I am a Genius! Influence of Virtually Embodying Leonardo da Vinci on Creative Performance.

Virtual reality (VR) provides users with the ability to substitute their physical appearance by embodying virtual characters (avatars) using head-mounted displays and motion-capture technologies. Previous research demonstrated that the sense of embodiment toward an avatar can impact user behavior and cognition. In this paper, we present an experiment designed to investigate whether embodying a well-known creative genius could enhance participants' creative performance. Following a preliminary online survey ( N = 157) to select a famous character suited to the purpose of this study, we developed a VR application allowing participants to embody Leonardo da Vinci or a self-avatar. Self-avatars were approximately matched with participants in terms of skin tone and morphology. 40 participants took part in three tasks seamlessly integrated in a virtual workshop. The first task was based on a Guilford's Alternate Uses test (GAU) to assess participants' divergent abilities in terms of fluency and originality. The second task was based on a Remote Associates Test (RAT) to evaluate convergent abilities. Lastly, the third task consisted in designing potential alternative uses of an object displayed in the virtual environment using a 3D sketching tool. Participants embodying Leonardo da Vinci demonstrated significantly higher divergent thinking abilities, with a substantial difference in fluency between the groups. Conversely, participants embodying a self-avatar performed significantly better in the convergent thinking task. Taken together, these results promote the use of our virtual embodiment approach, especially in applications where divergent creativity plays an important role, such as design and innovation.

From Robot to Virtual Doppelganger: Impact of Visual Fidelity of Avatars Controlled in Third-Person Perspective on Embodiment and Behavior in Immersive Virtual Environments.

This study presents the second phase of a series of experiments investigating the impact of avatar visual fidelity on the sense of embodiment and users' behavior in immersive virtual environments. Our main focus concerns the similarity between users and avatars, a factor known as truthfulness. Our experiment requires the participants to control three avatars using a third-person perspective: a robot, a suit and their virtual doppelganger (virtual representation of the self). In order to analyze users' reactions and strategies, each task of the scenario of the virtual reality application can potentially affect the integrity of their characters. Our results revealed that ownership, one of the three factors of the sense of embodiment, is higher for the participants controlling their self-representation than with abstract representations. Furthermore, avatar visual fidelity seems to affect users' subjective experience, half of the panel reported having different behavior depending on the controlled character. Abstract representations allow the users to adopt more risky behaviors, while self-representations maintain a connection with the real world and encourage users to preserve the integrity of their avatar.

Achieving Presence through Evoked Reality.

The sense of "Presence" (evolving from "telepresence") has always been associated with virtual reality research and is still an exceptionally mystifying constituent. Now the study of presence clearly spans over various disciplines associated with cognition. This paper attempts to put forth a concept that argues that it's an experience of an "Evoked Reality (ER)" (illusion of reality) that triggers an "Evoked Presence (EP)" (sense of presence) in our minds. A Three Pole Reality Model is proposed to explain this phenomenon. The poles range from Dream Reality to Simulated Reality with Primary (Physical) Reality at the center. To demonstrate the relationship between ER and EP, a Reality-Presence Map is developed. We believe that this concept of ER and the proposed model may have significant applications in the study of presence, and in exploring the possibilities of not just virtual reality but also what we call "reality."

Bioterrorism: development of large-scale medical readiness using multipoint distance-based simulation training.

Accordingly to HIRSA, 35,000 health professionals need to be trained in recognition and acute field treatment of victims of bioterrorism within year 2004 alone The Department of Defense anticipates even larger numbers. Training of very large number of healthcare workers is particularly daunting in the context of "just-in-time" education. The paper presents utilization of simulation-based distance training as a particularly useful tool in rapid development of readiness in a large population of widely distributed medical and lay personnel facing imminent threat of a chem/bioterrorism incident.

Transatlantic medical education: preliminary data on distance-based high-fidelity human patient simulation training.

Advanced training using Human Patient Simulators (HPS) is, for the large part, unavailable for the majority of healthcare providers in rural, remote, and less developed regions of the world--either due to their separation from the major medical education centers or significant fiscal austerity. Remote access to HPS based on the Applications Software Provider principles may provide the solution to this problem. The medical ASP (MED-ASP) concept proposed and developed by MedSMART has been subjected to an extensive qualitative and quantitative international test conducted among France, Italy, and USA. Two SimMan HPSs (Laerdal, Norway) were used, with one unit based in Ann Arbor, MI, USA, and one in Laval, France. While the French site had both remote and hands-on access to the simulator, the Italian site could access the HPS only remotely. Simulator visualization was provided by 4 remotely operated cameras (Sony, zoom, pan, tilt) at each HPS site. HPS-generated vital signs were transmitted to each site together with the interactive simulator control panel using a communications hub at the MedSMART facility in Ann Arbor. All remote interactions were performed via the Internet (TCP/IP) using ISDN and/or ADSL connections at minimum 128 Kbps. During the course of training, the trainees were exposed to 3 emergency scenarios with the remote expert providing instruction. Interventions were performed either remotely (Italy) or remotely and hands-on (France). Quantitative measurement of the efficiency of training was performed at the Italian site based on the evaluation of video recordings of each session and the assessment of several performance measures. At the end of the training program, a Likert scale-based assessment test was also given. The trainees showed statistically significant (p<0.03 - 0.05) improvement in all testing measures. The Likert scale questionnaire revealed overwhelming satisfaction with the simulation-based distance training even when the access to the simulator was only remote (Italy). Confidence was also significantly improved. The trainees indicated the optimal frequency of distance training as one 2 hour-long session twice a month. In conclusion, simulation-based distance medical training proved to be a highly effective tool in improving emergency medical skills of junior physician trainees and, despite initial reservations, neither distance nor language and cultural differences posed significant obstacles. The present and historical data from our previous work confirm the concept of MED-ASP as a highly efficient tool in both national and international medical education and training. Moreover, we now validate for the first time the concept of simulation-based, fully interactive transatlantic medical ADL that we have proposed in our previous theoretical papers. The present experiments prove that training based on advanced technologies transcends barriers of distance, time, and national medical guidelines. Hence, international simulation-based distance training may ultimately provide the most realistic platform for a large-scale training of emergency medical personnel in less developed countries and in rural/remote regions of the globe.