Measuring latency in virtual environments.

Area of Science:

• Computer Science
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Virtual Reality

Background:

• Latency in interactive computer systems arises from processing, transport, and synchronization delays.
• High latency in virtual environments (VEs) negatively impacts user immersion, performance, and comfort.
• Accurate measurement of VE latency is challenging but essential for system optimization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize and evaluate existing latency measurement techniques for virtual environments.
• To introduce a novel latency measurement method, Automated Frame Counting.
• To assess the accuracy and usability of different latency measurement approaches.

Main Methods:

• Development of a mechanical simulator for controlled VE latency simulation (±3ms).
• Introduction of Automated Frame Counting using high-speed video for latency assessment (±1ms).
• Evaluation of Steed's and Di Luca's latency measurement techniques using the simulator.

Main Results:

• All evaluated techniques demonstrated high capability in measuring VE latency.
• Steed's Method was identified as both accurate and easy to use, requiring no specialized hardware.
• The Automated Frame Counting method proved effective for precise latency measurement.

Conclusions:

• Accurate latency measurement is vital for optimizing virtual environment systems.
• Steed's Method offers a practical and reliable solution for VE latency assessment.
• The developed methods provide VE engineers with confidence in latency measurements.