Distance Estimation in Virtual Environments
Authors:
- 1 October 1995
- journal article
- Published by SAGE Publications in Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting
- Vol. 39 (20) , 1268-1272
Abstract
This paper describes an experiment to evaluate a procedure for measuring distance perception in immersive VEs. Forty-eight subjects viewed a VE with a Head Mounted Display (HMD), a Binocular Omni-Oriented Monitor (BOOM), or a computer monitor. Subjects estimated the distance to a figure of known height that was initially 40 ft away. As the figure moved forward, subjects indicated when the figure was perceived to be 30, 20, 10, 5, and 2.5 ft away. A separate group of 36 subjects performed the task in a real-world setting roughly comparable to the VE. VE distance estimation was highly variable across subjects. For distance perception involving a moving figure, in the VE conditions most subjects called out before the figure had closed to the specified distances. Distance estimation was least accurate with the monitor. In the real world, most subjects called out after the figure had closed to or passed the specified distances. Ways to improve the procedure are discussed.Keywords
This publication has 2 references indexed in Scilit:
- The Virtual Environment Performance Assessment Battery (VEPAB):Development and EvaluationPRESENCE: Virtual and Augmented Reality, 1994
- The Development of Technology for Collective Training: SIMNET, a Case HistoryHuman Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, 1991