ApperceptionVR

Task 1 Tower Stacking Task
Task 2 Trolley Problem

Inspiration

It would be hard to find someone who hasn't taken a personality test (i.e. Meyers Briggs, DISC assessment, Big Five personality tests, etc.). The problem is that the vast majority of these tests are not evidence-based and lack any predictive power. Also, people are often given these tests under high-stakes (job interview process) and are incentivized to modify their responses to fit into a certain group. To cut through the noise, we wanted to build personality profiles based on initial, gut reactions to simulated situations using VR.

What it does

Jump into a series of curated VR situations aimed at understanding your initial, gut reactions to difficult and ethical situations. While you are immersed, we are measuring a multitude of performance metrics! Our goal is to have around 10 fast-paced experiences that cover topics ranging from stress management, adaptability, creativity, problem solving, and philosophy. Over the past 24 hrs, we built two highly-polished scenarios to test the concept.

Target audience

We imagine that while this tool provides value, the initial investment in the VR setup is high. As a result, our target audience at first would be organizations (businesses, non-profits, military, law enforcement, government).

How we built it

Game engine: Unreal Engine 4

Using C++ scripts attached to Unreal, we were able to record performance metrics during the experience.

3D modeling: 3DS Max

Texturing: Substance Painter

VR headset: HTC Vive

Challenges we ran into

We wanted to collect biofeedback information such as respiratory rate or heart rate in addition to in-game performance metrics. We did a deep dive on heart rate using optical sensors, EKG breakout boards, and even tried to reverse engineer a pulse oximeter. In the end, we ran out of time on integrating biofeedback, but we learned a lot in the process!

Accomplishments that we are proud of

Amount of data that we were able to collect
The insights that we gathered
Examined data from 40 individuals
The amount of work that we were able to complete
Being able to collaboratively work to develop a strong idea
Utilizing VR as a predictive tool for personality tests

What we learned

How to correct for visual anomalies that occur in VR, such as spacial awareness
How to record performance in real-time in Unreal Engine
That VR can be a powerful tool for organizations that goes beyond its initial novelty and hype-factor

Biosensing