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Although Augmented Reality (AR) can be easily implemented with most smartphones and tablets today, the investigation of distance perception with these types of devices has been limited. In this paper, we question whether the distance of a virtual human, e.g., avatar, seen through a smartphone or tablet display is perceived accurately. We also investigate, due to the Covid-19 pandemic and increased sensitivity to distances to others, whether a coughing avatar that either does or does not have a mask on affects distance estimates compared to a static avatar. We performed an experiment in which all participants estimated the distances to avatars that were either static or coughing, with and without masks on. Avatars were placed at a range of distances that would be typical for interaction, i.e., action space. Data on judgments of distance to the varying avatars was collected in a distributed manner by deploying an app for smartphones. Results showed that participants were fairly accurate in estimating the distance to all avatars, regardless of coughing condition or mask condition. Such findings suggest that mobile AR applications can be used to obtain accurate estimations of distances to virtual others "in the wild," which is promising for using AR for simulations and training applications that require precise distance estimates.
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A Conceptual Replication and Extension of Triangulation by Walking for Measuring Perceived Distance Through a Wall
Triangulation by walking is a method that has been used to measure perceived distance, where observers walk a triangular path. This method has been used at action space distances of approximately 1.5 to 30 meters. In this work, a conceptual replication of these triangulation by walking methods are discussed and evaluated for use in measuring the perceived distance of an object seen through a window set into a wall. The motivation for this work is to use triangulation by walking to study how perceived distance operates when augmented reality (AR) is used to visualize objects located behind opaque surfaces, in an AR application termed “x-ray vision.” This paper reports on experiences replicating an implementation of triangulation by walking as reported by Fukusima, Da Silva, and Loomis (1997). Their method was conceptually replicated in both outdoor and indoor settings, and the method was further extended to measure perceived distances of objects seen through a wall. These extensions are discussed in some detail, focusing on the modifications to the triangulation by walking method as well as the ramifications of these changes. Problems arising from using triangular geometry in calculations of perceived target locations are also introduced, and an alternate method is proposed that works to diminish the problematic effects.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1937565
- PAR ID:
- 10488008
- Publisher / Repository:
- IEEE
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- IEEE International Symposium on Mixed and Augmented Reality Adjunct Proceedings (ISMAR-Adjunct)
- ISBN:
- 978-1-6654-5365-3
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 278 to 282
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Location:
- Singapore, Singapore
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
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Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Conference Paper:
- https://doi.org/10.1109/ISMAR-Adjunct57072.2022.00063
