The Perception and Estimation of Egocentric Distance in Real and Augmented Reality Environments
Abstract
Previous research using verbal judgments of distance have shown distances tend to be underestimated. The extent to which distances are underestimated is greater with virtual environments than with real world environments. The goal of the current experiment was to test the difference in the perception of distance to real and virtual objects using verbal estimation and manual replication. Recent empirical studies are providing data on human interactions with augmented reality technology that are essential for determining the usefulness of current augmented reality (AR) for training and performance enhancement. The equipment used in this research included hardware and software for presenting virtual objects in an AR environment, and the participants were 32 college students. Replication procedure significantly improves the estimation of the previously viewed object distance. Distance estimates to real objects in a real environment were significantly better than they were to virtual objects in an augmented environment. These results lend further support to the notion that verbal estimates of distance do not accurately represent perceived distance. Unless the task being performed specifically requires a numerical estimate of distance, it is recommended that methods similar to our distance replication method be used to accurately determine perceived distance.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 2008
- Accession Number
- ADA493544
Entities
People
- Bob G. Witmer
- Christian J. Jerome
Organizations
- U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences