Front-End Analysis of Virtual Reality Simulator
A. User Analysis: (user characteristics) 1) Age: The minimum age restriction for system is 10 years. For younger children there would be a too high risk that they experience simulation sickness. Simulation sickness is characterized by disorientation, loss of balance and dizziness and since young children are not yet fully developed in respect to their spatial orientation they have a high risk to experience this stage. Further, there is a age restriction for the virtual destinations in the category of adventures which is 18. 2) Gender- This system could be used by any gender or orientation 3) Physical abilities/disabilities- User must have basic motor skills and be able to touch (or have an aid) the touch screen. Adaptability and access is taken into consideration. Speech isn't necessary, but sight and vision is. 4) Reading level- Users should be able to read at a 5th grade level, because the simulator will use mostly simple, everyday words. 5) Education- Users should be able to read and understand directions and prompts. 6) Familiarity with similar system- Users should have some familiarity with touch screens (either from interactions with touch screen phones or tablets or other devices), which are fairly accessible. Familiarity with video game systems and the concept of virtual reality would be helpful in orientation. 7) Task-specific KSAOs- Knowledge of how to interact with a touch screen, ability to understand and follow directions, ability to speak or type commands into the machine. Ability to move forward, and see or hear. 8) Language: The machine's written and spoken language will first be English, with later languages being introduced including Spanish (which probably the second most common language in the U.S), German, Mandarin, Russian, Japanese, French, and other common languages. B. General Function Analysis (what the system will do)
C. Task Analysis (what the user does to accomplish the function - see B above) Machine assembly and room set-up Before using the virtual reality simulator users must correctly assemble all components of the virtual reality simulator by using the steps and procedures listed in the construction manual. 1) Before using the virtual reality simulator, users must turn the light on in the room in which the unit is housed. 2) Users will then check to see if the touch pad panel, the main computer, all projectors, cameras, weather simulator, auditory simulators, virtual reality gloves, and olfactory simulators are properly installed according to the specifications of the construction manual. 3) Users will then walk to the touch screen in front of the simulator room Starting the touch-screen interface 4) Users will then face in a forward direction so that they are facing the touch screen interface display, and position themselves so that both of their feet are firmly placed on the multi-directional walking pad. 5) Users will then turn on the unit by waving their hand in front of the interface touch screen display or by touching anywhere on the touch screen with one or more of their fingers for 5 seconds. 6) The touch screen will then display a pop up message that instructs users to select the start button. It will then move to the next screen, where the user will be instructed to choose the appropriate language. This message will read "Please select language" in English, Spanish, German, Mandarin, Russian, and Japanese. 7) Users will then use one of their fingers and touch the appropriate name of the language they wish to use by pressing the name of the language on the touch screen. 8) After selecting a language another pop up message will be displayed that says, "Please select your age." On the screen they are given a choice of '10-17 years old' or 18+ years'. If they choose the '18+ years old' they will be prompted to provide proof by pressing your driver's license against any part of the touch screen. Hold your driver's license on the touch screen until the touch screen turns red, after the touch screen turns red you can then remove your driver's license from the touch screen. Due to the Age Restriction for Virtual Reality Machines Act of 2030, certain virtual experiences, locations, actions performed by users, and other activities are restricted to users under the age of 18. By using this virtual reality machine you are confirming that the age on your driver's license is correct and that you as the user are adhering to the law as set forth by the ARVRM Act of 2030 by pressing ok." 9) Users will then read the pop up message. 10) After reading the pop up message users will then press "ok" to indicate that they have both read and understood the message. 11) Users will then use their hand to place their driver's license with the side that has their picture and name on it facing and touching the touch screen. Or if users are under the age of 18 and do not have a driver's license they will use a finger to press the "Continue" option on the touch screen. Please note that some locations require users to be 18 in order to visit. These locations that require users to be 18 years old will not be available for selection on the "Select Location" screen. 12) Users will then hold their driver's license to the touch screen for approximately 10 seconds. 13) After the VRM has read and confirmed the user's driver's license the entire touch screen will turn green. 14) User's will then use their hand to remove their driver's license from the touch screen 15) After users have removed their driver's license from the screen another pop up menu will appear which reads, "Please Select Your Virtual Location."The select location screen will display a pop up message that ask users to choose from the set of virtual locations available. 16) Users will then read the pop up message. 17) After reading the pop up message, users will then use one of their fingers to press "ok" to indicate that they have both read and understood the message. 18) Users will then choose the location that they virtual reality machine will simulate using one of their fingers to touch the area on the touch screen that displays either the name of their desired location or the picture (on the globe) of their desired location. 