Environmental study at the VR-Lab

Ramzi Hassan

Fifth year level students Amund Hareland and Morten A. Kirkemo are following a special topic course at VR-Lab. They investigate in a study the human impression of different kind of nature types depending on their diversity.

Environmental study at the VR-Lab. Biodiversitet_Syverud. Photo: Amund Hareland and Morten A. Kirkemo

The original study started some years ago in Sweden. They used personal computers screens in order to show several images of landscapes to a group of audience. The audience then answered some questions depending on their impression of the nature type they was looking on. Later on, the group of the same audience is brought out to the same sites where the pictures was taken from, and did the test over again. From the result they could analyze how the results differ between the use of computer screen and the real thing.

In our study, we will use the VR-Lab and normal computer screens. The test will show us how the VR- Lab environment can benefit the test, and perhaps make the pictures closer to the real thing. All our pictures have been taken from sites that are close by our facilities, so fieldtrips is also possible.

The first technical challenge is to get the right image projected at the VR-Lab. The main criteria are that the image for the landscape should cover the whole cylindrical screen. We would like also to get some level of immersion by getting stereoscopic projection into the images. During this study, we will be using different type of techniques and tools for getting a custom solution in order to conduct our test at the VR-Lab.

Our test subjects are student from UMB in Aas municipality. We have divided the students into two groups. One group will take the test in the VR-lab and the other group will to take the test on a single computer. None of the students will take the test in both places. We will produce a report from our test and our conclusion. The test will take place in week 47 and 48.Download the study from here (1.1MB)

Updated: 06.01.09
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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