The influence of the availability of visual cues on the accurate perception of spatial dimensions in architectural virtual environments

Abstract

Several authors have observed that spatial dimensions tend to be underestimated in virtual environments. In this study, we hypothesize that the availability of visual cues in virtual environments has an influence on the accuracy of perception. An experiment was conducted to compare spatial perception in real and virtual environments that were modeled differently and visualized using a head-mounted display. Results suggest that the greater the availability of visual cues, the greater the level of accuracy in the estimates, especially for egocentric dimensions (p < 0.001). In the end, this study contributes to a better understanding of how architectural virtual environments should be modeled for use in professional or commercial applications where accurate and reliable simulations are required.