Volume 134

Depression is one of the most diagnosed mental illnesses in modern society, with leading causes such as psycho-trauma concerning interpersonal relationships, primarily relationships and familial dynamics, and both physical and psychological disturbances resulting from protracted exposure to stressors. Former research explicitly proved that virtual reality technology is likely to succeed as a major treatment medium for psychological disorders, primarily due to the fact that it is immensely immersive, interactive, and private. However, very little research is available in the literature regarding the treatment through VR, and exposure-based therapies of real-life landscapes. This paper presents an effort in an such direction: using VR technology for the treatment of depression via virtual rehab landscapes and VR exposure desensitization training to reduce emotional stress and enhance the treatment effect. It found that the viewing of virtual natural scenes resulted in significantly improved moods of the subjects and reduced their stress, with increased interactivity being more effective. One study observed elevation among the patients, where the degree of anxiety also decreases gradually eventually leading to better tolerance of treatment and treatment effectiveness. All these findings confirm the claim that such virtual natural environments and exposure desensitization trainings would be effective for depression treatment because they allow for a new pathway of non-pharmacological interventions.

Show more

Tendon-driven continuum robots (TDCRs) are extensively employed in medical equipment, rescue, and other fields. Currently, most studies solve the workspace of continuum robots based on a specific number of segments. There is no comparison between different numbers of segments. In this work, we explored the workspace of single- and two-stage TDCRs and compared the shape volume of the workspace. We implemented a kinematic modeling approach based on the constant curvature model to analyze the impact of segment numbers on the workspace. This efficient approach allowed us to compute the workspace of two different TDCRs with less computation time and draw the workspace volume. Therefore, we observe the effect of different numbers of segments of continuum robots on the robot's workspace. The results show that increasing the number of segments significantly enhances the robot's workspace and changes its shape and volume. This research provides practical insights into the effect of segment numbers on the workspace of TDCRs. This analysis can guide future TDCR planning and control, helping to identify the optimal segments for a given workspace and design strategies to maximize workspace efficiency.

Show more

As an emerging force born in the 19th century, industrial design has continuously embraced and integrated cross-field elements, gradually evolving into a complete system. With the advent of the new era of Industry 4.0, emerging technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality, and interactive technologies have been booming. The integration of intelligent technologies into industrial design has emerged as a significant contemporary issue. With the expansion of the industrial designer team, the defects in the field of industrial design education have become increasingly exposed. This paper focuses on the deficiencies in the field of industrial design education. Firstly, it explores the connotations and current situations of industrial design and mixed reality disciplines. Furthermore, it proposes three educational means of integrating mixed reality technology: building an interactive design platform, developing a new AR - CMF real - time projection software, and constructing a DIY experience platform for product innovation design. These means aim to enhance the interactivity, convenience, and efficiency of education, and at the same time promote collaboration and learning between teachers and students.

Show more