Immersion replaced illusion in the multisensory experience of Extended Reality (XR)

Designing experiences in virtual reality (VR) goes beyond the traditional understanding of user experience typically applied to 2D interfaces. It is a revolutionary shift in the way designers can perceive a new reality by engaging all of the viewer's senses.

Designing experiences in VR allows users to move into real spaces captured by 360-degree cameras, or into digitally created 3D spaces. These technologies make virtual reality remarkably real for users, enabling full immersion in an experience that engages all the senses, tricking the brain and transporting us to a completely different digital reality.

The immersive experience of virtual reality reflects a new form of perception, focusing on sensory experience. In addition to the visual and auditory aspects, there is increasingly a polysensory dimension, affecting all our senses. As Piotr Zawojski notes in his text 'Inside images. Immersion instead of illusion?", being a participant in an immersive experience is a unique experience that provokes reflection on the fundamental categories of perception, representation, and illusion. It is also a new experience of one's own body, which becomes an integral part of the virtual performance, as there is no longer a boundary separating us from the image - we are inside it. It is possible that this new form of perception, akin to the perception of architecture, is precisely a new form of illusion. The dichotomy between immersion and illusion, or treating immersion as a perceptual phenomenon that replaces illusion, should only be considered as a neat rhetorical figure, but one that has no confirmation in reality.

Thanks to virtual reality, we can explore distant places from the other side of the globe, visit historic spaces undergoing revitalization, or explore imaginary 3D modern architecture worlds. We can also explore micro- and macro-worlds, such as the inside of the human body, or abstract spaces where we experience phenomena that are impossible in reality, such as the lack of gravity or the absence of a horizon. This broad spectrum of experience stimulates the imagination of users and opens up new possibilities for experience designers.

Basic design tools for an VR environment

The virtual environment has increasingly ceased to be a mere imitation of a digital image along the lines of the physical human body. It has also become a tool for completing one's own identity by creating an avatar for example created in Ready Player Me platform with appearance and personality traits tailored to one's imagination. The avatar, which is a representation of the participants in virtual worlds, can be either a reflection of real people or a character generated by the software. The form of a virtual avatar can range from simple bitmap graphics, often used to identify participants in a discussion forum, to complex 3D models created by professional software such as 欧特克 or Blender .

Virtual reality enables previously unknown manipulations and interactions, giving the user the ability to perform a variety of actions such as scaling, rotating, zooming in, zooming out or changing the viewpoint of a scene. In this way, VR expands our sensory perception, which was previously shaped by flat, two-dimensional screens, by simulating 3D space. The user is immersed in a computer-synthesized virtual reality that overlaps or replaces physical space thanks to virtual or augmented reality goggles such as Oculus VR , 北京小鸟看看科技有限公司 or HTC VIVE .

The immersive experience grows in importance beyond the mere creation of an illusion. It allows for a new experience in which the user becomes an integral part of the virtual reality. In a virtual environment, the avatar becomes a way of expressing one's identity. It is not only a representation of the user in the virtual world, but also a form of interaction and expression. The virtual environment allows for the manipulation of space, enabling the user to explore, interact and create.

How to understand virtual experience?

To understand the quality of the virtual reality experience, one can draw on the Elemental Theory of Presence model created by Kent Bye . This model describes different aspects of the VR experience, such as activity, embodiment, emotion and community. The theory is based on four elements of natural philosophy, which serve as a framework for describing different levels of credibility of presence in VR.

Active (Fire): This level is concerned with active and conscious presence, where the user is able to express their will through interactions with the virtual environment.

Embodied (Earth): The Earth element refers to an embodied presence, where the user feels that their body has been transported into the virtual space and their identification with the virtual place is complete.

Emotional (Water): This element refers to the user's emotional involvement in the VR experience, i.e. the intensity of emotion experienced while being present in the virtual environment.

Social (Air): The Air element refers to the user's interaction with others in the virtual environment, communication and the development of a sense of social presence.

The experience of presence in virtual reality is subjective and can vary for each person. Through immersion, i.e. interacting with the virtual environment through the senses of sight, hearing and touch, UX designers extend the user's sensory perception. Machine learning (ML), or the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze user behavior in VR, can improve the experience by better understanding and responding to user interactions.

Digital pushing of real boundaries

Virtual reality allows the boundaries of reality to be pushed through embodiment and natural expression, enabling users to transcend the physical boundaries of the real world. The experience of presence in VR can be both a scientific metaphor and a literal reality, where the user is completely absorbed by the virtual environment and their senses are excluded from the surrounding reality. VR offers opportunities for learning and exploration, becoming a space where the boundaries of reality can be pushed.

Thanks to AI and ML technology and machine learning, increasingly sophisticated interactions and experiences can be created. VR not only expands our perception, but also opens up new possibilities for exploration and creation. It is a space where experience becomes not only a scientific metaphor, but also a physical reality. It is a medium that allows us to better understand our connection to the natural world, while exploring our own possibilities and identities.

Check out the Polish version of the similar article in the Digital Master Institute