Generating an Environment for Socializing between Older Adults in a VR Supermarket

Sebastian Walchshäusl; Christian Eichhorn; David A. Plecher; Tim Simecek; Gudrun Klinker; Atsushi Hiyama; Masahiko Inami

Generating an Environment for Socializing between Older Adults in a VR Supermarket

Sebastian Walchshäusl
, Christian Eichhorn
, David A. Plecher
, Tim Simecek
, Gudrun Klinker
, Atsushi Hiyama
, Masahiko Inami

Informatics 16 - Associate Professorship of Augmented Reality

Technical University of Munich
University of Tokyo

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

Socialization is crucial for the well-being of individuals, but elderly people often face challenges due to physical and psychological issues, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic. To address this issue, a novel approach has been developed using a Japanese Virtual Reality (VR) supermarket, where older adults can purchase products that could be delivered to their homes while socializing with others in a familiar environment. The VR supermarket is based on Japanese supermarket shelf layouts, with hand-Tracking and gestures used for interaction. Avatars, attached with images of the participants and their synchronized voice input are used to represent them. In a user study involving 14 older adults, the application was found to be effective for social communication, and potential negative effects such as cybersickness were successfully mitigated. The VR supermarket thus provides a valuable tool for older adults to socialize and meet their need to interact with people from the same age group, even in isolation (pandemic scenario).

Original language	English
Title of host publication	INFORMATIK 2023 - Designing Futures
Subtitle of host publication	Zukunfte gestalten, Proceedings
Editors	Maike Klein, Daniel Krupka, Cornelia Winter, Volker Wohlgemuth
Publisher	Gesellschaft fur Informatik (GI)
Pages	325-337
Number of pages	13
ISBN (Electronic)	9783885797319
State	Published - 2023
Event	2023 Designing Futures: Zukunfte gestalten, INFORMATIK 2023 - 2023 Designing Futures: Shaping the Future, INFORMATIK 2023 - Berlin, Germany Duration: 26 Sep 2023 → 29 Sep 2023

Publication series

Name	Lecture Notes in Informatics (LNI), Proceedings - Series of the Gesellschaft fur Informatik (GI)
Volume	P-337
ISSN (Print)	1617-5468

Conference

Conference	2023 Designing Futures: Zukunfte gestalten, INFORMATIK 2023 - 2023 Designing Futures: Shaping the Future, INFORMATIK 2023
Country/Territory	Germany
City	Berlin
Period	26/09/23 → 29/09/23

Keywords

Mixed Reality
Virtual Reality
cybersickness
hand-Tracking
multiplayer
older adults
optimization
socializing
supermarket

Cite this

Walchshäusl, S., Eichhorn, C., Plecher, D. A., Simecek, T., Klinker, G., Hiyama, A., & Inami, M. (2023). Generating an Environment for Socializing between Older Adults in a VR Supermarket. In M. Klein, D. Krupka, C. Winter, & V. Wohlgemuth (Eds.), INFORMATIK 2023 - Designing Futures: Zukunfte gestalten, Proceedings (pp. 325-337). (Lecture Notes in Informatics (LNI), Proceedings - Series of the Gesellschaft fur Informatik (GI); Vol. P-337). Gesellschaft fur Informatik (GI).

Walchshäusl, Sebastian ; Eichhorn, Christian ; Plecher, David A. et al. / Generating an Environment for Socializing between Older Adults in a VR Supermarket. INFORMATIK 2023 - Designing Futures: Zukunfte gestalten, Proceedings. editor / Maike Klein ; Daniel Krupka ; Cornelia Winter ; Volker Wohlgemuth. Gesellschaft fur Informatik (GI), 2023. pp. 325-337 (Lecture Notes in Informatics (LNI), Proceedings - Series of the Gesellschaft fur Informatik (GI)).

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abstract = "Socialization is crucial for the well-being of individuals, but elderly people often face challenges due to physical and psychological issues, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic. To address this issue, a novel approach has been developed using a Japanese Virtual Reality (VR) supermarket, where older adults can purchase products that could be delivered to their homes while socializing with others in a familiar environment. The VR supermarket is based on Japanese supermarket shelf layouts, with hand-Tracking and gestures used for interaction. Avatars, attached with images of the participants and their synchronized voice input are used to represent them. In a user study involving 14 older adults, the application was found to be effective for social communication, and potential negative effects such as cybersickness were successfully mitigated. The VR supermarket thus provides a valuable tool for older adults to socialize and meet their need to interact with people from the same age group, even in isolation (pandemic scenario).",

keywords = "Mixed Reality, Virtual Reality, cybersickness, hand-Tracking, multiplayer, older adults, optimization, socializing, supermarket",

author = "Sebastian Walchsh{\"a}usl and Christian Eichhorn and Plecher, \{David A.\} and Tim Simecek and Gudrun Klinker and Atsushi Hiyama and Masahiko Inami",

