment, and place attachment through everyday interaction. In public spaces, plants may also enhance feelings of refuge and perceived security. These findings provide practical recommendations for designing indoor environments that enhance student wellbeing and human–environment interaction. Full article

As public demand for health and well-being continues to rise, rural landscapes are increasingly valued as settings for stress reduction and psycho-physiological restoration. Drawing on five “Beautiful Villages” in Jiangning District, Nanjing (China), this study categorizes rural landscapes into three types—farmland production landscapes, rural settlement landscapes, and rural mountain–water landscapes—based on the proportional dominance of key landscape elements. Audio-visual stimuli were developed from on-site photography and field recordings to construct controlled rural audio-visual environments. Using a combination of physiological indicators and self-reported psychological assessments, we systematically compare restorative responses across modalities (visual, auditory, and audio-visual) and across landscape types, and examine how specific landscape elements relate to restorative outcomes. Results show that (1) auditory stimuli generally produce stronger restorative responses than visual stimuli, and audio-visual interactions are evident; (2) restorative benefits vary significantly across the three rural landscape types; and (3) visually natural and structurally rich elements are associated with greater restoration, while auditory cues can direct visual attention and natural sounds are positively linked to restorative outcomes. These findings advance understanding of multi-sensory restorative processes in rural landscapes and provide evidence for sustainable rural landscape planning and design by supporting healthier, more restorative, and more human-centered rural environments. Full article

Background/Objectives: In Italy, food waste within school meal services represents a major public health and sustainability challenge, with approximately 21.7% of meals discarded, and vegetables and legumes among the most frequently rejected components. Low consumption of these foods during childhood contributes to unhealthy dietary trajectories and increased long-term cardiometabolic risk. Evidence indicates that information-based nutrition education alone is insufficient to modify children’s eating behaviors within complex food environments. This study aimed to describe and evaluate the LO-VEg project, a school-based intervention designed to address dietary behavior and food waste simultaneously by integrating environmental nudging with child-centered communication strategies. Methods: The LO-VEg project was implemented as a quasi-experimental ecological school-based intervention combining environmental nudging strategies and multisensory communication tools to promote vegetable and legume consumption in primary school canteens. The intervention involved approximately 1500 pupils across four primary schools in the Lombardy region of Italy and was conducted over a 10-week period within routine school meal settings. Consumption outcomes were assessed through aggregated anonymous plate-waste observations collected during school meals. Results: Preliminary aggregated analyses indicated favorable trends in vegetable and legume consumption and plate-waste reduction during the intervention period. The broader intervention architecture also included communication, digital, and family-oriented components, which are described in the present manuscript as part of the implementation framework. Conclusions: The LO-VEg project suggests that integrating environmental nudging with child-centered communication strategies may represent a scalable approach to improving dietary behaviors and reducing food waste in school settings. Full article

Although many studies have demonstrated the positive effects of natural visual and auditory stimuli on human physiological and psychological states, there is limited empirical evidence on the effects on subjective comfort under different thermal environments. This study used a climatic chamber experiment to evaluate the impact of three types of natural stimuli (visual, auditory, and combined audio-visual) on physiological and psychological responses under three operative temperature conditions (26 °C, 28 °C, and 32 °C). In total, 24 participants were recruited. Physiological indicators, including heart rate variability, skin conductance level (SCL), skin temperature (ST), and blood pressure, as well as psychological indicators including thermal sensation (TSV), thermal comfort (TCV), visual comfort (VCV), and acoustic comfort (ACV), were collected. The results show that TCV was significantly and positively correlated with both VCV and ACV. The visual stimuli produced the most significant decrease in TSV and the greatest increase in TCV, while combined audio-visual stimuli had the most significant impact on physiological responses. At 26 °C, the combined audio-visual stimuli group reduced heart rate by 6.08%. However, at 32 °C, most physiological and psychological restoration indicators showed no significant changes. These findings provide theoretical references for health-oriented multisensory environmental design in urban areas. Full article

The SensaSea System is a responsive multisensory environment, specifically, a room-sized interactive installation that incorporates wearable devices, interactive visual floor projections and auditory and tactile modalities. SensaSea is designed as a physical environment for embodied interaction and free play suitable for multiple players; the system uses social proximity as the primary mechanism. Our objective is to promote active peer interaction and social connectedness among elementary school children through sensory-guided approaches which include digitized and projected interactive sea creatures. The multi-modal system also features an interactive soundscape and innovative real-time haptic feedback. We conducted eight group user studies (24 children in total). Our usability and feasibility tests demonstrated that the system results in positive emotions and elicits multiple pro-social behaviors. Full article

