Immersive Experience and Climate Change Monitoring in Digital Landscapes: Evidence from Somatosensory Sense and Comfort

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Feb 14;20(4):3332. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20043332.

Abstract

In this study, the virtual engine software (Unity 2019, Unity Software Inc., San Francisco, California, the U.S.) was used to generate a digital landscape model, forming a virtual immersive environment. Through field investigation and emotional preference experiments, the ancient tree ecological area and the sunlight-exposed area were respectively monitored, and the somatosensory comfort evaluation model was established. The subjects showed the highest degree of interest in the ancient tree ecological area after landscape roaming experience, and the mean variance in SC fluctuation was 13.23% in experiments. The subjects were in a low arousal state and had a significant degree of interest in the digital landscape roaming scene, and there was a significant correlation between positive emotion, somatosensory comfort and the Rating of Perceived Exertion index; moreover, the somatosensory comfort of the ancient tree ecological area was higher than that of the sunlight-exposed area. Meanwhile, it was found that somatosensory comfort level can effectively distinguish the comfort level between the ancient tree ecological area and the sunlight-exposed area, which provides an important basis for monitoring extreme heat. This study concludes that, in terms of the goal of harmonious coexistence between human and nature, the evaluation model of somatosensory comfort can contribute to reducing people's adverse views on extreme weather conditions.

Keywords: ancient tree ecological area; digital landscape; emotional preference; somatosensor comfort.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Climate Change
  • Extreme Heat*
  • Extreme Weather*
  • Humans
  • San Francisco
  • Sunlight
  • Trees

Grants and funding

This research was supported by the Major Project of the National Social Science Fund (NSSF) of China “Theoretical and Practical Innovations for Evaluation Systems of Art Theory” (No. 21ZD11), and General projects funded by the National Social Science Fund in the later stage: Research on the historical evolution and Contemporary Landscape Reconstruction of the cultural gene in Southwest Hubei Province (22FYSB010). This research was also supported by Hubei Province Ecological Environmental Design Research Center.