This document discusses factors that influence distance perception in virtual environments. It identifies four main groups of influencing factors: technical factors related to the VR system itself, compositional factors concerning what is depicted, human factors of the individual, and measurement methods. Within each group it examines the effects on distance perception for both head-mounted displays and large immersive projection environments.

1. Perception in virtual
environments
Betsha Tizazu

2. Introduction
• Indeed, several studies on distance perception using the
HMD have found significant underestimation of egocentric
distance (the distance from an observer to a target).
• In large IPEs, distance and size perception are often biased in
such environments, causing users to overestimate or
underestimate spatial relations (Bruder et al., 2016).

3. Influencing factors on distance perception
Fig 1:The four groups of influencing factors on distance perception and distance estimates (Renner et al., 2013)

4. Distance
misestimatin
g
Measurement
methods
Technical
factors
Compositional
factors
Verbal estimates
Visually directed actions
Perceptual matching
FOV
Weight on the head Depth cues
(rendering quality)
Missing or distorted non
pictorial depth cues
Distortions of the
stereoscopic image
The Availability of
Pictorial Depth Cues
Inter individual
differences
Influence of Feedback
and Practice
Adding avatars
Transfer effects to
reality
virtual replicas
and transitional
environments
Human factors

5. Technical factor VR systems Remark
Effect on HMD Effect on IPEs
FOV Significant Not Significant
The weight on the head Significant Not Significant
Motion Parallax Not Significant Not Significant
Convergence and
accommodation
Significant Significant
Quality of graphics Not confirmed Not confirmed Neither
Geometric distortions Partly Significant Partly Significant

6. Compositional
factors
VR systems Remark
Effect on HMD Effect on IPEs
The Availability of Pictorial
Depth Cues
Significant Significant
Adding avatars Significant Significant If the user
accepted
as one’s
own body
Virtual replicas and
transitional environments
Significant Significant

7. Human Factors VR systems Remark
Effect on HMD Effect on IPEs
Influence of feedback and
practice
Significant Significant
Transfer effects to reality Significant Not Significant
Inter individual differences Not confirmed Not confirmed

9. Thank you