The interactivity of an immersive environment comes up from the relationship that is established between the user and the system. This relationship results in a set of data exchanges between human and technological actors. The real-time biofeedback devices allow to collect in real time the biodata generated by the user during the exhibition. The analysis, processing and conversion of these biodata into multimodal data allows to relate the stimuli with the emotions they trigger. This work describes an adaptive model for biofeedback data flows management used in the design of interactive immersive systems. The use of an affective algorithm allows to identify the types of emotions felt by the user and the respective intensities. The mapping between stimuli and emotions creates a set of biodata that can be used as elements of interaction that will readjust the stimuli generated by the system. The real-time interaction generated by the evolution of the user’s emotional state and the stimuli generated by the system allows him to adapt attitudes and behaviors to the situations he faces.

The application of electroencephalography electrodes in Virtual Reality (VR) glasses allows users to relate cognitive, emotional, and social functions with the exposure to certain stimuli. The development of non-invasive portable devices, coupled with VR, allows for the collection of electroencephalographic data. One of the devices that embraced this new trend is Looxid LinkTM, a system that adds electroencephalography to HTC VIVETM, VIVE ProTM, VIVE Pro EyeTM, or Oculus Rift STM glasses to create interactive environments using brain signals. This work analyzes the possibility of using the Looxid LinkTM device to perceive, evaluate and monitor the emotions of users exposed to VR.

Virtual Reality (VR) has been identified as one of the most promising resources for developing empathy towards stigmatized groups as it allows individuals to experience a situation close to reality from another person’s perspective. This quasi-experimental study aimed to examine the impact on empathy, knowledge, and attitudes towards people with schizophrenia of a VR simulation that reproduces the experience of psychotic symptoms while performing a cognitive task compared with watching a 2D video and, thus, how these experiences could reduce stigma towards people diagnosed with schizophrenia. The sample comprised of 102 higher education health students, distributed by the experimental and control groups. The impact of the program was measured by completing multiple questionnaires on levels of empathy, attitudes, and mental health knowledge. Both methods (VR and 2D video) were, to a certain extent, effective. However, VR was more effective at eliciting attitudes and knowledge change compared to the control group. These findings suggest that not only VR but also 2D videos could be interesting strategies to enhance empathy and improve attitudes towards people with schizophrenia in higher education health students.

O presente trabalho descreve o processo de criação do artefacto multidimensional "e-EMotion-Capsule" que explora a imersividade para gerar emoções através da criação de ambientes impactantes. A perspetiva multidimensional da e-EMotion-Capsule permite ao participante experienciar diferentes ambientes criados recorrendo a tecnologias imersivas como o vídeo a 360, ambientes de realidade virtual e plataformas de realidade mista. O participante coloca os óculos RV para interagir com o artefacto e-EMotion-Capsule, passando ele próprio a fazer parte do universo imersivo em que se envolveu. As suas próprias emoções desencadeiam as funções cognitivas de processamento percetivo, simbólico e lógico determinantes para construir a sua interpretação. O artefacto recorre ao inovador conceito de narrativa a 360 em que o movimento do corpo proporciona uma experimentação interativa, autónoma e personalizada, associada a estímulos visuais e sonoros que se fundem com o próprio participante. A arte digital ao incorporar este tipo de narrativa induz o participante a assumir o papel do personagem principal, desencadeando neste a dualidade entre reagir e agir, entre observar e provocar, quebrando a indiferença e gerando inquietação.

This work focuses on the development of a software link interface tool between the Looxid Link Device coupled to the HTC Vive Pro VR HeadSets and the Unity platform, to generate real-time interactivity in virtual reality applications. The software incorporates a dynamic and parameterizable algorithm to be used as a core-engine in the real-time Biofeedback process, recognizing the values of the biological signals registered in each of the EEG channels of the Looxid Link device. The values of EEG frequencies detected in real time can be used to generate elements of interactivity, with different frequencies and intensities.