Multisensory Interaction Design in Digital Immersive Landscapes and Its Art Therapy Mechanisms
Main Article Content
Abstract
Digital immersive landscapes create immersive interactive scenarios through multi-channel sensory stimulation of vision, hearing and touch, providing new technical support for art therapy. This study constructs a multisensory interaction system with VR, AR and biosensing technologies, retrospectively analyzes the past therapy data of 60 subjects with mild anxiety, and explores the therapeutic effects of multisensory combinations combined with physiological indicators such as skin conductance, heart rate variability, cortisol, and SAS and POMS psychological scales. The results show that the anxiety relief rate of three-channel synergistic stimulation of vision, hearing and touch reaches 68.4%, which is significantly better than that of single-channel stimulation; 20-25 minutes is the optimal immersion duration. While haptic feedback increased positive emotional arousal (engagement) by 23.7%, it simultaneously facilitated a more profound reduction in physiological stress indicators, suggesting a “grounding” mechanism that enhances therapeutic presence without triggering defensive sympathetic overactivation. The study clarifies the multisensory synergistic therapy mechanism, constructs a dynamic allocation model of sensory weights, and provides a quantitative basis for the engineering design of digital therapy systems. The haptic and biosensing modules make the system suitable for immersive therapy devices that combine physiological feedback with tactile interaction.
Downloads
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
References
S. Rafiei, K. Santa, N. Honey, et al., “Evaluating a virtual reality-delivered mindfulness intervention for anxiety: a mixed-methods study in real-world community and school settings,” Frontiers in Psychiatry, vol. 16, Art. no. 1669287, 2025, doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1669287.
F. Lebrun, C. Simon, A. Boukezzi, et al., “Mentor-Guided Learning in Immersive Virtual Environments: the Impact of Visual and Haptic Feedback on Skill Acquisition,” IEEE transactions on visualization and computer graphics, 2025, doi: 10.1109/TVCG.2025.3549547.
W. Zeng, J. Xu, J. Yu, et al., “Effectiveness of virtual reality therapy in the treatment of anxiety disorders in adolescents and adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials,” Frontiers in Psychiatry, vol. 16, Art. no. 1553290, 2025, doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1553290.
D. Wilczy´nska, T. Kozłowska W, D. Alarcón, et al., “The Role of Immersive Experience in Anxiety Reduction: Evidence from Virtual Reality Sessions,” Brain Sciences, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 14, 2024, doi: 10.3390/brainsci15010014.
A. Bhowmik K, “Virtual and augmented reality: Human sensory-perceptual requirements and trends for immersive spatial computing experiences,” Journal of the Society for Information Display, vol. 32, no. 8, pp. 605-646, 2024, doi: 10.1002/jsid.2001.
J. Kim and Y. Chung J, “A single case study of digital art therapy for a child with ADHD using the metaverse platform,” The Arts in Psychotherapy, vol. 89, Art. no. 102146, 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.aip.2024.102146.
A. Zulkarnain B H, Z. Kókai, and A. Gere, “Immersive sensory evaluation: Practical use of virtual reality sensory booth,” MethodsX, vol. 12, Art. no. 102631, 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.mex.2024.102631.
D. Jose B J J, P. Léa, S, L. K M, et al., “Using multisensory virtual reality nature immersion as a therapeutic modality for improving HRV and cognitive functions in post-traumatic stress disorder: a pilot-study,” Frontiers in Virtual Reality, pp. 4, 2023, doi: 10.3389/frvir.2023.1261093.
S. D A, L. Domitile, B. JeanMarie, et al., “Design guidelines for limiting and eliminating virtual reality-induced symptoms and effects at work: a comprehensive, factor-oriented review,” Frontiers in psychology, vol. 14, Art. no. 1161932, 2023, doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1161932.
T. C M, S. De J, and R. Da G M, “Virtual Reality-Induced Dissociative Symptoms: A Retrospective Study,” Games for health journal, vol. 11, no. 4, pp. 262-267, 2022, doi: 10.1089/g4h.2022.0009.
D. R M, R. Renee, I. L K, et al., “Virtual Reality for the Treatment of Anxiety Disorders: A Scoping Review,” The American journal of occupational therapy: official publication of the American Occupational Therapy Association, vol. 75, no. 6, 2021, doi: 10.5014/ajot.2021.046169.
S. Andrej, P. Matevž, and G. Jože, “Suitability and Comparison of Questionnaires Assessing Virtual Reality-Induced Symptoms and Effects and User Experience in Virtual Environments,” Sensors, vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 1185, 2021, doi: 10.3390/s21041185.
J. Yin, J. Yuan, N. Arfaei, et al., “Effects of biophilic indoor environment on stress and anxiety recovery: A between-subjects experiment in virtual reality,” Environment International, vol. 136, Art. no. 105427, 2020, doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2019.105427.
B. Cie´slik, J. Mazurek, S. Rutkowski, et al., “Virtual reality in psychiatric disorders: A systematic review of reviews,” Complementary Therapies in Medicine, vol. 52, Art. no. 102480, 2020, doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2020.102480.
B. C, S. B, B. RM, et al., “Virtual reality exposure-based therapy for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder: a review of its efficacy, the adequacy of the treatment protocol, and its acceptability,” Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, vol. 2015, pp. 2533-2545, 2015, doi: 10.2147/NDT.S89542.
L. Yun, N. T H, M. Nexhmedin, et al., “A meta-analysis on the relationship between self-reported presence and anxiety in virtual reality exposure therapy for anxiety disorders,” PloS one, vol. 9, no. 5, Art. no. e96144, 2014, doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0096144.