Levels of Sensory Immersion

I began to look more at sensory immersion to see if i could better understand how the gamers experience is bettered by audio-visual stimuli. I came across a paper which talks about using virtual reality as a platform to teach people with cognitive impairments to use public transport. The writers state that using virtual reality will be alot safer in teaching how to navigate space. Memory damage is often a result from brain damage, and through the programme they aim to be able to rehabilitate the memory of using public transport in the safety of a virtual enviroment.

The paper provides a good breakdown of sensory immersion into 3 levels, which I think relate quite well to my topic. The levels can be known as space, object and enviroment, heres the full description: "Viewing a three-dimensional space, such as a tour of a virtual house before it has been built, is the most elementary level of virtual immersion, that is the space level. If the user can manipulate images or objects within that three-dimensional space then that is a deeper level of immersion, the object level. Finally, total immersion, where all references to the real world are blocked out and are replaced by substitute stimuli (visual, auditory, and tactile) provides immersion at the environment level."

This is perfect for what I want to look at since I can use these levels of sensory immersion to describe how it is that technology can effect imemrsion in the gamers experience. The first level space relates to actual virtual enviroment that has been made, but a better display for the gamer can increase the gamers feeling of presence within that space. The second object, relates to how the gamer can interact with that space, this also can be enhanced by the type of interface that the gamer has been given as a platform for that interaction. And finally the total immersion into the enviroment, a combination of all the artificial senses that have been provided for the gamer, blocking out the real world with stronger audio-visual stimuli; realistic graphics, surrounding 3D sound,and interactive interfaces. The better these work together at creating the enviroment for the gamer, then I fell the more the gmaer will immerse themselves within the game.

Memory processes and virtual environments:
I can’t remember what was there, but I can remember how I got there.
Implications for people with disabilities.