VR systems for memory assessment and depth perception

Abstract

The evolution of Virtual Reality (VR) technology has contributed in all fields, including psychology. This evolution involves improvements in hardware and software allowing more immersive experiences. In a VR environment users can perceive the sensation of presence and feel immersed. These sensations are possible using VR devices as HMDs. Nowadays, the development of the HMDs has focused on improving their technical features to offer full immersion. In psychology, VR environments are research tools because they allow the use of new paradigms that are not possible to employ in a real environment. There are some applications for assessing spatial memory that use basic methods of HCI. However, VR systems that incorporate stereoscopy and physical movement have not yet been exploited in psychology. In this thesis, a novel VR system combining immersive, interactive and motion features was developed. This system was used for the assessment of the spatial memory and the evaluation of depth perception. For this system, a virtual maze task was designed and implemented. In this system, two different types of interaction were integrated: a locomotion-based interaction pedaling a fixed bicycle (condition1), and a stationary interaction using a gamepad (condition2). This system integrated two types of display systems: 1) The Oculus Rift; 2) A large stereo screen. Two studies were designed to determine the efficacy of the VR system using physical movement and immersion. The first study (N=89) assessed the spatial short term memory using the Oculus Rift and the two types of interaction The results showed that there were statistically significant differences between both conditions. The participants who performed the condition2 got better performance than participants who performed the condition1. However, there were no statistically significant differences in satisfaction and interaction scores between both conditions. The performance on the task correlated with the performance on other classical neuropsychological tests, revealing a verisimilitude between them. The second study (N=59) involved participants who had and who had not stereopsis. This study assessed the depth perception by comparing the two display systems. The participants performed the task using the condition2. The results showed that the different features of the display system did not influence the performance on the task between the participants with and without stereopsis. Statistically significant differences were found in favor of the HMD between the two conditions and between the two groups of participants regard to depth perception. The participants who did not have stereopsis and could not perceive the depth when they used other display systems (e.g. CAVE); however, they had the illusion of depth perception when they used the Oculus Rift. The study suggests that for the people who did not have stereopsis, the head tracking largely influences the 3D experience. The statistical results of both studies have proven that the VR system developed for this research is an appropriate tool to assess the spatial short-term memory and the depth perception. Therefore, the VR systems that combine full immersion, interaction and movement can be a helpful tool for the assessment of human cognitive processes as the memory. General conclusions from these studies are: 1) The VR technology and immersion provided by current HMDs are appropriate tools for psychological applications, in particular, the assessment of spatial short-term memory; 2) A VR system like the one presented in this thesis could be used as a tool to assess or train adults in skills related to spatial short-term memory; 3) The two types of interaction (condition1 and condition2) used for navigation within the virtual maze could be helpful to use with different collectives; 4) The Oculus Rift allows that the users without stereopsis can perceive the depth perception of 3D objects and have rich 3D experiences.