OVERVIEW

POEMS will develop reliable multi-level measurement methods for perceived spatial presence and ego-motion. These methods will be used to establish and model optimal auditory, visual, and vibrational rendering parameters and cross-modal, synergistic interactions.

In most existing VR applications, we lack the intuitive feeling of being "spatially present", resulting in a reduced performance for spatial tasks. POEMS pursues a human-centred approach to solve this problem. POEMS will develop reliable multi-level measurement methods for perceived spatial presence and ego-motion. These methods will be used to establish and model optimal auditory, visual, and vibrational rendering parameters and cross-modal, synergistic interactions. This will enable us to outline a lean and cost-effective VR set-up that allows for convincing simulation of ego-motions without actually moving the observer, by combining auditory, visual, and vibrational cues. Future VE platforms optimise from both a perceptual and technical point-of-view based on the POEMS concept, will ultimately be compact, easily transportable, quiet, low-cost, and safe, since they just use projected 3D graphics, 3D sound, and vibrations, without any potentially dangerous moving parts.

OBJECTIVES

The overall objective of POEMS is to define the perceptually relevant rendering parameters for enhanced spatial presence experience. POEMS will develop reliable and valid multi-level measurement methods (subjective-introspective, psychophysical, physiological and behavioral) for spatial presence and ego-motion perception. These methods will be used to establish "optimal" auditory, visual, and vibrational rendering parameters as well as cross-modal, synergistic interactions important for perceiving spatial presence and ego-motion. Using this knowledge, the relation between rendering parameters, cross-modal effects, and spatial presence will be mathematically modeled.

The long-term aim is to enable developers and designers of VR systems to optimize their simulations both technically and perceptually, thus allowing for lean, elegant, and low-cost VR simulations with a high sense of spatial presence and ego-motion. This is a prerequisite for the usability of VR for, e.g., training purposes.