ReSens-Nature · Restorative Effects of Haptic and Visual Sensory Supplementation of Nature Sounds in VR of Nature for Deaf people
Horizon Europe — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2024-09-02 → 2026-09-01
- EU contribution
- €148,488
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF
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Results in brief
Restorative Effects of Haptic and Visual Sensory Supplementation of Nature Sounds in VR of Nature for Deaf people
Context of the project Exposure to nature and Virtual Reality (VR) nature can relieve from stress and promote relaxation. It is argued that it is the combination of visual and auditory exposure to these VR environments and their sounds that promotes restorative effects for hearing people. This means that Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (HoH) people may be excluded from receiving similar restorative benefits as their hearing peers. At the same time, there is evidence of cross-modal transfer in HoH people, where speech and sounds can be perceived and understood through vibrations on the skin or localised via visual cues in VR technologies. Through the ‘ReSens-Nature’ project, the Fellow aimed to develop a VR experience to examine the restorative effects of vibrotactile and visual sensory supplementation of nature sounds in VR nature environments for Deaf/ HoH people. Overall objectives of the project The project objectives were to (1) Develop and establish the usability of a novel VR nature environment that uses vibrotactile and visual supplementation of nature sounds, and (2) Examine whether this novel VR nature environment is providing restorative benefits to Deaf/ Hard-of-Hearing people. Understanding the effects of sensory supplementation for Deaf/ HoH in VR nature environments could help make VR and other technologies more inclusive for Deaf/ HoH people and people with other disabilities. Project conclusions The project had to be terminated early (after two active months) as the Fellow received another grant in a more senior role. The Fellow has performed all tasks and objectives that were planned for the two active months of the project, but the short project duration means no effective conclusions were drawn as the research studies did not have time to be implemented.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
Exposure to nature and its sounds can relieve from stress, promote relaxation, and restore cognition. These restorative benefits persist even with exposure to Virtual Reality (VR) of nature and its calming sounds. It is the combination of visual and auditory exposure to these VR environments and their sounds that promotes restorative effects for hearing people. This means that Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (HoH) people may be excluded from being able to receive the same restorative benefits that hearing people receive. Evidence shows that there can be cross-modal transfer in HoH people, whereby speech and sounds can be perceived and understood through vibrations on the skin or can be localised via visual cues in VR technologies. Through the ‘ReSens-Nature’ project, the Fellow will develop a novel VR experience, through which he will examine the restorative effects of vibrotactile and visual sensory supplementation of nature sounds in VR nature environments for Deaf/ HoH people. The objectives are to (i) Develop and establish the usability of this novel VR nature environment that uses vibrotactile and visual supplementation of nature sounds, (ii) Examine whether this novel VR nature environment is providing restorative benefits to Deaf/ HoH people in comparison to a regular VR nature environment without sensory supplementation and in comparison to hearing people. Understanding the effects of sensory supplementation for Deaf/ HoH in VR nature environments could help make VR and other technologies more inclusive for Deaf/ HoH people and people with other disabilities. The project will be completed at the GET Lab of Cyprus University of Technology, a world-leading lab on VR technology and Wellbeing. The Fellow will bring highly complementary expertise in Deafness, Audiology, and Clinical Trials. The proposed work will advance the Fellow’s research and management skills, expand his research networks, and enhance the development of his career as an independent researcher.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- TECHNOLOGIKO PANEPISTIMIO KYPROU · LemesosCoordinatorCyprus
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union