Representing Built Environments with Digital Tools …
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concerning architectural space perception, has not yet studied the sensory substitution
of the sense of touch. We do not know much about the topic, and the industry has
failed to produce systems that would enable the user to perceive stiffness, roughness
and temperature of objects. This is likely the weakest point of VR systems, calling
for intensive research on devices that would convey realistic haptic sensations and
feedback [25].
7 Conclusions
In the words of Juhani Palaasma,”Architectural space is lived space rather than physical space, and lived space always transcends geometry and measurability.” [31].
Taking into account the undefinable features of human perception addressed by
Palaasma, it is fundamental to investigate communication and interaction with architectural representation. Essentially, “the mind infers beyond the information given.”
[32] People are not passive receivers of stimuli coming from their environments, but
actively interpret the information they receive that way, and use this interpretation to
construct their subjective impression of the surrounding world. Hence representations
are never impartial [12].
The perception of an environment is a multidimensional process that employs
many factors, such as image recognition and understanding, cognitive restraints
and attention, and—when the environment is virtual, represented using digital technology—user experience. Therefore, in creating a compelling virtual environment,
the following aspects need to be considered:
1. A level of real-world resemblance, such as optical resolution, a level of detail,
parameters of luminance, and contrast range.
2. Specific technological variables providing sensory substitution: stereoscopy, full
field of view, stereophonic sound, and full-body motion tracking.
3. Compensation for misinterpretations of the virtual environment, e.g., of distance
and speed estimations.
4. Affective response and aesthetic preferences; a person’s response depends upon
specialized affective reactions to a greater extent than on knowledge-based logical
procedures.
5. User experience, including issues such as the ergonomics of equipment, providing
behavioral realism in terms of handling controls, and the reduction of equipment
physical impact on participant.
Given the pace of technological development, immersive VR will in the foreseeable future accurately simulate experiences of physical reality in terms of graphics,
sound, and motion tracking. But the state-of-the-art in haptic technology still does
not enable us to perceive virtual environments the same way as we perceive real
environments, and so further advances in the field of haptics are needed. As argued
by Slater [3], solutions can take the form of direct brain interfaces generating stimuli
in those aspects of sensory substitution in which external devices have the greatest
177
concerning architectural space perception, has not yet studied the sensory substitution
of the sense of touch. We do not know much about the topic, and the industry has
failed to produce systems that would enable the user to perceive stiffness, roughness
and temperature of objects. This is likely the weakest point of VR systems, calling
for intensive research on devices that would convey realistic haptic sensations and
feedback [25].
7 Conclusions
In the words of Juhani Palaasma,”Architectural space is lived space rather than physical space, and lived space always transcends geometry and measurability.” [31].
Taking into account the undefinable features of human perception addressed by
Palaasma, it is fundamental to investigate communication and interaction with architectural representation. Essentially, “the mind infers beyond the information given.”
[32] People are not passive receivers of stimuli coming from their environments, but
actively interpret the information they receive that way, and use this interpretation to
construct their subjective impression of the surrounding world. Hence representations
are never impartial [12].
The perception of an environment is a multidimensional process that employs
many factors, such as image recognition and understanding, cognitive restraints
and attention, and—when the environment is virtual, represented using digital technology—user experience. Therefore, in creating a compelling virtual environment,
the following aspects need to be considered:
1. A level of real-world resemblance, such as optical resolution, a level of detail,
parameters of luminance, and contrast range.
2. Specific technological variables providing sensory substitution: stereoscopy, full
field of view, stereophonic sound, and full-body motion tracking.
3. Compensation for misinterpretations of the virtual environment, e.g., of distance
and speed estimations.
4. Affective response and aesthetic preferences; a person’s response depends upon
specialized affective reactions to a greater extent than on knowledge-based logical
procedures.
5. User experience, including issues such as the ergonomics of equipment, providing
behavioral realism in terms of handling controls, and the reduction of equipment
physical impact on participant.
Given the pace of technological development, immersive VR will in the foreseeable future accurately simulate experiences of physical reality in terms of graphics,
sound, and motion tracking. But the state-of-the-art in haptic technology still does
not enable us to perceive virtual environments the same way as we perceive real
environments, and so further advances in the field of haptics are needed. As argued
by Slater [3], solutions can take the form of direct brain interfaces generating stimuli
in those aspects of sensory substitution in which external devices have the greatest