Enabling Effective Human Spatial Cognition, Orientation and Behaviour in Virtual Environments

目的：研究是什么构成了有效的，稳健的，直观的人类空间取向和行为。这些基础知识将应用于设计新颖、更有效的人机界面和交互范例，从而在虚拟现实（VR）、沉浸式游戏和多媒体等计算机媒介环境中实现同样有效的过程。动机：虽然现代VR模拟可以具有令人惊叹的真实感，但它们通常无法提供在模拟世界中移动的逼真和引人注目的感觉，从而限制了感知的真实感，行为有效性，用户接受度和商业成功。此外，VR用户经常迷失方向，因为支持的空间行为仍然笨拙和不自然。方法&中短期目标：我建议研究和开发自运动幻觉（“矢量”）可能是克服这些缺点的一种简洁而优雅的方法，并在计算机媒介环境中提供真正的“运动体验”，从而为更广泛的受众提供更经济有效的模拟。我的团队最近提供了第一个证据，证明这种具身的自我运动幻觉确实可以促进视角转换和空间定向，从而提供与实际自我运动类似的好处，但不需要用户进行身体移动的成本和努力。本研究计划将进一步证实和研究自我运动幻觉在更大范围的空间定向/认知任务中的功能/行为意义，这些任务通常很难在没有实际的自我运动的情况下完成。为此，我的团队将在VR中与人类参与者进行实验，以调查和优化空间定向和自运动感知/幻觉的多模态和更高层次的贡献和交互，同时最大限度地减少参考框架冲突。具体而言，我的培训小组将：(A)研究和利用更高层次和多模式的协同效益来增强向量；(B)设计和评估用户驱动的运动提示界面；(C)利用三种互补的实验范式探讨向量的功能意义；(D)设计过渡到VR；(E)发展新的实验范例；(F)将发现整合到我们的理论框架中。多模态、自然和沉浸式VR提供了独特的机会，可以在可重复的、明确定义的和可控的实验条件下研究人类的感知和行为。长期目标：研究我们如何最好地利用自运动错觉和研究指导的界面设计和开发，在VR和其他沉浸式媒体中实现逼真，强大和轻松的空间认知，方向和行为。意义：该研究项目将使我们对人类空间认知、感知和行为有更深入的了解，使我们能够设计更有效的人机界面和交互隐喻。这些将为评估提供改进的测试平台，并使进一步的研究成为可能和启发。因此，结合基础研究和应用研究的观点将使我们能够识别感知/行动的基本参数，并将确定“盲点”，使大脑在模拟VR时被欺骗。这将为众多沉浸式和远程呈现应用（如驾驶/飞行模拟、建筑演练、沉浸式游戏和娱乐、空间探索、工程、紧急培训、微创手术和视频会议）创建更具成本效益的虚拟解决方案。

GOAL: To investigate what constitutes effective, robust, and intuitive human spatial orientation and behaviour. This fundamental knowledge will be applied to design novel, more effective human-computer interfaces and interaction paradigms that enable similarly effective processes in computer-mediated environments like virtual reality (VR), immersive gaming, and multi-media. MOTIVATION: While modern VR simulations can have stunning photorealism, they are typically unable to provide a life-like and compelling sensation of moving through the simulated world, thus limiting perceived realism, behavioural effectiveness, user acceptance, and commercial success. Moreover, VR users frequently get disoriented because the supported spatial behaviour is still clumsy and unnatural. APPROACH & SHORT/MID-TERM OBJECTIVES: I propose that investigating and exploiting self-motion illusions ("vection") might be a lean and elegant way to overcome such shortcomings and provide a truly "moving experience" in computer-mediated environments, thus enabling more affordable-yet-effective simulations for broader audiences. My team recently provided the first evidence that such embodied self-motion illusions can indeed facilitate perspective switches and spatial orientation, thus providing similar benefits as actual self-motion, but without the cost and effort involved in having to physically move the user. This research program will corroborate and further investigate the functional/behavioural significance of self-motion illusions for a wider range of spatial orientation/cognition tasks that would normally be difficult to accomplish without actual self-motion. To this end, my team will perform experiments with human participants in VR to investigate and optimize multi-modal and higher-level contributions and interactions for spatial orientation and self-motion perception/illusions, while minimizing reference frame conflicts. Specifically, my group of trainees will:(A) Research and utilize higher-level and multi-modal synergistic benefits to enhance vection; (B) Design and evaluate user-powered motion cueing interfaces;(C) Investigate the functional significance of vection using three complementary experimental paradigms;(D) Design transitions into VR;(E) Develop novel experimental paradigms; and (F) Integrate findings into our theoretical framework.Multi-modal, naturalistic and immersive VR provides the unique opportunity to study human perception and behaviour in reproducible, clearly defined and controllable experimental conditions. LONG-TERM GOALS: To investigate how we can best employ self-motion illusion and research-guided interface design and development to enable life-like, robust and effortless spatial cognition, orientation and behaviour in VR and other immersive media. SIGNIFICANCE: This research program will lead to a deeper understanding of human spatial cognition, perception and behaviour that will enable us to design more effective human-computer interfaces and interaction metaphors. These will provide improved test beds for evaluation as well as enable and inspire further research. Thus, combining fundamental and applied research perspectives will allow us to identify the essential parameters of perception/action and will pin-point the "blind spots" that enable the brain to be tricked when simulating VR. This will enable the creation of better cost-effective virtual solutions for numerous immersive and tele-presence applications such as driving/flight simulation, architecture walk-throughs, immersive gaming and recreation, space exploration, engineering, emergency training, minimally invasive surgery, and video conferencing.