Presence in virtual CAVE

Ramzi Hassan

Investigating presence in VR-CAVE environment for historical sites. A joint paper with Nour Sharkasi & Caroline Hagerhall for ASCAAD 2010 conference. Fes/Morocco.

Using Virtual Reality (VR) to visualize sites and places from the past, present and future is widely acknowledged. This study is making use of a recently installed U-Cave VR Theatre at Birzeit University (BZU) in Palestine. This study test hypotheses connected to presence in VR environments, using the case of historical sites. Historical sites in general are important for reasons of cultural identification and environmental integrity. In many historical sites, it is difficult for a layperson to read and understand the meaning of the site, since the remaining ruins don’t provide enough information. This study contributes to improving the public understanding for historical sites by unfolding the role of VR to overcome the harsh reality of many damaged historical sites. Presence in VR environments is usually defined as “being there”, with high consideration for the physical ether of the virtual environment, it confines attention to the awareness of place. The study argues that VR technology doesn’t only provide a stereoscopic experience to subjects, it also adds a fourth dimension “time” by conveying the unconsciousness of man from the meanwhile moment to a different timeframe. This is made possible by innovative design of the VR environment and the nature of the content. It is concluded that; perceived presence is higher in a VR-CAVE environment in comparison to a 2-D traditional presentation. The results indicated that VR visualizations have a positive impact on raising the awareness of the identity of historical sites. The analysis also revealed evidence of the power of VR technology to function as a ‘time machine’ that is capable to allow users live experiences in a different time-frame.

VR model from the old city of Nablus. Photo: Ramzi Hassan

Published: 07.03.11
Updated: 08.03.11
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Virtual Reality Lab

For more information contact :
Ramzi Hassan Dr.Scient.
Associate Professor, Computer Visualizations in Urban Planning and Landscape Architecture.
Department of Landscape Architecture and Spatial Planning.
Norwegian University of Life Sciences (UMB).
P.O.BOX 5029,
1432 Aas - Norway
E-mail: ramzi.hassan@umb.no
Phone: +47 64965358
Fax: +47 64948390
Mobile: +47 97001573