DANIEL LANDAU

Virtual reality offers the unique ability to induce the illusion of owning a virtual body, enabling studies of psychological effects in scenarios like gender or age switching. Traditional methods rely on real-time body tracking and CGI avatars, but we present a novel approach using 180° stereoscopic video, synchronized touch, and narration. This technique effectively creates a photorealistic embodiment experience. Our experiments show that participants accept these virtual bodies as their own, regardless of age, and can even alter their time perception when embodied as a child. This method offers comparable psychological effects to CGI, with reduced costs and technical complexity.