Learning to Use Virtual Reality Goggles
During the winter months BHV offered training on how to use Virtual Reality (VR) headsets as a way for people with mobility issues to be outdoors. A group of BHV members learned how to use VR headsets and provided feedback about whether the experience brought them closer to nature and reduced feelings of social isolation.
BHV partnered with the Montgomery County Office of Broadband to provide the headsets, AARP Senior Planet to provide the training, and a nearby hospital to provide the training site and WIFI access. The County’s Office of Broadband made six VR Oculus headsets available. The BHV VR training program consisted of five one-hour classes. This was the first-time the County and Senior Planet had conducted this class, so they made the training available to BHV members at no cost since BHV was willing to serve as a test site. Using the BHV website, newsletter, and word of mouth marketing, eight BHV members were recruited to participate in the class. None of the participants had ever tried VR goggles before.
At the first session, the group became familiarized with the headsets. At subsequent sessions, each person proceeded at their own pace. The instructions covered: set-up of the headsets, how to use the controls, safety guidelines, comfort settings, and troubleshooting. Virtual Reality experiences available during the sessions included a tour of Baltimore and Washington, DC, watching a bumble bee, a virtual visit to a German beer garden, playing ping pong and going fishing.
Class participants were very enthusiastic about having the opportunity to try something that was new. They provided positive feedback in the class; however, they were somewhat disappointed that they did not have access to a wider variety of VR experiences.
Considerable time was initially spent on equipment issues: charging the devices, connecting with WIFI, adjusting the headsets, establishing a boundary, and learning how to use the controllers. There were some initial issues with having enough consistent and fast enough WIFI to support the devices. By the end of the program all the participants could put on and adjust their headsets, some with help, and locate and manipulate the available VR experiences.
At the conclusion of the five sessions a survey was conducted to obtain qualitative comments from the participants. The findings were as follows:
-
All the participants said the goggles were comfortable after adjusting.
-
More than half the participants said that the WIFI connection was an issue and caused interruptions.
-
At the end of the class 20% of the participants reported they didn’t like the experience, 20% liked it right away, 60% got used to VR goggles.
-
75% of the participants said they would do a VR class again.
-
Many of the participants said the nature experiences would have to be of a higher quality to be a substitute for being outside.
-
Based on the experiences available, the participants reported nature is best experienced out of doors.
-
Participants said they would like to be able to use VR to “travel” to places that were exotic such as national parks or to go on a safari.
-
The general comments as to whether VR would help with loneliness were that using the goggles was somewhat isolating but being a part of a weekly class and helping each other during the class was satisfying and reduced loneliness.