About
Undergraduate, Design. UC Davis Department of Design, CA, USA.
Research
Interacting with a Cat to Intertwine Virtual Reality and Physical Objects
Designer: Sonia Puertas Acosta
Sponsor: Katia Canepa Vega, Ph.D.
Winter 2020
Sponsor: Katia Canepa Vega, Ph.D.
Winter 2020
Abstract: In recent years, emotional support animals have shown to be effective at decreasing stress and depression as animals promote self-confidence, peace of mind, greater independence, a sense of safety, and enhanced social interaction. Japanese Neko cafés allow clients to drink coffee while petting cats, creating a stress-free environment. Similarly, Virtual Reality projects such as The Kitties in Virtual Reality app aim to relief its user by watching cats interacting with each other in a virtual world. Furthermore, cat robots such as Joy for all cats and companion pets have been created to simulate the interactions between cats and users. Through Virtual Reality and the use of haptic devices, this project intertwines the sense of presence between the virtual and physical world. Users would interact with cats by wearing Virtual Reality headsets and petting a haptic device that would reflect what the user sees, hears, and touches in the virtual world.