19) Users will then advance to another menu screen titled, "Select From the Time Periods Available for Your Location." Some places may not have time periods available.Users select from the time periods available screen will display a pop up message that asks users to indicate the time period, if applicable to the location that they have selected on the previous screen, that they wish to simulate using the virtual reality simulator. The time periods available will be displayed in years. 20) After reading the pop up message, users will then use one of their fingers to press "ok" to indicate that they have both read and understood the message. 21) Users will then choose the time period for the location that they have previously selected by using one of their fingers to touch the area on the touch screen that displays the time period they desire. 22) After the user selected the desired time period for their location, another menu screen titled "Select Your Gender" will appear. This menu will display the message, "Please indicate which gender you wish for your avatar to be during the simulation. Your choice in gender will influence how the simulated people in the virtual reality will interact with you during your time spent in the simulation." Below these instructions three choices will appear: Male, Female, and Unspecified (By selecting Unspecified, people in the simulation will treat you as being neutral in gender. This means that by selecting this option your avatar will neither be perceived as being a male or a female in the simulation.) 23) Users will then indicate which gender they wish their avatar to be in the simulation by using on of their fingers and pressing the word that is the gender they wish to select. E.g. by pressing male their avatar will appear as male in the simulation. 24) After users have selected which gender their avatar will appear in the simulation a new menu screen titled, "Avatar Age". This menu will display the message, "Please indicate the age that you wish for your avatar during the simulation with the number pad below. The age you select for your avatar will influence how the simulated people in the virtual reality will interact with you during your time spent in the simulation." Below these instructions a number pad will appear. 25) User will then enter in the age they wish for their avatar by pressing the numbers on the number pad with one of their fingers. User can only select ages between 1 and 100 years old for their avatar. This constraint was put in because even though it is a simulation there had to be a limit as to how old avatars could be. For example suppose a user selected an age of 749 for their avatar, users could put in any number up to infinity so because it is around the maximum for the human lifespan 100 was chosen as the oldest age that avatars could be in the simulation. 26) Once the user has selected an age, a final screen will appear to give the user the option to review each of the selection. If they wish to change any of option that was previously selected, the user can simply click on the variable and be transferred to the appropriate screen where they would change their selection if needed. 27.) Once the user confirms that all of the selected options are correct, they use a finger to press a dialog box that reads "Continue." 28) After pressing continue a final pop up message will appear that reads, "Please put on the the virtual reality gloves now". 29) Users will then place the virtual reality gloves on both hands. 30) After the user has donned the virtual reality gloves a voice will come be hear over that says, "Are you ready to begin the simulation?" 31) If users are ready to begin the simulation they will respond by saying "Yes" out loud and if they are not ready users will respond by saying "No" out loud. 32) If a user says "Yes" out loud the simulation will begin. If a user says "No" out loud the touch screen will once again display the screen that confirms to the user that all of the previous options and settings they have selected is correct. Users can then change these options if desired and again press continue. 33) The simulation will then begin. 34) To talk to virtual people in the simulation users simply listen and respond using their own voice exactly as they would in a conversation in the real world. 35) To move in the virtual reality users walk or run on using the directional walking pad. Users simply begin walking or running in the direction or speed they desire to move their avatar within the simulation. 36) To pick up objects and touch people or objects in the virtual reality users can simply use the virtual reality gloves to reach out and grab items as they would in the real world. Picking up items in the virtual reality may take some practice as the user may lack dexterity when first using the gloves. Also the virtual reality gloves are designed so to transmit signals to the nervous system of the user so that the texture of objects in the virtual reality is actually "felt" by the user. Exiting and Shutting Down the Virtual Reality Simulator 37) Users can end their session within the virtual reality simulation at anytime by either reciting the phrase "Exit Simulation" or by removing both virtual reality gloves. 38) After the user has either recited the phrase "Exit Simulation" or removed the virtual reality gloves the simulation will be paused and a pop up message will appear on the touch screen that reads "Press ok to confirm that you wish to exit the current simulation." 39)If the user does wish the exit they current simulation they can use one of their fingers to press "ok" on the touch screen. If the user does not wish to end the simulation they user can press "no" on the touch screen. 40) Once the user has indicated that they do wish to end the current simulation by pressing "ok" they will another pop up message will appear that reads "Do you wish to start a new simulation session, or do you wish to shut down the virtual reality simulator?" Below this message two options will appear. One labeled "Start new simulation session" the other labeled "Shut down virtual reality simulator". 41) Using a finger, users will then select the option they wish by pressing the touch screen. If the user selects that they wish to start a new simulation session the current session will be terminated and the touch screen will once again display the select language screen. If the user selects that they wish to end the simulation a Pop up message that reads "Please remove the virtual reality gloves now. Upon removal of the gloves the virtual reality machine will shutdown." 