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editor = "Maike Klein and Daniel Krupka and Cornelia Winter and Volker Wohlgemuth",

booktitle = "INFORMATIK 2023 - Designing Futures",

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Walchshäusl, S, Eichhorn, C, Plecher, DA, Simecek, T, Klinker, G, Hiyama, A & Inami, M 2023, Generating an Environment for Socializing between Older Adults in a VR Supermarket. in M Klein, D Krupka, C Winter & V Wohlgemuth (eds), INFORMATIK 2023 - Designing Futures: Zukunfte gestalten, Proceedings. Lecture Notes in Informatics (LNI), Proceedings - Series of the Gesellschaft fur Informatik (GI), vol. P-337, Gesellschaft fur Informatik (GI), pp. 325-337, 2023 Designing Futures: Zukunfte gestalten, INFORMATIK 2023 - 2023 Designing Futures: Shaping the Future, INFORMATIK 2023, Berlin, Germany, 26/09/23.

Generating an Environment for Socializing between Older Adults in a VR Supermarket. / Walchshäusl, Sebastian; Eichhorn, Christian; Plecher, David A. et al.
INFORMATIK 2023 - Designing Futures: Zukunfte gestalten, Proceedings. ed. / Maike Klein; Daniel Krupka; Cornelia Winter; Volker Wohlgemuth. Gesellschaft fur Informatik (GI), 2023. p. 325-337 (Lecture Notes in Informatics (LNI), Proceedings - Series of the Gesellschaft fur Informatik (GI); Vol. P-337).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

TY - GEN

T1 - Generating an Environment for Socializing between Older Adults in a VR Supermarket

AU - Walchshäusl, Sebastian

AU - Eichhorn, Christian

AU - Plecher, David A.

AU - Simecek, Tim

AU - Klinker, Gudrun

AU - Hiyama, Atsushi

AU - Inami, Masahiko

PY - 2023

Y1 - 2023

N2 - Socialization is crucial for the well-being of individuals, but elderly people often face challenges due to physical and psychological issues, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic. To address this issue, a novel approach has been developed using a Japanese Virtual Reality (VR) supermarket, where older adults can purchase products that could be delivered to their homes while socializing with others in a familiar environment. The VR supermarket is based on Japanese supermarket shelf layouts, with hand-Tracking and gestures used for interaction. Avatars, attached with images of the participants and their synchronized voice input are used to represent them. In a user study involving 14 older adults, the application was found to be effective for social communication, and potential negative effects such as cybersickness were successfully mitigated. The VR supermarket thus provides a valuable tool for older adults to socialize and meet their need to interact with people from the same age group, even in isolation (pandemic scenario).

AB - Socialization is crucial for the well-being of individuals, but elderly people often face challenges due to physical and psychological issues, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic. To address this issue, a novel approach has been developed using a Japanese Virtual Reality (VR) supermarket, where older adults can purchase products that could be delivered to their homes while socializing with others in a familiar environment. The VR supermarket is based on Japanese supermarket shelf layouts, with hand-Tracking and gestures used for interaction. Avatars, attached with images of the participants and their synchronized voice input are used to represent them. In a user study involving 14 older adults, the application was found to be effective for social communication, and potential negative effects such as cybersickness were successfully mitigated. The VR supermarket thus provides a valuable tool for older adults to socialize and meet their need to interact with people from the same age group, even in isolation (pandemic scenario).

KW - Mixed Reality

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KW - hand-Tracking

KW - multiplayer

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KW - optimization

KW - socializing

KW - supermarket

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M3 - Conference contribution

AN - SCOPUS:85181143161

T3 - Lecture Notes in Informatics (LNI), Proceedings - Series of the Gesellschaft fur Informatik (GI)

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EP - 337

BT - INFORMATIK 2023 - Designing Futures

A2 - Klein, Maike

A2 - Krupka, Daniel

A2 - Winter, Cornelia

A2 - Wohlgemuth, Volker

PB - Gesellschaft fur Informatik (GI)

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ER -

Walchshäusl S, Eichhorn C, Plecher DA, Simecek T, Klinker G, Hiyama A et al. Generating an Environment for Socializing between Older Adults in a VR Supermarket. In Klein M, Krupka D, Winter C, Wohlgemuth V, editors, INFORMATIK 2023 - Designing Futures: Zukunfte gestalten, Proceedings. Gesellschaft fur Informatik (GI). 2023. p. 325-337. (Lecture Notes in Informatics (LNI), Proceedings - Series of the Gesellschaft fur Informatik (GI)).

Generating an Environment for Socializing between Older Adults in a VR Supermarket

Abstract

Publication series

Conference

Keywords

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