Exploring 2D, 3D and Spatial Audio User Interfaces in VR for Reminiscence Therapy

Reminiscence Therapy (RT) is a non-pharmacological treatment focused on helping individuals with dementia recollect memories through their senses. Traditionally, RT therapy has relied on multimedia, where caregivers choose videos, pictures, and audio files. Since cross-sensory stimuli play an important role during RT, the adoption of Virtual Reality (VR) has spiked as the technology becomes commonplace. Our previous work has focused on prototyping a VR RT tool through co-design and usability testing, utilizing hand tracking for ease of use. In this research, we aim to further understand usability, presence, and cognitive load effects by comparing a 2D Graphical User Interface (GUI), a radio-style 3D User Interface (3DUI), a curved-style 3DUI, and a spatial audio User Interface UI that allows playing, stopping, and adjusting the volume of an audio file. Our preliminary study indicates that a traditional 2D GUI has higher usability, and lower cognitive load, while a curved-style 3DUI with 3D push buttons and a slider for volume around the user has a higher presence than the radio-style 3DUI and the spatial audio UI.