42) Users will then remove the virtual reality gloves, and 5 seconds after the gloves are removed the virtual reality machine will shutdown. 43)Users can then step off of the multi-directional walking pad. 44)User will then turn of the light in the room and then exit the room. To add a new location to the Virtual Location selection Menu In order to add virtual locations, the user has to go online with an external device onto the site www.virtualreality.com 45) Users will first go to www.virtualreality.com. 46) Once the website is fully loaded the user will select the "Add New Locations" Tab. 47) Users will use their mouse to move the cursor so that it is hovering of the "Add New Locations" Tab and the double click the mouse. 48) After the user double click the mouse this tab will open and a list of possible locations that can be added will be displayed. Users can then use the mouse to move the cursor so that it is hovering of they location they wish to add to the virtual reality machine. 49) Users will then double click the mouse. After the user has double clicked the mouse a new page will load that displays detailed information about the location. 50) On this new page users can then select to download this new location by moving the cursor over the on screen text that reads, "Download Location" and double clicking the mouse. 51) After double clicking the mouse a pop up message will appear that reads "Are you sure you wish to download this location?" with the options of "Yes" and "No" given. 52) If a user selects that they do wish to download this location they will move the cursor over the "Yes" option and double click the mouse. After clicking "Yes" user will asked to type their full name in a dialog box and press enter, as each machine is registered to each user and this identifies which virtual reality machine will receive this download. If the user selects "No" they will be taken back to the page that displays the list of possible locations that can be added. 53) After the user has typed their full name in the dialog box and pressed enter the location will begin downloading. When the download is finished the user will be taken back to the page that displays the list of possible locations that can be added, and the next time the user selects their desired location while using the virtual reality machine the newly downloaded location will be available. 54) After the user has finished downloading all new locations to be added to the virtual reality machine they can simply close the web browser, exit the website, or turn off the device or computer. D. Environmental Analysis - Context
1) Physical- For applications, depending on the social acceptance and adjustment, the machine would be placed in recreational business areas. It could also be placed in movie theaters for entertainment purposes or in therapy sessions or be privately owned, but the immense costs that would be associate with the system would only allow a few people to privately own the system. 2) Social- A machine like this may be in demand but by some societies, but highly rejected by people and groups who would be afraid of it's potentially dangerous or negative uses (visiting a battlefield or hurt virtual people). 3) Psychological- Due to the intended immersive effects of the machine, extreme care would be given to not damage the psyche of the users if they couldn't distinguish between what is reality and what is virtual. Without precautions, emotional reactions and cognitive problems could arise as they react to the simulations. Feelings that span the human spectrum (fear, anger, happiness, jealousy) could arise that could be uncomfortable or even damaging. 4) Cultural- The design is probably very western (United States, Britain, Europe) and eastern (Japan, Korea) oriented. Advances in technology by those countries would help create a machine like this. The intricacies of many cultures would be programmed into the machine. However, the culture of the user would have to be open-minded and accepting of such a machine to use it. 5) Personal- Being that the machine is in a closed room, there aren't any other people to be considered except for noise levels. 6) Legal- There is a very big 'gray area' of legality involved. Certain places or people or behaviors could be outlawed or deemed illegal by the government in which the device(s) resided. Any areas that would be considered controversial (current war-zones such as Syria, morally-gray aspects or business that involve drugs or crimes) will not be available. E. User Preferences 1) Five-sense aesthetics: The touchscreen of the machine is glass, while the sides and back are brushed black chrome. The virtual reality room will be white on the interior. And the virtual reality itself will be malleable to a finite list of sight, touch, hearing, smell, and taste. 2) Functions- The limits to functionality will be according to the software programming in terms of automaticity/manual usage of vehicles, switches, weaponry, etc. 3) Tasks- The virtual reality will have options within the reality to pause, abandon, or alter the session in terms of functions. F. Extraneous Constraints- anything that would stop the machine from functioning or the user from interacting with it. 1) Physical- It must be indoors; machine is not easily portable. The user can only interact with the holograms when they are fully inside the room and wearing the VR gloves. Their must be power source (electrical wall socket) for the machine to be on. 2) Social- there may be a moral rejection due to fear of reducing social skills or influencing violent behaviors and generally breaking social norms; compare to video game violence. 3) Psychological- some may fear own addiction to this and/or general fear of novelty 4) Cultural-will be limited to developed, technology-savvy countries initially, with the hope that with enough time and acceptance, they will be in small or less developed cities as well. 5) Personal- Personal constraints are an issue if the machine is located in a business area (retail). Care and attention to noise should be considered when running the machine. 6) Legal-classified information, VR may need to be less-than-perfectly predictive of real government actions |