Influence of Path Complexity on Spatial Overlap Perception in Virtual Environments

Real walking in large virtual indoor environments within a limited real world workspace requires effective spatial compression methods. These methods should be unnoticed by the user. Scene manipulation that creates overlapping spaces has been suggested in recent work. However, there is little research focusing on users' perception of overlapping spaces depending on the layout of the environment. In this paper we investigate how the complexity of the path influences the perception of the overlapping spaces it connects. We compare three spatial virtual layouts with paths that differ in complexity (length and number of turns). Our results suggest that an increase of the path's length is less efficient in decreasing overlap detection than a combination of length and additional turns. Furthermore, combination of paths that differ in complexity influences the distance perception within overlapping spaces.

[1]  Victoria Interrante,et al.  Distance Perception in Immersive Virtual Environments, Revisited , 2006, IEEE Virtual Reality Conference (VR 2006).

[2]  Mark T. Bolas,et al.  Impossible Spaces: Maximizing Natural Walking in Virtual Environments with Self-Overlapping Architecture , 2012, IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics.

[3]  Hannes Kaufmann,et al.  Flexible spaces: Dynamic layout generation for infinite walking in virtual environments , 2013, 2013 IEEE Symposium on 3D User Interfaces (3DUI).

[4]  Marina Kolesnik,et al.  Estimation of travel distance from visual motion in virtual environments , 2007, TAP.

[5]  Timo Ropinski,et al.  Moving Towards Generally Applicable Redirected Walking , 2008 .

[6]  Jack M. Loomis,et al.  Visual perception of egocentric distance in real and virtual environments. , 2003 .

[7]  Zachary Wartell,et al.  Leveraging change blindness for redirection in virtual environments , 2011, 2011 IEEE Virtual Reality Conference.

[8]  F. Parmentier,et al.  Transitional information in spatial serial memory: path characteristics affect recall performance. , 2005, Journal of experimental psychology. Learning, memory, and cognition.

[9]  G. Bower,et al.  Inconsistency in spatial knowledge , 1983, Memory & cognition.

[10]  Sabarish V. Babu,et al.  Comparison of path visualizations and cognitive measures relative to travel technique in a virtual environment , 2005, IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics.

[11]  Roy A. Ruddle,et al.  The benefits of using a walking interface to navigate virtual environments , 2009, TCHI.

[12]  Norman G. Vinson,et al.  Design guidelines for landmarks to support navigation in virtual environments , 1999, CHI '99.

[13]  Mary C. Whitton,et al.  LLCM-WIP: Low-Latency, Continuous-Motion Walking-in-Place , 2008, 2008 IEEE Symposium on 3D User Interfaces.

[14]  Frank Steinicke,et al.  Human Walking in Virtual Environments: Perception, Technology, and Applications , 2013 .

[15]  Ivan Poupyrev,et al.  3D User Interfaces: Theory and Practice , 2004 .

[16]  Jack M. Loomis,et al.  Locomotion Mode Affects the Updating of Objects Encountered During Travel: The Contribution of Vestibular and Proprioceptive Inputs to Path Integration , 1998, Presence.

[17]  Mary C. Whitton,et al.  Walking > walking-in-place > flying, in virtual environments , 1999, SIGGRAPH.

[18]  Zachary Wartell,et al.  Exploiting change blindness to expand walkable space in a virtual environment , 2010, 2010 IEEE Virtual Reality Conference (VR).

[19]  Ronald A. Rensink,et al.  Change blindness: past, present, and future , 2005, Trends in Cognitive Sciences.

[20]  Victoria Interrante,et al.  Seven League Boots: A New Metaphor for Augmented Locomotion through Moderately Large Scale Immersive Virtual Environments , 2007, 2007 IEEE Symposium on 3D User Interfaces.

[21]  J. Rieser,et al.  Visual Perception and the Guidance of Locomotion without Vision to Previously Seen Targets , 1990, Perception.

[22]  Gerd Bruder,et al.  Estimation of Detection Thresholds for Redirected Walking Techniques , 2010, IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics.

[23]  Franck Multon,et al.  Human Walking in Virtual Environments: perception, technology and applications , 2013 .

[24]  Sharif Razzaque,et al.  Redirected Walking , 2001, Eurographics.

[25]  Robert S. Kennedy,et al.  Simulator Sickness Questionnaire: An enhanced method for quantifying simulator sickness. , 1993 .

[26]  Larry F. Hodges,et al.  Effects of travel technique and gender on a divided attention task in a virtual environment , 2010, 2010 IEEE Symposium on 3D User Interfaces (3DUI).