Human information processing is often considered vision-dominant. However, perception is multisensory and shaped by interactions among sensory modalities as well as by top-down processes that integrate prior knowledge and context. Research demonstrates that these mechanisms influence early neural processing and enrich perception beyond purely bottom-up input. For individuals who are blind, this adaptability allows for the effective acquisition of information through alternative sensory channels, provided that accessibility systems are in place. A central challenge is the limited access to written materials, including text, numerical data, and music notation. Assistive technologies such as speech synthesis and Braille have become key solutions. This contribution focuses on Braille, discussing issues of organization, standardization, and technical design. It also introduces the project “Braille Display Screen Based on Long-Wave Infrared Radiation,” which seeks to create a passive Braille display as an alternative to conventional actuator-based devices. Full article

This paper develops the Mobilized Nostalgia Tourism conceptual model, positioning historic automotive events as dynamic, multisensory mobile heritage performances through which nostalgia is actively produced rather than merely recalled. Drawing on interdisciplinary scholarship across heritage studies, mobilities and performance perspectives, and destination branding, the model specifies how event design levers (sensory staging, narrative scripting, participation architecture, and digital mediation) can mobilize nostalgia as an affective mechanism, shaping visitor outcomes (authenticity, memorability, attachment, advocacy) and, under certain conditions, destination outcomes (brand meaning, dispersion effects, and cultural capital). The paper uses three illustrative cases—Mille Miglia (Italy), Goodwood Revival (England), and the Historic Acropolis Rally (Greece)—to demonstrate the model’s portability and to highlight variation in how mobilized nostalgia is staged and contested. By clarifying constructs, boundary conditions, and propositions, the paper provides an analytical vocabulary that supports comparative research and offers practical insight for designing heritage events that are emotionally resonant, culturally legitimate, and strategically coherent. The proposed model is widely applicable, extending beyond automotive events to vintage railway, aviation, maritime heritage tourism, and diverse cultural festivals. Furthermore, it translates the mechanism model into a practical design toolkit that can inform event organizers, destination managers, and policymakers as they develop affect-rich heritage experiences and manage trade-offs around authenticity, community legitimacy, and sustainability. Last, the paper outlines empirical pathways, including mixed-method approaches, for future validation of its conceptual propositions. Full article

Background: Addictive disorders are characterized by the dysregulation of neural circuits involved in reward processing, salience attribution, emotional regulation, and cognitive control. Traditional neuroimaging paradigms based on static or two-dimensional stimuli show limited ecological validity and may fail to capture the contextual complexity of real-world addictive triggers. Immersive virtual reality (VR) offers a novel approach to simulate realistic, multisensory environments capable of eliciting craving and emotional responses. Although several reviews have examined VR in addictive disorders, most combined immersive and non-immersive tools and did not restrict inclusion to studies with brain-based outcomes. Methods: This systematic review with narrative synthesis was conducted in PubMed/MEDLINE and APA PsycINFO for studies published up to 30 December 2025. This systematic review followed PRISMA 2020 and was prospectively registered in PROSPERO; due to heterogeneity, findings were synthesized narratively. Eligible studies included human participants with substance-related or behavioral addictions and employed immersive VR paradigms (e.g., head-mounted display–based environments) combined with neuroimaging or neurophysiological measures (EEG, fMRI, fNIRS, PET, or DTI). Risk of bias was assessed using ROB-2 or ROBINS-I, and overall certainty of evidence was evaluated with the GRADE framework. Results: Ten studies met the inclusion criteria, encompassing over 1450 participants with alcohol, nicotine, methamphetamine, opioid use disorders, and internet gaming disorder. Immersive VR was associated with craving-related neural responses across modalities, involving prefrontal, insular, limbic, and striatal networks. EEG studies reported spectral power changes associated with craving and attentional salience, while fMRI, fNIRS, and PET studies demonstrated activation and modulation of executive control and reward-related circuits. Preliminary longitudinal and interventional studies indicate that repeated VR exposure may induce neurobiological changes consistent with therapeutic modulation. Conclusions: Immersive VR combined with neuroimaging supports the use of immersive VR as an ecologically grounded framework to probe addiction-related brain circuits; however, larger trials and standardized reporting are needed to strengthen clinical translation. Future studies should prioritize adequately powered randomized designs, harmonized VR cue-reactivity paradigms, and transparent neuroimaging reporting to enable reproducibility and cumulative inference. Full article

