Virtual Reality Features of Frame of Reference and Display Dimensionality withStereopsis: Their Effects on Scientific Visualization

摘要

Initial discussion reviews the features of VR and their possible effects ofscientific visualization performance. Three of these features: Dimensionality, stereopsis, and frame of reference are modified in an experiment that contrasted performance using a 2D display, and four displays varying in frame of reference (immersed vs. non-immersed) and in the presence of stereoscopic vision. Performance was measured across four separate scientific visualization subtasks: Search, Travel, Local judgment support, and Global judgment support. Participants were instructed to locate and follow a designated path through simple virtual environments and to answer questions about that environment. Subjects were divided into two groups varying in the type of frame of reference used; either an immersive or non-immersive. Each subject was to complete 5 trials in a 2D condition, S trials with their particular frame of reference presented in monoscopic vision, and S trials with their particular frame of reference presented in stereo. The results revealed that 2D performance was substantially worse than 3D performance across both frames of reference and stereo conditions. The results also indicate that the immersed frame of reference supported better travel performance, but severely hampered search and global judgment support. Stereoscopic vision slowed search performance and only enhanced travel using the non-immersed frame of reference, Local judgment accuracy benefited from stereo, but response time was unaffected. Global judgments showed no accuracy advantage from stereo, but did show faster responses when stereo was used.