NatureCapture: Transforming Real-World Nature into Shared VR Experiences for Deepened Human-Nature Connection

Paper Title

NatureCapture: Transforming Real-World Nature into Shared VR Experiences for Deepened Human-Nature Connection

Publication Info

• Topic area: Bridging real-world nature experiences with virtual reality to enhance human-nature connection.
• Keywords: Human-nature interaction, virtual reality, 3D modeling, nature connectedness, emotional regulation, social engagement, immersive environments, real-to-virtual transformation, collaborative design.

Background and Problem

• Problem / challenge: Urbanization and digital lifestyles have reduced direct contact with nature, limiting opportunities for emotional and psychological benefits. Existing VR-based nature systems often lack authenticity, active interaction, and integration with real-world experiences.
• Significance: Strengthening human-nature connections is critical for well-being, emotional regulation, and fostering environmental awareness, especially in urbanized societies.
• Motivation and related work: Prior technologies focus on either real-world nature engagement (e.g., wildlife cameras, wearables) or VR-based simulations, but fail to integrate the two. Current VR systems often emphasize passive observation and lack mechanisms for sustained, meaningful interaction with nature.

Solution

• Proposed approach: NatureCapture, a multi-user system that allows users to capture real-world natural elements, transform them into interactive 3D models, and collaboratively integrate them into shared VR spaces.
• Novelty:
  1. Introduces a bidirectional loop connecting real-world exploration with virtual engagement.
  2. Enables user-driven transformation of real-world nature into customizable VR content.
  3. Supports both individual and collaborative nature interactions in shared VR spaces.
  4. Provides empirical evidence of enhanced nature connectedness, emotional regulation, and social bonding.
• Procedure and key techniques:
  • Users capture images of natural elements via mobile devices.
  • Images are processed into 3D models using semi-automated pipelines.
  • Models are stored in a shared "backpack" system for use in VR.
  • Users interact with and arrange these models in a realistic VR environment, either individually or collaboratively, with real-time voice communication enabled.

Results

• Concrete findings:
  • Significant increase in Nature Relatedness Scale (NRS) scores: from 74.59 to 83.91 in the NatureCapture condition (p < .001).
  • Positive Affect (PA) increased (33.21 to 37.94), and Negative Affect (NA) decreased (21.76 to 15.79) significantly in the NatureCapture condition.
  • Inclusion of Other in the Self (IOS) scores showed greater improvement in NatureCapture (4.06 to 4.91) compared to the baseline.
• Advantage over baselines:
  • NatureCapture outperformed a simplified baseline VR system in enhancing nature relatedness, emotional well-being, and social connection.
  • Participants spent significantly more time per session (24.59 vs. 17.59 minutes) and engaged more frequently in NatureCapture.
• Experiments / evaluation:
  • 14-day within-subjects study with 34 participants (10 groups of 3–4 friends).
  • Conditions: NatureCapture (full system) vs. baseline (pre-designed VR nature without personalization).
  • Data collected: standardized questionnaires (NRS, PANAS, IOS), semi-structured interviews, and behavioral logs.
• Limitations and future work:
  • Small, homogeneous sample (young adults, pre-existing social groups).
  • Short-term study; long-term effects remain unexplored.
  • Manual steps in 3D model generation limit scalability.
  • Reliance on visual input excludes multi-sensory richness.
  • Future work should include diverse populations, automated pipelines, and multi-sensory integration.

Summary

NatureCapture bridges real-world and virtual nature experiences by enabling users to capture natural elements, transform them into interactive 3D models, and collaboratively construct shared VR spaces. A 14-day study demonstrated significant improvements in nature relatedness, emotional well-being, and social connection, highlighting the system’s ability to foster a bidirectional loop between physical and virtual engagement. By integrating personal and social dimensions, NatureCapture offers a novel approach to sustaining human-nature connections in urbanized, technology-driven contexts. Future work should expand on scalability, inclusivity, and long-term engagement strategies.