Extended Reality (XR) technologies are increasingly used to create immersive and interactive systems across domains such as education, training, health, and entertainment. As these systems become more complex and multisensory, evaluating user experience (UX) in XR environments requires approaches that go beyond traditional usability assessments and consider perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and interaction-related factors. However, existing UX evaluation efforts in XR often rely on isolated instruments or domain-specific studies, lacking a systematic and reusable evaluation methodology. This paper proposes a human-centered methodology for evaluating user experience in extended reality applications, integrating UX dimensions and XR-specific characteristics into a structured and coherent evaluation process. The methodology is grounded in a multi-phase research process that includes a comprehensive literature review, expert consultation, correlation analysis between UX dimensions and XR features, and formal specification of evaluation phases and activities. Based on this process, the proposed methodology supports evaluators in selecting appropriate UX evaluation methods and instruments according to the characteristics and experiential goals of XR applications. The methodology defines a set of UX dimensions tailored to immersive environments, capturing perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and interaction aspects that are critical for the design and evaluation of adaptive and human-centered XR systems. An expert-based validation was conducted to assess the clarity, usefulness, and applicability of the methodology, leading to refinements in its structure and descriptions. The methodology promotes a human-centered approach by considering user perception, emotional impact, and contextual experience across XR modalities. It additionally contributes to the field by offering a reusable process for UX evaluation in XR, supporting more consistent, transparent, and human-centered assessment practices. It also provides a foundation for future empirical studies and the development of evaluation approaches inspired by natural and adaptive human–environment interactions. Full article

Immersive virtual reality (VR) offers promising opportunities for skill acquisition in complex motor domains, yet its specific potential for martial arts training remains underexplored. This pilot study examined how visual and auditory feedback are associated with subjective immersion and motor performance during the execution of a standardized martial arts sidekick in VR. Ten technically experienced participants completed four training conditions, while full-body kinematics were captured using a synchronized VR-MoCap setup. Subjective ratings of immersion and presence were collected after each condition, and three expert interviews provided complementary qualitative perspectives. Exploratory analyses indicated that high-fidelity visual feedback elicited higher immersion and more stable chamber-phase posture, while voice feedback was associated with smoother timing and improved kick alignment. Experts highlighted multisensory coherence as a key design principle and pointed to concrete opportunities for VR-supported technique refinement. These convergent findings suggest that immersive VR can support technically relevant performance cues in martial arts training while also highlighting design considerations for future high-precision VR coaching systems. As a pilot study, the results provide methodological groundwork and signal directions for larger, confirmatory investigations. Full article

On the 25 September 1987, CBS aired the first episode of Beauty and the Beast. This television fantasy romance centred on the chaste relationship between Catherine Chandler (Linda Hamilton), a New York socialite turned District Attorney investigator, and the beastly Vincent, a man with leonine features who lives in a secret commune of outcasts beneath the city, played by Ron Perlman, but designed by Rick Baker. This article examines Vincent as a core part of Beauty and the Beast’s appeal and as a sight for affective spectacle. It will argue that due to television’s ability to provide audiences with intimacy and proximity, as well as Alexia Smit’s theories of tele-affectivity, Vincent, as a character and as part of the scenography of the television show, allows for “a multisensory, situated experience”. Taking a historical materialist approach, this article will examine the initial reaction to Vincent as a character in the prerelease material and the critical reception upon the release of the first season. It will also explore ideas of responsibility in the creation of Vincent and the tension and collaboration that take place between Perlman and Baker. Full article

The characteristics of green spaces might play a role in shaping the Sense of Place. However, few studies have investigated the relations between the design characteristics of green space and the SoP, and even fewer have accounted for the multi-sensory characteristics of green spaces. This study investigates the Sense of Place in an urban green space in Shiraz, in relation to its soundscapes both on site (n = 6) and in the lab (n = 17). Despite the limited equipment and sample size, the results from both methods of on-site and laboratory conditions converge towards the same conclusions: the SoP was perceived as being lower in parts of the parks located at the boundaries, particularly when unpleasant sounds from the surroundings (e.g., construction) could be heard. Moreover, we did not observe strong associations between sound and visual pleasantness. Finally, we found that the SoP was influenced both by memory representations and the immediate sensory experience. This exploratory study calls for further research on the contribution of the sensory experience, particularly sound-related factors to Sense of Place. Full article

The immersive, multisensory experiences offered by virtual reality have been transformative across multiple disciplines, enhancing practical and theoretical skills while increasing user motivation and learning. On the other hand, multi-agent systems have proven to be effective in facilitating the expansion and modularity of computer systems. This paper presents an application developed in a virtual reality environment based on multi-agent systems for the conceptual design of mechanical assemblies from primitives. As a main novelty, the primitives can be defined by the user of the application from a set of models and images, and an Excel document, without the need for programming knowledge, taking advantage of the possibilities offered by multi-agent systems. In addition, for each primitive, it is possible to define a set of geometric and dimensional modifications, as well as a set of position relations with respect to other primitives to generate mechanical assemblies. Full article