Navigation Tasks in Desktop VR Environments to Improve the Spatial Orientation Skill of Building Engineers
Virtual reality is a powerful tool for teaching 3D digital technologies in building engineering, as it facilitates the spatial perception of three-dimensional space. Spatial orientation skill is necessary for understanding 3D space. With VR, users navigate through virtually designed buildings and mu...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-10-01
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| Series: | Buildings |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/10/492 |
| _version_ | 1827679954644500480 |
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| author | Carlos Carbonell-Carrera Jose Luis Saorin Allison J. Jaeger |
| author_facet | Carlos Carbonell-Carrera Jose Luis Saorin Allison J. Jaeger |
| author_sort | Carlos Carbonell-Carrera |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Virtual reality is a powerful tool for teaching 3D digital technologies in building engineering, as it facilitates the spatial perception of three-dimensional space. Spatial orientation skill is necessary for understanding 3D space. With VR, users navigate through virtually designed buildings and must be constantly aware of their position relative to other elements of the environment (orientation during navigation). In the present study, 25 building engineering students performed navigation tasks in a desktop-VR environment workshop. Performance of students using the desktop-VR was compared to a previous workshop in which navigation tasks were carried out using head-mounted displays. The Perspective Taking/Spatial Orientation Test measured spatial orientation skill. A questionnaire on user experience in the virtual environment was also administered. The gain in spatial orientation skill was 12.62%, similar to that obtained with head-mounted displays (14.23%). The desktop VR environment is an alternative to the HMD-VR environment for planning strategies to improve spatial orientation. Results from the user-experience questionnaire showed that the desktop VR environment strategy was well perceived by students in terms of interaction, 3D visualization, navigation, and sense of presence. Unlike in the HDM VR environment, student in the desktop VR environment did not report feelings of fatigue or dizziness. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T06:41:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-40836b86f3264df1a90a66711f0d151f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-5309 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T06:41:17Z |
| publishDate | 2021-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Buildings |
| spelling | doaj.art-40836b86f3264df1a90a66711f0d151f2023-11-22T17:39:13ZengMDPI AGBuildings2075-53092021-10-01111049210.3390/buildings11100492Navigation Tasks in Desktop VR Environments to Improve the Spatial Orientation Skill of Building EngineersCarlos Carbonell-Carrera0Jose Luis Saorin1Allison J. Jaeger2Department of Techniques and Projects in Engineering and Architecture, Area of Cartographic, Geodetic and Photogrammetry Engineering, Universidad de La Laguna, 38200 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, SpainDepartment of Techniques and Projects in Engineering and Architecture, Area of Engineering Graphics, Universidad de La Laguna, 38200 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, SpainDepartment of Psychology, St. John’s University, New York, NY 11439, USAVirtual reality is a powerful tool for teaching 3D digital technologies in building engineering, as it facilitates the spatial perception of three-dimensional space. Spatial orientation skill is necessary for understanding 3D space. With VR, users navigate through virtually designed buildings and must be constantly aware of their position relative to other elements of the environment (orientation during navigation). In the present study, 25 building engineering students performed navigation tasks in a desktop-VR environment workshop. Performance of students using the desktop-VR was compared to a previous workshop in which navigation tasks were carried out using head-mounted displays. The Perspective Taking/Spatial Orientation Test measured spatial orientation skill. A questionnaire on user experience in the virtual environment was also administered. The gain in spatial orientation skill was 12.62%, similar to that obtained with head-mounted displays (14.23%). The desktop VR environment is an alternative to the HMD-VR environment for planning strategies to improve spatial orientation. Results from the user-experience questionnaire showed that the desktop VR environment strategy was well perceived by students in terms of interaction, 3D visualization, navigation, and sense of presence. Unlike in the HDM VR environment, student in the desktop VR environment did not report feelings of fatigue or dizziness.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/10/492spatial orientation skillvirtual reality (VR)desktop VR environmentshead mounted displays (HMD) VR environmentsnavigationbuilding engineering training |
| spellingShingle | Carlos Carbonell-Carrera Jose Luis Saorin Allison J. Jaeger Navigation Tasks in Desktop VR Environments to Improve the Spatial Orientation Skill of Building Engineers Buildings spatial orientation skill virtual reality (VR) desktop VR environments head mounted displays (HMD) VR environments navigation building engineering training |
| title | Navigation Tasks in Desktop VR Environments to Improve the Spatial Orientation Skill of Building Engineers |
| title_full | Navigation Tasks in Desktop VR Environments to Improve the Spatial Orientation Skill of Building Engineers |
| title_fullStr | Navigation Tasks in Desktop VR Environments to Improve the Spatial Orientation Skill of Building Engineers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Navigation Tasks in Desktop VR Environments to Improve the Spatial Orientation Skill of Building Engineers |
| title_short | Navigation Tasks in Desktop VR Environments to Improve the Spatial Orientation Skill of Building Engineers |
| title_sort | navigation tasks in desktop vr environments to improve the spatial orientation skill of building engineers |
| topic | spatial orientation skill virtual reality (VR) desktop VR environments head mounted displays (HMD) VR environments navigation building engineering training |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/10/492 |
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