Interaction between reference frames during subjective vertical estimates in a tilted immersive virtual environment.

Area of Science:

• Perception science
• Virtual reality
• Spatial orientation

Background:

• The rod-and-frame effect (RFE) demonstrates how visual context influences the perception of verticality.
• Previous research established RFE using physical displays.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate RFE in a CAVE-like virtual immersive environment.
• To examine the impact of visual scene structure and control mode (visual vs. visuo-kinaesthetic) on RFE.
• To explore the dynamic evolution of RFE during adjustment.

Main Methods:

• Participants performed rod-and-frame adjustments in a CAVE-like environment.
• Visual scenes varied in geometric and meaningful 3-D features.
• Two control modes were used: visual (V) and visuo-kinaesthetic (VK).
• Head restraint conditions (restrained vs. unrestrained) were compared.

Main Results:

• RFE in the virtual environment was comparable to real-world settings.
• More complex visual scenes and visual-only control led to greater RFE.
• RFE significantly increased during the adjustment process.
• The dynamic increase in RFE was more pronounced with structured scenes and VK control.

Conclusions:

• Virtual immersive environments can effectively replicate the rod-and-frame effect.
• Visual scene complexity and control modality significantly modulate RFE.
• The perception of verticality dynamically adapts within immersive virtual environments.
• Findings suggest a dynamic interplay between reference frames for spatial orientation.