Virtual reality for industrial application - the influence of presence and its relation to usability and user experience

Virtual and augmented reality are two big buzzwords in the industrial context and they are increasingly used. A main argument for the use of virtual techniques are their economic benefits, which are confirmed by pilot studies. However there is a research gap on how virtual techniques influence the user. This study addresses the impacts of virtual environments on presence, usability and user experience compared to a real environment. Therefore two groups of participants take part in a geocaching tour through the real or virtual city center of Chemnitz and rate the presence of the environment as well as the usability and user experience of a mobile navigation application. The results of 60 participants show that there are general differences between the environments and verify the strengths and weaknesses of virtual environments: Virtual techniques have a positive influence on the user, like a more engaging experience and a perceived higher hedonic quality of the product. Beside these benefits the negative effects have to be considered too, because they influence the ratings of the user. This study shows the potential of virtual techniques for the user and also the deficits, that need to be improved.