research-article

The effects of virtual reality, augmented reality, and motion parallax on egocentric depth perception

Authors:

J. Edward Swan, II,

Stephen R. EllisAuthors Info & Claims

APGV '08: Proceedings of the 5th symposium on Applied perception in graphics and visualization

Pages 9 - 14

https://doi.org/10.1145/1394281.1394283

Published: 09 August 2008 Publication History

Abstract

As the use of virtual and augmented reality applications becomes more common, the need to fully understand how observers perceive spatial relationships grows more critical. One of the key requirements in engineering a practical virtual or augmented reality system is accurately conveying depth and layout. This requirement has frequently been assessed by measuring judgments of egocentric depth. These assessments have shown that observers in virtual reality (VR) perceive virtual space as compressed relative to the real-world, resulting in systematic underestimations of egocentric depth. Previous work has indicated that similar effects may be present in augmented reality (AR) as well.

This paper reports an experiment that directly measured egocentric depth perception in both VR and AR conditions; it is believed to be the first experiment to directly compare these conditions in the same experimental framework. In addition to VR and AR, two control conditions were studied: viewing real-world objects, and viewing real-world objects through a head-mounted display. Finally, the presence and absence of motion parallax was crossed with all conditions. Like many previous studies, this one found that depth perception was underestimated in VR, although the magnitude of the effect was surprisingly low. The most interesting finding was that no underestimation was observed in AR.

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Cited By

McQuaigue MSubramanian KGoolkasian PWartell Z(2025)Impact of Background, Foreground, and Manipulated Object Rendering on Egocentric Depth Perception in Virtual and Augmented Indoor EnvironmentsIEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics10.1109/TVCG.2024.338261631:4(2155-2166)Online publication date: Apr-2025
https://doi.org/10.1109/TVCG.2024.3382616
Joshi AKumar DBhagat SSuthar N(2025)Exploring the Intersection of Virtual Reality and Workplace Spirituality: A Human Resource Intervention to Improve Individual EffectivenessThe Future of HRM in a World of Persistent Virtual Reality10.1108/978-1-83662-110-220251010(215-247)Online publication date: 11-Mar-2025
https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83662-110-220251010
Inagaki SMatsuura HSakurai KMinati LYoshimura N(2024)Decline in Sensory Integration in Old Age and Its Related Functional Brain Connectivity Correlates Observed during a Virtual Reality TaskBrain Sciences10.3390/brainsci1408084014:8(840)Online publication date: 21-Aug-2024
https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci14080840
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Index Terms

The effects of virtual reality, augmented reality, and motion parallax on egocentric depth perception
1. Computing methodologies
  1. Computer graphics
    1. Graphics systems and interfaces
      1. Virtual reality
2. Human-centered computing
  1. Human computer interaction (HCI)
    1. Interaction paradigms
      1. Mixed / augmented reality
      2. Virtual reality

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cover image ACM Conferences

APGV '08: Proceedings of the 5th symposium on Applied perception in graphics and visualization

August 2008

209 pages

ISBN:9781595939814

DOI:10.1145/1394281

Program Chairs:
Sarah Creem-Regehr
University of Utah
,
Karol Myszkowski
MPI Informatik

Copyright © 2008 ACM.

Permission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. Copyrights for components of this work owned by others than ACM must be honored. Abstracting with credit is permitted. To copy otherwise, or republish, to post on servers or to redistribute to lists, requires prior specific permission and/or a fee. Request permissions from [email protected]

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SIGGRAPH: ACM Special Interest Group on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques

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New York, NY, United States

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Published: 09 August 2008

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SIGGRAPH

APGV08: ACM Symposium on Applied Perception in Graphics and Visualization

August 9 - 10, 2008

California, Los Angeles

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Overall Acceptance Rate 19 of 33 submissions, 58%

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Cited By

McQuaigue MSubramanian KGoolkasian PWartell Z(2025)Impact of Background, Foreground, and Manipulated Object Rendering on Egocentric Depth Perception in Virtual and Augmented Indoor EnvironmentsIEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics10.1109/TVCG.2024.338261631:4(2155-2166)Online publication date: Apr-2025
https://doi.org/10.1109/TVCG.2024.3382616
Joshi AKumar DBhagat SSuthar N(2025)Exploring the Intersection of Virtual Reality and Workplace Spirituality: A Human Resource Intervention to Improve Individual EffectivenessThe Future of HRM in a World of Persistent Virtual Reality10.1108/978-1-83662-110-220251010(215-247)Online publication date: 11-Mar-2025
https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83662-110-220251010
Inagaki SMatsuura HSakurai KMinati LYoshimura N(2024)Decline in Sensory Integration in Old Age and Its Related Functional Brain Connectivity Correlates Observed during a Virtual Reality TaskBrain Sciences10.3390/brainsci1408084014:8(840)Online publication date: 21-Aug-2024
https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci14080840
Prinz LMathew T(2024)Support Lines and Grids for Depth Ordering in Indoor Augmented Reality using Optical See-Through Head-Mounted DisplaysProceedings of the 2024 ACM Symposium on Spatial User Interaction10.1145/3677386.3682097(1-11)Online publication date: 7-Oct-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3677386.3682097
Tan HNie TRosenberg E(2024)Invisible Mesh: Effects of X-Ray Vision Metaphors on Depth Perception in Optical-See-Through Augmented Reality2024 IEEE Conference Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces (VR)10.1109/VR58804.2024.00059(376-386)Online publication date: 16-Mar-2024
https://doi.org/10.1109/VR58804.2024.00059
Hmaiti YMaslych MGhasemaghaei AGhamandi RLaViola J(2024)Visual Perceptual Confidence: Exploring Discrepancies Between Self-reported and Actual Distance Perception In Virtual RealityIEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics10.1109/TVCG.2024.345616530:11(7245-7254)Online publication date: 1-Nov-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1109/TVCG.2024.3456165
Westermeier FBrübach LWienrich CLatoschik M(2024)Assessing Depth Perception in VR and Video See-Through AR: A Comparison on Distance Judgment, Performance, and PreferenceIEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics10.1109/TVCG.2024.337206130:5(2140-2150)Online publication date: 4-Mar-2024
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Kaur PMahajan R(2024)Human Robot Collaboration in Surgery: Communication Interface and Interaction Design2024 MIT Art, Design and Technology School of Computing International Conference (MITADTSoCiCon)10.1109/MITADTSoCiCon60330.2024.10575199(1-5)Online publication date: 25-Apr-2024
https://doi.org/10.1109/MITADTSoCiCon60330.2024.10575199
Zisch FCoutrot ANewton CMurcia-López MMotala AGreaves Jde Cothi WSteed ATyler NGage SSpiers H(2024)Real and virtual environments have comparable spatial memory distortions after scale and geometric transformationsSpatial Cognition & Computation10.1080/13875868.2024.230301624:2(115-143)Online publication date: 14-Feb-2024
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Hunt CSun YWang SShehata AHebert JGonzalez-Fernandez MKaliki RThakor N(2023)Limb loading enhances skill transfer between augmented and physical reality tasks during limb loss rehabilitationJournal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation10.1186/s12984-023-01136-520:1Online publication date: 27-Jan-2023
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