ABSTRACT
Olfaction has not been explored in virtual reality environments to the same extent as the visual and auditory senses. Much less research has been done with olfactory devices, and very few of them can be easily integrated into virtual reality applications. The inclusion of odor into virtual reality simulations using a chemical device involves challenges such as possible diffusion into undesired areas, slow dissipation, the definition of various parameters (e.g., concentration, frequency, and duration), and an appropriate software solution for controlling the diffusion of the odor. This paper aims to present a non-intrusive, mobile, low cost and wearable olfactory display, and a software service that allows the developer to easily create applications that include olfactory stimuli integrated with virtual reality headset glasses. We also present a case study conducted with 32 people to evaluate their satisfaction when using the olfactory display. Our findings indicate that our solution works as expected, producing odor properly and being easy to integrate to applications. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00530-022-00908-8.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Alcohol abuse is the primary cause of (public) health problems in most parts of the world. However, it is undeniable that alcohol consumption is a practice that is widely accepted socially in many places, even being protected by law as a cultural and historical heritage. The issue of alcohol abuse is complex and urgent, and consequently, it is necessary to create innovative approaches such as the proposal explored in this study. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the development and evaluation of a serious game for smartphones to present a novel approach to address the issue of alcohol abuse. METHODS: A serious game was developed to instill the consequences of alcohol abuse into the player through experimentation in the game. In the game, the consequences of alcohol use are demonstrated by increasing the game speed that gives an illusion of fun but also leads to a premature death. The evaluation employed an assessment based on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and the Game Experience Questionnaire (GEQ). The participants belonged to the university student's house. RESULTS: The game development process has been presented, including its mechanics and gameplay. The game has the style of action and adventure games in which the player controls an indigenous avatar that can deflect or attack opponents coming his or her way. The game evaluation comprised an assessment based on 23 participants, aged 20 to 29 years. According to the AUDIT assessment, 18 participants reported having a low or nonexistent degree of alcohol dependence and 5 declared average dependence. Regarding their habit of playing games on smartphones, 9 participants declared they have this habit of playing (habitual players), and among the 14 that did not have this habit of playing (nonhabitual players), 3 participants declared not having a smartphone at all. The GEQ core assessment showed a higher positive affect among the participants with a habit of playing games, scoring 2.80 (habitual players) on a scale of 4.0 versus 1.61 (nonhabitual players), and higher tension as an opposite relationship of 0.81 (nonhabitual players) versus 0.37 (habitual players). The overall GEQ evaluation showed that the game presents a more positive than negative affect on all users, besides showing the other desirable characteristics of serious games. CONCLUSIONS: We present a new way of dealing with the issue of alcohol abuse through a game designed for smartphones. It promotes an overall positive user experience, having a greater impact on users accustomed to games. The proposed approach has its niche, though it is still a minority in the evaluated population. Further research should explore new game features, such as new styles, to make the game more attractive to a wider audience, in addition to performing an in-depth study on the effects of playing it.
