The Plausibility of a String Quartet Performance in Virtual Reality.

Area of Science:

• Virtual Reality
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Auditory Perception

Background:

• Presence in virtual environments is crucial for user experience.
• Plausibility, a component of presence, is the illusion that virtual events are real.
• Auditory and visual cues significantly impact perceived realism.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the contribution of auditory and visual features to plausibility in a virtual string quartet performance.
• To develop a methodology for assessing presence without questionnaires.

Main Methods:

• Experiment involving 20 participants assessing plausibility.
• Manipulation of features: Gaze, Sound Spatialization, Auralization, and Environment.
• Color matching theory adapted for plausibility assessment, using Markov transition matrices.

Main Results:

• Environment and Gaze were the most influential factors for plausibility.
• Improvements in Environment and Gaze yielded the highest probability transitions.
• Auralization and Spatialization also contributed to enhanced plausibility.

Conclusions:

• Environmental factors and virtual agent behavior (Gaze) are critical for plausibility.
• The developed methodology offers a novel approach to quantifying presence.
• Optimizing auditory and visual elements enhances the realism of virtual musical performances.