A heart rate and skin response module for adaptive difficulty in virtual reality

Abstract

Virtual Reality (VR) is becoming an ubiquitous technology currently being in many areas as it offers simulated realistic environments suitable for training. Despite the advances in VR technology, one-size-fits solutions that do not factor the user variability still prevail. Such approach may impact task completion, immersion, presence and effective of VR. A solution to such a problem involves the use of physiological measures that allow better understanding how users respond to VR experiences. This Thesis presents a module called Physiological Adaptive Module (PAM) that utilizes heart rate and skin responses as customization elements altering the level of difficulty when performing a VR task. The customization additionally changes the audiovisual feedback, while monitoring the biofeedback and time to completion. The proposed Unity module was integrated into the Model for Attenuating Radiation in VR for Nuclear Safety Awareness (MARVIN) VR simulation for radiation attenuation to understand the implementation requirements, challenges, and opportunities. Finally, a preliminary study was conducted to understand usability and cognitive load.