During the concert, the feelings evoked in the audience will be monitored with sensors measuring brain waves and other psychophysiological reactions. Sensors will be attached to the test subjects' facial muscles to monitor emotions, and researchers will specifically examine smiling or frowning. Additionally, the test subjects' user experiences will be surveyed with a questionnaire. At the same time, the effective functioning of VR technology will be tested from the perspective of the user. Users have reported that the devices cause headaches and eye pain as well as nausea i.e. cyber sickness, and the health impacts of the technology must be investigated prior to broad-scoped commercialisation.
The purpose of the study is to compare the virtual concert experience to more conventional ways of taking part in a distance concert such as watching it on a mobile device, in which case the experience is only two dimensional. How different is a long-lasting live experience really in virtual form? The results of the research can be utilised in the development of virtual distance events and in improving the concert experience.
The Amorphis concert study is an excellent example of the multidisciplinary cooperation between human sciences and technological sciences at the University of Oulu. The participating research groups include the Center for Ubiquitous Computing and the Interact Research Unit as well as the LeaForum human lab, which has leading technology that is used for the study of interaction and humans in the changing world.
A number of scientific articles and four Master's theses on the virtual concert will be completed in 2018. Mobile operator Elisa will be partnering in the realisation of the concert, and you will be able to follow the evening's progress on social media:
#amorphis360 #UniOulu #unioulurocks #arcticattitude
Calling all volunteers to act as test subjects in our trial!
Test subjects will take part in the concert from the University of Oulu's Leaf Laboratory using Oculus and HTV-Vive VR virtual reality headsets and mobile telephones with cardboard arms (Guitarist Esa Holopainen gives a demonstration).
If you wish to take part, notify Antti Siipo (antti.siipo(a)oulu.fi).
The first 30 people to get in touch will be able to take part!
Further information: Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering.
Center for Ubiquitous Computing
Post-doctoral researcher Matti Pouke, tel. +358 40 546 0916, Matti.Pouke(a)oulu.fi
Interact Research Unit
Last updated: 25.9.2017