Abstract

Virtual reality headsets become more and more accessible - also for the elder population who can benefit from sessions in a virtual environment not only physically but mentally. This bachelor’s thesis is expanding on the fully immersive virtual reality travel application GeoTravel by reworking the overall quality of the application, focusing especially on the image quality. Furthermore, a new travel location is added and a simple location search function implemented. A companion dog now provides guidance through the different available locations. As this application is targeted at elderly people, some guidelines have to be met. These are examined prior to the implementation of the new features, to provide the best possible results for the elderly after a session in the virtual environment. The main goal is to improve the overall mental condition of the elderly by helping them to experience something different in their daily lives. Since the development of GeoTravel started in the face of the still ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it was very difficult to actually hear the elderly’s opinion regarding the application. During this thesis a first in-person evaluation was possible in cooperation with the University of Hamburg and the Hospital of the Holy Spirit Hamburg. Results of the study are incorporated in the application to further improve the quality. The participants of the study also had some great input on possible future features, which are discussed in the last chapter.

Results/Implementation/Project Description

Conclusion

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