Effect of Interpupillary Distance Mismatch on Distance and Orientation Perception in Action Space Across HMDs

Area of Science:

• Human-Computer Interaction
• Virtual Reality
• Perception Psychology

Background:

• Distance underestimation is common in virtual environments.
• Inter-pupillary distance (IPD) mismatch with head-mounted display (HMD) inter-axial distance (IAD) may influence this underestimation.
• Prior research has yielded mixed results and has not fully explored the impact of lens type and target location.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how HMD type and target location affect distance and orientation perception with matched and mismatched IPD.
• To determine the influence of field of view (FOV) and resolution on these perceptual effects.

Main Methods:

• A blind walking task was used to assess distance judgments for targets presented in front and to the side.
• Two HMDs, Varjo XR-3 and HTC Vive Pro, were used.
• A second experiment manipulated FOV and resolution of the Varjo XR-3 to match the HTC Vive Pro.

Main Results:

• Distances were perceived as farther in the periphery than centrally for both HMDs.
• IPD mismatch increased distance estimates for front targets in the HTC Vive Pro only.
• Angular error increased with target angle, with greater error in the periphery for the Varjo XR-3 at higher IPD mismatches.
• Resolution and FOV were found to be primary drivers of orientation error.

Conclusions:

• Mismatched IPD affects depth and orientation judgments, with effects varying by target position.
• HMD resolution and FOV significantly impact orientation perception.
• Researchers must consider HMD characteristics, IPD, and viewing area for accurate VR perception.