Fidelity metrics for virtual environment simulations based on spatial memory awareness states

摘要

This paper describes a methodology based on human judgments of memory awareness\udstates for assessing the simulation fidelity of a virtual environment (VE) in relation\udto its real scene counterpart. To demonstrate the distinction between task\udperformance-based approaches and additional human evaluation of cognitive awareness\udstates, a photorealistic VE was created. Resulting scenes displayed on a headmounted\uddisplay (HMD) with or without head tracking and desktop monitor were\udthen compared to the real-world task situation they represented, investigating spatial\udmemory after exposure. Participants described how they completed their spatial\udrecollections by selecting one of four choices of awareness states after retrieval in\udan initial test and a retention test a week after exposure to the environment. These\udreflected the level of visual mental imagery involved during retrieval, the familiarity\udof the recollection and also included guesses, even if informed. Experimental results\udrevealed variations in the distribution of participants’ awareness states across conditions\udwhile, in certain cases, task performance failed to reveal any. Experimental\udconditions that incorporated head tracking were not associated with visually induced\udrecollections. Generally, simulation of task performance does not necessarily\udlead to simulation of the awareness states involved when completing a memory\udtask. The general premise of this research focuses on how tasks are achieved,\udrather than only on what is achieved. The extent to which judgments of human\udmemory recall, memory awareness states, and presence in the physical and VE are\udsimilar provides a fidelity metric of the simulation in question.