Spatial Perception Imperatives in Virtual Environments: Understanding the Impacts of View Usage Patterns on Spatial Design Decisions in Virtual Reality Systems

Abstract

Spatial perception in virtual reality systems relies on a number of variables, including how users explore, observe and perceive the spatial factors of a virtual environment. In virtual reality systems, users can assume different types of views for spatial decision-making about the sizes and scales of and relationships among virtual spaces. This research explored the role of view usage patterns in spatial cognition and decision-making in a fully immersive virtual reality system and monitor-based virtual reality system. The focus of study was the impact of using the eye-level view as the only view type in a fully immersive virtual reality system on actual and perceived view usage patterns in a monitor-based virtual reality system. In addition, users’ spatial decision-making results were compared with regards to system usage sequence and view type. Quantitative and qualitative data, descriptive and inferential statistical comparisons, and testing of both systems were used to determine the participants’ performances concerning view usage patterns and the design outcomes. The results showed a moderate association between the view type utilized for spatial perception in a monitor-based virtual reality system and variations in system usage sequence. In addition, for both systems, variations in system usage sequence, space type, and other characteristics all affected the strength of the linear regressions of the sizes and scales of the design outcomes.