“The lack of social connections in older adults can lead to serious health consequences, including cardiovascular disease, cognitive decline, depression, and suicide,” said Sarkar, an expert in human-machine interaction. “Three-dimensional interactive technologies offer real promise when it comes to enhancing a person’s perception that their friends and loved ones are physically present.”
The new research will focus on creating next-generation augmented reality technologies, which superimpose virtual avatars and other digital images on real-world environments. That is in contrast to virtual reality, which fully immerses a person in a synthetic setting.
Read more at Vanderbilt Engineering News