Redefining Excitement in XR
The Excite-O-Meter is a physiological computing tool created in Unity3D that allows integrating human-body signals into interactive applications to quantify and visualize our inner responses during and after immersive experience. The tool uses scientifically validated principles of cardiovascular reactivity to illustrate how the measured levels of excitement are affected during virtual and augmented reality experiences.
Heart rate variability
Uses scientifically validated measurements of cardiac reactivity to easily quantify Excitement
easy integration in unity 3d
Drag-and-droppable package that can be used in any immersive application developed in Unity3D
synchronized data logging
Contains scripts to record spatial and physiological data synchronously to facilitate user experience research
Using the Excite-O-Meter in Three Steps
Connect the heart rate sensor (Polar H10) and stream the data
The Excite-O-Meter includes two software clients to collect and stream data from the Polar H10 chest strap sensor. Both software tools stream the heart rate variability data using the Lab Streaming Layer Protocol via bluetooth.
Downloads: i) Windows App, ii) Android (APK)
Download and import the Unity Package
The Excite-O-Meter has been packed in a Unity Package that can be easily integrated into any project developed in Unity3D (tested: in v2019.4). Once imported, drag and drop both prefabs ExciteOMeter_Manager and ExciteOMeter_UI_OnlineAnalysis to the root of your hierarchy.
Downloads: i) Excite-O-Meter Unity Package, ii) UnityUIExtensions
Add the Excite-O-Meter Offline Analysis to the Scenes in Build
To see the Excite-O-Meter offline analysis, open your Build Settings and add the scene ExciteOMeter_OfflineAnalysis to the panel Scenes in Build. This scene will allow you to conduct the Offline analysis and to visualize the data after recorded. If you do not have a Unity Project, you can use this exciting version of Super Hot created (credits: Mix and Jam).
Downloads: Super Hot Mix and Jam (Unity Project)
Software Architecture
The Excite-O-Meter has been designed using an integrative and scalable approach where more physiological sensors can be added considering their compatibility with the communication protocol (e.g., LSL) and its integration with any interactive application developed in Unity3D has been simplified. The software architecture has been carefully designed to facilitate data transmission among platforms (e.g., Android, Unity) as well as modularity to manage the different processes such as the real-time computations and the offline data visualization.
Physiological Data receiver: custom-made software clients created to stream and process the data of the physiological sensors using LSL protocol.
Real Time Module: Unity-based module that combines data from the interactive application and the physiological sensors to facilitate data synchronization and logging.
Visualization and Offline Monitor: Unity-based tool to visualize and post-process data of single or multiple sessions, combining HRV analysis and displaying excitement levels throughout the experience.
The Excite-O-Meter project was developed under an open call of the XR4all community, a co-funded initiative of the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme through the XR4ALL project with grant agreement No 82554.
