Misperception of egocentric distances in virtual environments: More a question of training than a technological issue?

Rousset, Thomas; Bourdin, Christophe; Goulon, Cédric; Monnoyer, Jocelyn; Vercher, Jean‐Louis · 2018 · OpenAlex-citations

DOI: 10.1016/j.displa.2018.02.004

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Summary

This study investigates the misperception of egocentric distances in virtual environments (VEs), specifically within driving simulators, to determine whether such errors stem from technological limitations or individual perceptual differences. While previous research indicates that users often underestimate distances in VEs, the roles of specific depth cues—binocular disparity (stereoscopy) and motion parallax—remain unclear, particularly at long distances. The authors aimed to assess the influence of these cues on distance perception and to characterize inter-individual variability in perceptual strategies. The researchers conducted two experiments using a static driving simulator within an immersive CAVE system. Participants drove a virtual vehicle toward a target vehicle that disappeared at varying distances. Experiment 1 focused on long distances (40–80 meters) with 14 participants, while Experiment 2 expanded the range to include short distances (5–80 meters). The experimental design manipulated the presence of stereoscopic vision and head-motion parallax in the external environment across four conditions: control (neither cue), parallax only, stereoscopy only, and both cues. Participants performed a pointing task by pressing a button when they believed they had reached the target's position. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVAs to assess cue effects and hierarchical ascending classification to identify participant profiles based on error rates. The results revealed no significant effect of stereoscopy or motion parallax on distance estimation accuracy in either experiment. Participants generally underestimated distances, with errors increasing as the target distance increased. Crucially, the study identified significant inter-individual variability, clustering participants into two distinct groups. Group 1 demonstrated accurate distance estimation with low error rates, while Group 2 exhibited substantial underestimation. This divergence was evident from the initial training phase, suggesting that individual perceptual profiles are stable and predictive of performance. Group 1 also reported higher prior experience with VR systems than Group 2. The availability of depth cues did not mitigate the underestimation in Group 2, indicating that the error was not due to a lack of visual information but rather to individual differences in how that information was processed. The findings suggest that distance misperception in driving simulators is more a question of individual training and perceptual strategy than a technological issue related to missing depth cues. The identification of distinct participant profiles implies that generalizations about VR perception may be flawed if inter-individual differences are not accounted for. The study highlights the importance of initial familiarization phases in predicting user behavior and suggests that VR experience may influence perceptual accuracy. These results challenge the assumption that adding stereoscopy or parallax will universally improve distance perception in simulators, pointing instead to the need for personalized calibration or training protocols to ensure valid data collection in virtual environments.

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• speed distance perception