Do Observers Perceive Depth in Reaching Task Within Virtual Environments?

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdeldjallil Naceri ◽  
Thierry Hoinville ◽  
Ryad Chellali ◽  
Jesus Ortiz ◽  
Shannon Hennig
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Virtual Environment ◽  
Peripersonal Space ◽  
Virtual Object ◽  
Audio Feedback ◽  
Reaching Task ◽  
Virtual Objects ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
Made In

The main objective of this paper is to investigate whether observers are able to perceive depth of virtual objects within virtual environments during reaching tasks. In other words, we tackled the question of observer immersion in a displayed virtual environment. For this purpose, eight observers were asked to reach for a virtual objects displayed within their peripersonal space in two conditions: condition one provided a small virtual sphere that was displayed beyond the subjects index finger as an extension of their hand and condition two provided no visual feedback. In addition, audio feedback was provided when the contact with the virtual object was made in both conditions. Although observers slightly overestimated depth within the peripersonal space, they accurately aimed for the virtual objects based on the kinematics analysis. Furthermore, no significant difference was found concerning the movement between conditions for all observers. Observers accurately targeted the virtual point correctly with regard to time and space. This suggests the virtual environment sufficiently simulated the information normally present in the central nervous system.

Comparison of Non-Nominal Geometry Models Represented in Physical Versus Virtual Environments

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Casper G. Wickman ◽  
Rikard So¨derberg
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Virtual Environment ◽  
Automotive Industry ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Physical Test ◽  
Simulation Tools ◽  
Virtual Objects ◽  
Conceptual Changes ◽  
Desktop Vr ◽  
Geometric Variation

In the automotive industry today, virtual geometry verification activities are conducted with nominal models in the early design phases. Later in the design process when the first physical test series are made, are concepts verified in a non-nominal manner. Errors detected at this stage can result in expensive post-conceptual changes. By combining Computer Aided Tolerance (CAT) simulation tools with Virtual Reality (VR) tools, virtual environments for non-nominal geometry verification can be utilized. This paper presents the results from a study, conducted at Volvo Cars, that investigates the perceptional aspects that are related to verification of quality appearance, using non-nominal virtual models. Although a realistic non-nominal model is created, the interpretation, i.e. how the model is perceived, must be clarified. This would represent a validation of the model from a perceptional point of view. Since the effect of geometric variation is a specific application, with high demands on realistic and detailed representation, perceptional studies are needed to ensure that VR and other virtual representations can be used for this kind of application. The question is whether it is possible to evaluate aspects like flush, gap and see-through in virtual environments. In this paper, two environments are compared, one physical and one corresponding virtual environment. Three adjusted physical vehicles are mapped to the virtual environment and compared using non-immersive desktop VR in a visualization clinic with test subjects from the automotive industry. The study indicates that virtual objects are judged as less good looking compared with physical objects. There is also a higher degree of uncertainness when judging virtual objects.

scholarly journals Virtual Object Replacement Based on Real Environments: Potential Application in Augmented Reality Systems

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 1797
Author(s):  
Chen ◽  
Lin
Keyword(s):  
Augmented Reality ◽  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Real World ◽  
Point Clouds ◽  
Virtual Object ◽  
Movement Trajectory ◽  
The Real ◽  
Virtual Objects ◽  
Real Environment ◽  
Localization And Mapping

Augmented reality (AR) is an emerging technology that allows users to interact with simulated environments, including those emulating scenes in the real world. Most current AR technologies involve the placement of virtual objects within these scenes. However, difficulties in modeling real-world objects greatly limit the scope of the simulation, and thus the depth of the user experience. In this study, we developed a process by which to realize virtual environments that are based entirely on scenes in the real world. In modeling the real world, the proposed scheme divides scenes into discrete objects, which are then replaced with virtual objects. This enables users to interact in and with virtual environments without limitations. An RGB-D camera is used in conjunction with simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) to obtain the movement trajectory of the user and derive information related to the real environment. In modeling the environment, graph-based segmentation is used to segment point clouds and perform object segmentation to enable the subsequent replacement of objects with equivalent virtual entities. Superquadrics are used to derive shape parameters and location information from the segmentation results in order to ensure that the scale of the virtual objects matches the original objects in the real world. Only after the objects have been replaced with their virtual counterparts in the real environment converted into a virtual scene. Experiments involving the emulation of real-world locations demonstrated the feasibility of the proposed rendering scheme. A rock-climbing application scenario is finally presented to illustrate the potential use of the proposed system in AR applications.

scholarly journals Haptic Virtual Environments for Blind People: Exploratory Experiments with Two Devices

1999 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 8-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
G Jansson ◽  
H Petrie ◽  
C Colwell ◽  
D. Kornbrot ◽  
J. Fänger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
Force Feedback ◽  
Virtual Object ◽  
Blind People ◽  
Haptic Devices ◽  
Virtual Objects ◽  
3D Objects

