Research Roundup (Summer Appendix)
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Welcome...
Welcome to the Summer Appendix (2025)! A collection of noteworthy papers from August to get us back up and running…
Implementation insights
As VR continues to be implemented 'in the real world', August has seen several interesting papers on the practicalities of, and barriers to, adoption:
Researchers in Germany have proposed measuring VR competence to better support and tailor educational VR.
Researchers in Switzerland have conducted a survey on resistance to immersive technology in their primary education system.
Whilst others have adopted a deep learning approach to understand barriers within organisations.
And finally, there are suggestions that the variables of performance expectancy and social influence specifically drive acceptance when using VR for collaboration.
Eye-catching research
With hundreds of articles on basic XR research published in August, there are a few that caught the eye for their novelty:
Researchers in Belgium have looked at the phenomenon of 'mirror dwelling' in social VR, suggesting it plays a significant role in creating and maintaining a sense of presence and embodiment.
There is new evidence that user identity can be determined by eye gaze patterns, without any other biometrics, raising further concerns about data security.
In more positive news, there are suggestions that behavioural fillers (looking like you’re thinking) are advisable for conversational agents as they generate responses to hide the long pause.
And it turns out that our reactions to uncanny virtual agents in VR may also be associated with a mucosal response in our immune systems, as our bodies fear the spread of germs from this odd-looking person (or so the theory goes).
Open access resources
There is no such thing as a free meal, but there are free XR resources…
A lab in Pennsylvania has released an open-access VR environment for research on crime.
Whilst researchers in Illinois are sharing an open source punching exercise game designed for blind and low-vision users, with direct input from the users into its design.
And finally…
For those of us that like knowing a little about the wider context: the chinese government has big plans for integrating XR into everyday life. Oxford Analytica share the details in their 'expert briefing'.