Donald R. Lampton

The virtual environment performance assessment battery vepab: Development and evaluation1

The Virtual Environment Performance Assessment Battery (VEPAB) is a set of tasks developed to support research on training applications of virtual environment (VE) technology. VEPAB measures human performance on vision, locomotion, tracking, object manipulation, and reaction time tasks performed in three-dimensional, interactive VEs. It can be used to provide a general orientation for interacting in VEs and to determine both entry level performance and skill acquisition of users. In addition, VEPAB allows comparison of task performance, side effects and aftereffects, and subjective reactions across different VE systems. By providing benchmarks of human performance, VEPAB can promote continuity in training research involving different technologies, separate research facilities, and dissimilar subject populations. This paper describes the development of VEPAB and summarizes the results of two experiments, one to test the sensitivity of the tasks to differences between input control devices and the other to examine practice effects.

Distance Estimation in Virtual Environments

This paper describes an experiment to evaluate a procedure for measuring distance perception in immersive VEs. Forty-eight subjects viewed a VE with a Head Mounted Display (HMD), a Binocular Omni-Oriented Monitor (BOOM), or a computer monitor. Subjects estimated the distance to a figure of known height that was initially 40 ft away. As the figure moved forward, subjects indicated when the figure was perceived to be 30, 20, 10, 5, and 2.5 ft away. A separate group of 36 subjects performed the task in a real-world setting roughly comparable to the VE. VE distance estimation was highly variable across subjects. For distance perception involving a moving figure, in the VE conditions most subjects called out before the figure had closed to the specified distances. Distance estimation was least accurate with the monitor. In the real world, most subjects called out after the figure had closed to or passed the specified distances. Ways to improve the procedure are discussed.

Side Effects and Aftereffects of Immersion in Virtual Environments

Immersive Virtual Environment (VE) technology, also known as virtual reality, is being touted as an important new medium for education and training. Other potential applications involve communications, medicine, architecture, astronomy, data handling, teleoperation, and entertainment. A threat to the successful application of this technology is that some users of VE systems suffer unwanted side effects and aftereffects similar to, but not limited to, symptoms of motion sickness. These effects may degrade training effectiveness and jeopardize user safety and well-being. This paper describes the incidence and severity of symptoms we recorded during four different experiments which examined VE training applications. The experiments involved a variety of tasks, simulated environments, and VE systems. We administered a 28 item questionnaire that addressed symptoms related to nausea, eye strain, and dizziness. Significant variation was observed across individuals. In each experiment some users, between 4 and 16%, experienced discomfort to the extent that we terminated their participation. Most users enjoyed the VE experiment but reported some level of discomfort. Our findings indicated that sickness resulting from VE immersion is a potentially serious problem which may not be completely eradicated by improvements in equipment. This paper describes the patterns of effects we observed, discusses the challenges of measuring effects, and outlines future research.

A Distributed Game-Based Simulation Training Research Testbed

[This paper is a companion piece for a presentation to be given as part of a panel discussion on the topic “Leveraging Virtual Reality and Computer-Based Games for Training”]. Our paper describes: the establishment of a testbed to support behavioral research on training applications of online distributed multiplayer gaming systems, several of the initial experiments conducted with the testbed, and some lesson learned. The testbed is itself geographically distributed with military, government, industry, and academia participants. We describe the behavioral research objectives and the technological challenges encountered in adapting commercial off-the-shelf gaming systems for training research use. Our focus is on the performance feedback process within the overall context of using gaming systems for distributed training. Research areas addressed include: factors general to training small teams such as law enforcement, urban search and rescue, or first responder personnel; and specific aspects of kinetic and non-kinetic dismounted infantry operations. Lessons learned involve: voice communications, Internet firewalls and quality of service, and “modeling mania”.

Embedded Training for Future Force Warriors: An Assessment of Wearable Virtual Simulators

Abstract : Embedded virtual simulation has the potential to provide more realistic and effective training for dismounted Soldiers, particularly in operations in urban areas, and in the operations and tactics, techniques and procedures for using Future Force systems. This paper describes an assessment of wearable virtual simulators (WSs) for Infantry Soldiers. The assessment focused on the capabilities and limitations of the WSs as the were used by Soldiers in a realistic training situation: the capability to support the performance of Soldier tasks, side effects, and human interface issues. Three vendors developed different WSs. Each was based on the Quantum 3D Thermite wearable computer, but the vendors used different software and interface hardware.