This paper is a fusion of two independent studies investigating related problems concerning the use of haptic virtual environments for blind people: a study in Sweden using a PHANToM 1.5 A and one in the U.K. using an Impulse Engine 3000. In general, the use of such devices is a most interesting option to provide blind people with information about representations of the 3D world, but the restriction at each moment to only one point of contact between observer and virtual object might decrease their effectiveness. The studies investigated the perception of virtual textures, the identification of virtual objects and the perception of their size and angles. Both sighted (blindfolded in one study) and blind people served as participants. It was found (1) that the PHANToM can effectively render textures in the form of sandpapers and simple 3D geometric forms and (2) that the Impulse Engine can effectively render textures consisting of grooved surfaces, as well as 3D objects, properties of which were, however, judged with some over- or underestimation. When blind and sighted participants' performance was compared differences were found that deserves further attention. In general, the haptic devices studied have demonstrated the great potential of force feedback devices in rendering relatively simple environments, in spite of the restricted ways they allow for exploring the virtual world. The results highly motivate further studies of their effectiveness, especially in more complex contexts.

Finding the Value of Immersive, Virtual Environments Using Competitive Usability Analysis

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kurt M. Satter ◽  
Alley C. Butler
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Virtual Environment ◽  
Time Frame ◽  
Individual Performance ◽  
Immersive Virtual Environments ◽  
Cost Avoidance ◽  
Immersive Virtual Environment ◽  
Cave System ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Usability Analysis

Competitive usability studies are employed providing empirical results in a design evaluation and review context. Populations of novice and experienced users are tested against benchmarks. Benchmark 1 is used to evaluate error identification and correction. Benchmark 2 is employed to evaluate the user’s ability to understand spatial relationships. Both benchmarks 1 and 2 compare individual performance with performance of teams. Benchmarks 3 measures quantity of errors found in a 4 min time frame. For benchmark 1, there is a statistically significant difference, but for benchmark 2, there is no statistical difference. For benchmark 3, there is a statistically significant increase in errors found. This increase is evaluated for impact as cost avoidance. It is concluded that cost avoidance by using a cave automatic virtual environment (CAVE) immersive virtual environment easily justifies the CAVE system.

Simulating Haptic Feedback Using Vision: A Survey of Research and Applications of Pseudo-Haptic Feedback

2009 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anatole Lécuyer
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Virtual Environment ◽  
Visual Feedback ◽  
Vocational Training ◽  
Haptic Perception ◽  
Haptic Feedback ◽  
Virtual Object ◽  
Milling Machine ◽  
Medical Simulator

This paper presents a survey of the main results obtained in the field of “pseudo-haptic feedback”: a technique meant to simulate haptic sensations in virtual environments using visual feedback and properties of human visuo-haptic perception. Pseudo-haptic feedback uses vision to distort haptic perception and verges on haptic illusions. Pseudo-haptic feedback has been used to simulate various haptic properties such as the stiffness of a virtual spring, the texture of an image, or the mass of a virtual object. This paper describes the several experiments in which these haptic properties were simulated. It assesses the definition and the properties of pseudo-haptic feedback. It also describes several virtual reality applications in which pseudo-haptic feedback has been successfully implemented, such as a virtual environment for vocational training of milling machine operations, or a medical simulator for training in regional anesthesia procedures.

Design and Development of Virtual Reality Environments for Biomedical and Engineering Applications

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eder Govea ◽  
Hugo I. Medellín-Castillo
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Virtual Environment ◽  
Technological Development ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Research Work ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Design And Development ◽  
Engineering Applications ◽  
Virtual Objects

Virtual Reality (VR) is one of the areas of knowledge that have taken advantage of the computer technological development and scientific visualization. It has been used in different applications such as engineering, medicine, education, entertainment, astronomy, archaeology and arts. A main issue of VR and computer assisted applications is the design and development of the virtual environment, which comprises the virtual objects. Thus, the process of designing virtual environment requires the modelling of the virtual scene and virtual objects, including their geometry and surface characteristics such as colours, textures, etc. This research work presents a new methodology to develop low-cost and high quality virtual environments and scenarios for biomechanics, biomedical and engineering applications. The proposed methodology is based on open-source software. Four case studies corresponding to two applications in medicine and two applications in engineering are presented. The results show that the virtual environments developed for these applications are realistic and similar to the real environments. When comparing these virtual reality scenarios with pictures of the actual devices, it can be observed that the appearance of the virtual scenarios is very good. In particular the use of textures greatly helps in assessing specific features such as simulation of bone or metal. Thus, the usability of the proposed methodology for developing virtual reality applications in biomedical and engineering is proved. It is important to mention that the quality of the virtual environment will also depend on the 3D modelling skills of the VR designer.

