Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 5
The Effect of Translational and Rotational
Body-Based Information on Navigation
Roy A. Ruddle
Abstract
Physical locomotion provides internal (body-based) sensory information
about the translational and rotational components of movement. This chapter starts
by summarizing the characteristics of model-, small- and large-scaleVE applications,
and attributes of ecological validity that are important for the application of navigation
research. The type of navigation participants performed, the scale and spatial extent of
the environment, and the richness of the visual scene are used to provide a framework
for a review of research into the effect of body-based information on navigation.
The review resolves contradictions between previous studies' findings, identifies
types of navigation interface that are suited to different applications, and highlights
areas in which further research is needed. Applications that take place in small-scale
environments, where maneuvering is the most demanding aspect of navigation, will
benefit from full-walking interfaces. However, collision detection may not be needed
because users avoid obstacles even when they are below eye-level. Applications
that involve large-scale spaces (e.g., buildings or cities) just need to provide the
translational component of body-based information, because it is only in unusual
scenarios that the rotational component of body-based information produces any
significant benefit. This opens up the opportunity of combining linear treadmill and
walking-in-place interfaces with projection displays that provide a wide field of view.
5.1 Introduction
Navigation is central to many types of virtual environment (VE) applications.
However, with only a few exceptions (mostly in military training), these applica-
tions use abstract navigation interfaces. That is, users press buttons and manipulate
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University of Leeds, School of Computing, Leeds, UK
e-mail: royr@comp.leeds.ac.uk
Roy A. Ruddle
Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
Roy A. Ruddle
