Output device: Projector/TV

We've been having second thoughts about the VR helmet...

After group discussions where we explored the personas in more depth, we thought that perhaps the helmets would be dogged with preconceptions of being difficult to use simply because they're unfamiliar and a piece of technology. The video from a lecture of a couple attempting to use a web cam made it clear that technology can seem a scary and difficult thing for many people.

Since we're bringing the experience home and trying to make it feel as natural as possible, it's important to make best use of any current conventions to limit the learning curve.

Other options
Rather than assuming VR helmets will be cheap and lightweight in the future, let's assume that projectors and huge TV's will be!

The key advantage to these forms of output are that they're not as invasive as a helmet, a user watching a screen/projection can feel at ease that they can walk away at any time rather than feeling trapped/claustrophobic.

The method of interaction is familiar as most households have access to a television and would have experienced projections at least while going to the cinema.

From more practical points of view, it would allow the user roam freely around the house if they wanted to go to the kitchen to see if they need to buy some ketchup, or perhaps go to the bathroom, in addition couples would find it easier to shop together.

And if all that wasn't enough, we considered that some people may feel insecure when fully immersed in a virtual environment, they may be concerned their house is being broken into or that something may be burning in the kitchen.

Drawbacks
TV : Not large enough to make them feel like they're actually in the supermarket, this would affect the method of interaction, limiting how much information is displayed on screen, but that may be a blessing in disguise.

Projector: A practical problem is that they would need an empty wall or projector screen, not really a HCI problem but it does limit the usefulness of the technology. In addition we'd have to consider how large the projection would be when designing and considering what information to display (font size, buttons, layout etc).