VEXGEN: No-Code VR Experience Creation

Project description

VEXGEN was a research project into a tool for creating virtual reality experiences without requiring users to know how to code. The experiences themselves could also be designed from within virtual reality.

Interaction in VR differs from interaction on a computer or mobile device: users can work with VR controllers or simply use their hands through hand tracking. The experiences created with VEXGEN were intended to allow multiple users to participate simultaneously and to provide access to Meta’s metaverse.

The project relates to ITCL’s research in simulation and virtual reality.

Project objectives

Research no-code tools for creating VR experiences. VEXGEN sought a way for the audiovisual sector to generate virtual environments without requiring users to have programming skills. This would help agencies develop more competitive creative projects in VR without relying on professionals specialised in programming these technologies.
Enhance user experiences in immersive VR environments, including Meta’s metaverse. The project explored interaction through VR controllers and hand tracking.
Design new modular, multisensory interfaces for VR in the audiovisual sector. This included defining design guidelines for VR applications, particularly editing tools used on VR devices, and studying how to make those tools easier for a wider range of people to use when creating audiovisual content.
Investigate neuromarketing in immersive brand experiences. The project explored its potential for innovative branded content in the audiovisual sector. Neuromarketing uses neuroscience techniques to analyse consumers’ responses to marketing stimuli.
Test the creation of virtual environments and the VEXGEN tool through four use cases. The plan was to develop a fully functional application for Oculus Quest 2, create the proposed VR experiences with the tool, and test both how the tool worked and the experiences it produced.