Smarter real estate marketing using virtual reality to influence potential homebuyers' emotions and purchase intention

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Athira Azmi ◽  
Rahinah Ibrahim ◽  
Maszura Abdul Ghafar ◽  
Ali Rashidi
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Real Estate ◽  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Virtual Environment ◽  
Purchase Intention ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Housing Design ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Real Estate Marketing

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate the potentials of virtual reality (VR) for residential real estate marketing to influence house purchase intention.Design/methodology/approachBased on the relevant literature in consumer behaviour, this study hypothesised the relationships between atmosphere with pleasure and arousal emotions and the subsequent influence of emotions towards house purchase intention in a virtual environment. A within-subjects experimental design was conducted with 60 real potential homebuyers to test the hypotheses. Data were analysed using paired samples t-test and partial least squares-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM).FindingsResults revealed that there is a significant difference in the atmosphere and house purchase intention between real and virtual environments. On the other hand, pleasure and arousal emotions evoked in real and virtual environments showed no significant difference. The results show that the atmosphere significantly affects pleasure and arousal, where pleasure, in turn, has a significant effect on purchase intention, and arousal showed an insignificant effect on purchase intention in the virtual environment.Research limitations/implicationsDue to budget limitation, this study was constrained to the use of HTC Vive as the VR equipment and evaluation of only one type of housing design.Practical implicationsThis study contributes to facilitating the revitalisation of real estate marketing with the integration of VR by providing notable empirical results and recommendations based on the research findings.Originality/valueThis study extends the current knowledge from the stimulus-organism-response framework for a smart real estate marketing strategy using VR.

scholarly journals Evaluating Rules of Interaction for Object Manipulation in Cluttered Virtual Environments

2002 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 591-609 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roy A. Ruddle ◽  
Justin C. D. Savage ◽  
Dylan M. Jones
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Object Manipulation ◽  
Virtual Object ◽  
Virtual Human ◽  
Interaction Techniques ◽  
Open Spaces ◽  
Materials Handling ◽  
Virtual Objects ◽  
Manual Materials Handling ◽  
3D Virtual Environments

A set of rules is presented for the design of interfaces that allow virtual objects to be manipulated in 3D virtual environments (VEs). The rules differ from other interaction techniques because they focus on the problems of manipulating objects in cluttered spaces rather than open spaces. Two experiments are described that were used to evaluate the effect of different interaction rules on participants' performance when they performed a task known as “the piano mover's problem.” This task involved participants in moving a virtual human through parts of a virtual building while simultaneously manipulating a large virtual object that was held in the virtual human's hands, resembling the simulation of manual materials handling in a VE for ergonomic design. Throughout, participants viewed the VE on a large monitor, using an “over-the-shoulder” perspective. In the most cluttered VEs, the time that participants took to complete the task varied by up to 76% with different combinations of rules, thus indicating the need for flexible forms of interaction in such environments.

Designing A Successful HMD-Based Experience

1999 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 469-473 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey S. Pierce ◽  
Randy Pausch ◽  
Christopher B. Sturgill ◽  
Kevin D. Christiansen
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Virtual Environment ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
Tea Party ◽  
Virtual Characters ◽  
Virtual Objects ◽  
Head Mounted Display ◽  
Virtual Experience

For entertainment applications, a successful virtual experience based on a head-mounted display (HMD) needs to overcome some or all of the following problems: entering a virtual world is a jarring experience, people do not naturally turn their heads or talk to each other while wearing an HMD, putting on the equipment is hard, and people do not realize when the experience is over. In the Electric Garden at SIGGRAPH 97, we presented the Mad Hatter's Tea Party, a shared virtual environment experienced by more than 1,500 SIGGRAPH attendees. We addressed these HMD-related problems with a combination of back story, see-through HMDs, virtual characters, continuity of real and virtual objects, and the layout of the physical and virtual environments.

scholarly journals A Comparative Study of Sense of Presence of Virtual Reality and Immersive Environments

2016 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Max M. North ◽  
Sarah M. North
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Virtual Environment ◽  
Head Tracking ◽  
Virtual Reality Environment ◽  
Sense Of Presence ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Environment Simulation ◽  
Immersive Environment ◽  
Tracking Device

The study of sense of presence experienced in virtual reality environments has become an important area of research. The continued advancement of immersive technology offers more opportunities to examine how a subject becomes immersed in and interacts with a variety of virtual environments. The primary purpose of this research is to study the sense of presence while interacting with a traditional Virtual Reality Environment (Helmet-based system with a Head-tracking device) and compare it with a virtual reality environment using an Immersive Environment (Spherical-based Visualization environment). Two empirical experiments were investigated in this study, each consisting of thirty-five subjects. A virtual airplane scenario was created and simulated for the participants of both environments. Participants were given several questionnaires after completing the simulation. This study mainly focused on question 9 and 10 of that survey, which dealt with how much the participant felt present in the virtual environment, and if the presence of the real world could still be experienced while in the virtual environment. We found that the subjects felt more involved with the virtual environment while using the Immersive Environment simulation versus using the traditional helmet-based Virtual Reality Environment. There was a statistically significant difference in questions 9 and 10 between the Immersive Environment and traditional Virtual Reality Environment when those questions are considered in isolation. However there was not a significant difference in the total sense of presence between the two environments after analyzing the questions together. The primary differences between the questions were analyzed using the overall mean and the standard deviation. The Immersive Environment has a smaller deviation than the traditional Virtual Reality Environment, implying that the sense of presence response is more concentrated. However, the overall results demonstrate that both environments are almost equally effective, with the Immersive Environment having several slight advantages.

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