Virtual reality immersion is increasingly being used in the field of training and education. However, it can be important to measure the emotions of the learner to improve the effectiveness of this learning method. For example, determining if the learner is able to perform a task in a degraded situation (stress management, reactions to danger, etc.). With this in mind, virtual reality tools have been developed to measure the physiological and emotional reactions of the learner during their VR experience.

The startup Kaptics was present at the Laval Virtual startup hall. The company presented a device for evaluating the user’s emotions during immersion. It is based on a technology that integrates biosensors into a traditional VR headset (the setup currently requires the use of an adapted strap). The solution measures EOG (electrooculogram) signals, EEG (electroencephalogram) signals, and facial EMG (electromyography) to track eye and brain activity as well as facial expressions.

Exploiting this information involves a colossal amount of signal processing work, including sampling, filtering, denoising, and more. Thus, there may have been concerns about a highly complex usage limited to research laboratory settings. This is not the case, as the company has skillfully extracted the relevant information and limited the output to 4 measurements:

• the level of attention (focus, especially thanks to EOG which can act as an eye tracker),
• the level of relaxation,
• the emotional state
• heart rate (the last three measurements help estimate the learner’s stress level).

It is easy to imagine how this approach can be integrated into our simulations. For example, it can provide the learner or their trainer with valuable objective and quantitative data. Measuring the stress level of a learner during a simulation involving the handling of hazardous materials or operating a large construction vehicle, for example, can be valuable.

The solution, currently being commercialized, is already available for experimenting with proof of concepts.

For more information on the importance of emotion in learner training, you can read our article “Add Emotion to Your Pedagogy.”