Development and user experience assessment of a VR resource for lactation latching

Abstract

Breastfeeding is essential for infants and mothers. However, low breastfeeding rates have become a major health problem despite the use of electronic health resources used in videos, websites, and online video calls that lack spatial interactions. Existing VR breastfeeding research focuses on gathering technological acceptance, general information, and relationship with virtual infants by providing a first-person immersive experience, although lacking user experience and educational value assessments. This thesis develops a Virtual Reality (VR) breastfeeding experience focused on latching and compares user experience and educational value using head and eye tracking interactions. The preliminary results with 10 participants, five women, and five men volunteered to participate in a within subjects study indicate that eye tracking improved education value despite the nuances of artifacts caused by sudden eye movement and blinking. Future work will focus on a larger study, migration to a system with better support for hand and eye tracking, and increased realism.