Virtopia: Emotional Experiences in Virtual Environments

Many contemporary virtual environments fail to provide participants with rich and intriguing experiences. This is true not only because of limitations in display and processing power in graphics computers currently available, but also because few people create virtual worlds in the context of artistic expression. Key to providing intriguing and engaging worlds is an understanding of the power of emotional content. The authors propose that an emotive response can be elicited in a subject through strategic use of imagery and sound in a virtual environment, which will enhance the sensation of immersion in the simulation and thereby help to compensate for the inadequacies of contemporary technology. Their artwork, Virtopia, draws on psychology in its implementation of virtual-reality technologies to produce aurally and visually immersive environments that engage the participant on an emotional level.