Zhaozhong Wang and You-Jin Kim:
Exploring Immersive Mixed Reality Simulations and Its Impact on Climate Change Awareness. In: Asian Journal of Applied Science and Engineering, Volume 12, ISSN: 2307-9584, AJASE 2022
Presented: ACM SIGGRAPH SPARKS 2023 - [Spatiality in Virtual Reality Session] January 27, 2023, Remote Presentation

▪️  DOI: 10.18034/AJASE.v11i1.3    ▪️  ResearchGate: researchgate/370597995

Abstract

This research evaluates the efficacy of outdoor, wide-area Augmented Reality (AR) in visualizing the immediate consequences of climate-induced disasters. By simulating interactive storytelling elements directly onto the built environment, the study examines AR’s capacity to convey the true scale of ecological impacts through immersive narratives. We propose an AR framework utilizing high-fidelity digital twins to manifest personally relevant weather simulations within a user’s familiar physical surroundings. A pilot study compared this life-scale approach against traditional methods, measuring physiological stress, perceived immersion, and behavioral intent. Findings indicate that these high-fidelity simulations significantly increase motivation to adopt sustainable practices compared to conventional mediums. Statistical analysis reveals that integrating dynamic, large-scale digital assets into real-world coordinates elicits elevated stress levels and superior immersion, effectively bridging the psychological distance of climate change. While currently limited by hardware, this research demonstrates that projecting accurate disaster scales onto a familiar reality fosters a sense of presence unattainable through standard screens. This work establishes a foundation for using real-time geospatial mapping and spatialized audio to further enhance the impact of interactive environmental storytelling.

Research Contributions

• Demonstrated the feasibility of interactive, outdoor AR narratives that successfully convey the true scale of events to the viewer.

• Users reported superior immersion ratings, indicating that AR communicates the devastation of disasters more effectively than screen-based or VR settings.

• Precise digital scaling of massive disasters within familiar outdoor settings elicited a deeper sense of presence than traditional screens.

• Placing simulations within the user’s immediate physical environment intensified the perceived personal relevance and urgency of climate impacts.

• Integrating digital twins enabled high-fidelity physics for accurate water flow and fire spread, significantly enhancing visual realism and impact.

Citation IEEE Format

[1] Z. Wang and Y-J. Kim, "Exploring Immersive Mixed Reality Simulations and Its Impact on Climate Change Awareness," Asian J. Appl. Sci. Eng., vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 1–6, 2022. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.6611681. (6 Pages)

Citation APA Format

Wang, Z., & Kim, Y-J. (2022). Exploring immersive mixed reality simulations and its impact on climate change awareness. Asian Journal of Applied Science and Engineering, 11(1), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6611681. (6 Pages)