Serious game em realidade virtual como ferramenta para a conscientização social de deficiências visuais

Abstract

One billion people have some level of visual impairment that could have been prevented or hasnot been treated yet. Eye health promotion plays an important role in the process of mitigatingthis scenario, but it lacks innovation, creativity, extension, investment and attention. Thus, the objective of this study was to validate the viability of a serious game in virtual reality as a tool tohelp social awareness of visual impairments. Through this approach, we sought to use entertain-ment to educate. To start the development of the project, open interviews were carried out withseven participants, composing a multidisciplinary group of health and education professionals,in order to generate qualitative data for analysis on defining the scope and functionalities ofthe game. The game was developed based on the MDA Framework and with the following tools: Unity engine; Git; Visual Studio Code; Google Cardboard software development kit; and the Samsung Gear VR. A puzzle game was developed that demonstrates a contrast between the perspective of a normal vision and a simulated vision of a visual impairment in a virtual environment, in addition the game presents simple and objective information about eye health. After development, participants played and then evaluated the game through a questionnaire on Google Forms. Through the evaluation of the participants, it was found that: the system worked effectively; visual effects were used thoughtfully; the game is immersive; the content presented was well understood and interpreted; and is capable of instilling a user’s attention on the topic.It was also observed that the experience was not entirely pleasant for some participants, as the game triggered motion sickness. Motion sickness was not unanimous, because someparticipants did not report and did not demonstrate such a condition. It is concluded that thegame developed has the potential to assist in social awareness regarding visual impairment.