Posts

GRO

Virtual Reality Training on Issues of Youth Firearm Possession.

PI. Tang. $20,000. 8/5/2024-8/4/2025.

Funded by the God.Restoring.Order (GRO) Community, this research project will develop two VR scenarios that simulate environments designed to educate youth on applying critical skills in risky situations.

Team: Ming Tang, XR-Lab, Aaron Mallory, GRO.

The XR-Lab is excited to collaborate with the GRO community to leverage cutting-edge XR technologies to develop a virtual reality (VR) training app that enhances the curriculum by reinforcing key skills through immersive VR activities. Together, we will assess the feasibility of integrating VR technology into the GRO’s training program, engaging users with a compelling narrative while equipping them with practical knowledge for real-world application.

 

        


Poster in AHFE conference

Nancy Daraiseh, Aaron Vaughn, Ming Tang, Mikhail Nikolaenko, Madeline Aeschbury, Alycia Bachtel, Camryn Backman, Chunyan Liu, Maurizio Macaluso . Using Virtual Reality to Enhance Behavioral Staff Training for Interacting with Aggressive Psychiatric Patients. Poster. The 15th International Conference on Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics (AHFE 2024). Nice, France, July 24-27, 2024.

Objective: To conduct a pilot study to enhance staff training and confidence when interacting with aggressive psychiatric patients using a virtual reality (VR) training module depicting an escalating patient scenario.

Significance: Dysregulated emotional outbursts, reactive aggression, and self-injurious behaviors are common in psychiatrically hospitalized patients. These behaviors result in aggressive patient interactions (APIs) which are associated with increased risk of harm to the patient and staff. Minimal research has examined interventions for successful training to effectively reduce or prevent API events and subsequent harm. Despite intensive, standardized trainings in crisis de-escalation protocols, staff continue to experience high rates of API injuries. More realistic training and competency in a safe environment to practice implementation and utilization of de-escalation strategies to avoid APIs and patient harm are needed.

Methods Using a pre – post, quasi-experimental design, 40 Behavioral Health Specialists and Registered Nurses at a pediatric psychiatric facility will participate in VR training depicting a commonly experienced scenario when interacting with an aggressive patient. Participants are stratified by job experience, sex, and VR experience. Study aims are to: i) assess the feasibility and usability of VR training among this population and ii) obtain measures of learner satisfaction and performance. Surveys measure usability, learner satisfaction, and coping with patient aggression. Pre- and post-performance in training will be compared and assessed by percent correct answers on the first attempt; time to correct answer; and the number of successful and unsuccessful attempts.

Preliminary Results (full analyses in progress): Preliminary survey results (N=14) show that 64% perceived the VR experience to be consistent with their real-world experiences: 87% agree that the VR training would help with interactions with aggressive patients: 71% reported the training was effective in identifying de-escalation strategies: 79% stated the training was effective in recognizing stages of patient crisis; training included important skills used in their job; and would recommend the training. Finally, 100% would participate in future VR trainings.

Anticipated Conclusions: We plan to show that using VR to supplement in-place training programs for high-risk situations can improve users’ understanding of essential de-escalation and crisis techniques. We anticipate results will show an enhanced ability and confidence when interacting with aggressive patients. Future studies will expand on results and examine implications on staff and patient harm. 

Check more information on the  VR-based Employee Safety Training. Therapeutic Crisis Intervention Simulation 

CVG Airport renovation

Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) renovation project.

This dynamic course delves into designing human-centric, technologically advanced retail spaces at CVG, addressing contemporary challenges. Collaborating directly with CVG, we focus on conceptualizing the “Future CVG Experience,” exploring pivotal questions: envisioning the future look of CVG, the transformative impact of AR and VR on airport experiences, integrating the metaverse and immersive technologies into retail, and the potential for public art and recreational programs to enrich the traveler’s journey.

Faculty: Ming Tang. Director of XR-Lab, DAAP, UC. Thanks the support from Josh Edwards from CVG, and Chris Collins and Eric Camper from UC SIM. 

Twelve proposed scenarios of future CVG. 

Student: ARCH 7014. Fall. 2023.

Stephanie Ahmed, Ben Aidt, Thimesha Amarasena, Heather Cheng, Stephanie Circelli, Catherine D’Amico, Gabby Dashiell, Nikunj Deshpande, Carson Edwards, Olufemi Faminigba, Christopher Fultz, Emma Hausz, Jinfan He, Haley Heitkamp, Robin Jarrell, Emily Jaster, Bhaskar Jyoti Kalita, Analise Kandra, Sreya`Killamshetty, Japneet Kour, Thomas Magee, Mea McCormack, Sepideh Miraba, Dan O’Neill, Shailesh Padalkar, Gaurang Pawar, Urvi Prabhu, Michael Rinaldi-Eichenberg, Kelby Rippy, Will Roberts, Chris Schalk, Miles Sletto, Lizzy Sturgeon, Shruthi Sundararajan, Erika VanSlyke, Clayton Virzi, Yue Wu

The heatmap represents the fixation and gaze. 

Check more research on eye-tracking conducted by Prof. Tang at XR-Lab. >>

paper on JEC

Paper published in the Journal of Experimental Criminology.

Cory P. Haberman, Ming Tang, JC Barnes, Clay Driscoll, Bradley J. O’Guinn, Calvin Proffit, The Effect of Checklists on Evidence Collection During Initial Investigations A Randomized Controlled Trial in Virtual Reality. Journal of Experimental Criminology

Objective To examine the impact of an investigative checklist on evidence collection by police officers responding to a routine burglary investigation.

Methods A randomized control trial was conducted in virtual reality to test the effectiveness of an investigative checklist. Officers in the randomly assigned treatment group (n = 25) were provided with a checklist during the simulated investigation. Officers in the control group (n = 26) did not have access to the checklist at any time. The checklist included five evidence items commonly associated with burglary investigations.

Results Officers who were randomly provided with an investigative checklist were significantly more likely to collect two evidence items located outside of the virtual victim’s home. Both treatment and control officers were about equally as likely to collect three evidence items located inside the residence.

Conclusions Investigative checklists represent a promising new tool officers can use to improve evidence collection during routine investigations. More research is needed, however, to determine whether checklists improve evidence collection or case clearances in real-life settings. Virtual reality simulations provide a promising tool for collecting data in otherwise difficult or complex situations to simulate

Keywords: Investigations, Burglary, Checklists, Policing, Experiment, Randomized controlled trial

more information on this VR police training project available here. 

Digital Human

The digital human project explores (1) high-fidelity digital human modeling and motion capture including Full body + Facial motion capture. (2) Large Language Model integration with digital human, powered by ChatGPT and Open AI. 

We are also developing full body motion capture through VR tracking system and Unreal’s meta human.