Keywords
VR, flow state, affective computing, stylus

Technologies
Logitech MX Ink, WebXR, Meta Quest 3, Brainlink

Recent news of Meta’s plans to shut down their Metaverse has sparked debate over whether the Metaverse or Virtual Reality (VR) ever really offered a convincing use case for the average person. However, with new input devices such as Logitech’s MX Ink stylus and the emerging field of how affective computing (the study of emotions and human-computer interaction) can be explored in VR, new ideas for how to apply this technology arise.

This project uses a purpose-built program called Inkspire to compare flow state, affective state and cognitive load between two types of input device during an immersive drawing task. The two input devices are the standard Meta Quest 3 controller and the MX Ink stylus. Usability and self-reported flow, affect and cognitive load were collected though in-VR surveys, and EEG data from the Brainlink Pro headband corroborated the emotional measures. A post-task qualitative survey added extra user feedback and context to the survey data.

With research suggesting a link between high productivity increases and flow state in the workplace, the results of this study may inform future design of VR productivity tools and adaptive interfaces.