The effects of active navigation on object recognition in virtual environments

자기주도 탐색(Active navigation)이 가상환경 내 대상재인에 미치는 효과

We investigated the importance and efficiency of active and passive exploration on the recognition of objects in a variety of virtual environments (VEs). In this study, 54 participants (19 males and 35 females) were randomly allocated into one of two navigation conditions (active and passive navigation). The 3D visual display was presented through HMD and participants used joysticks to navigate VEs. The VEs consisted of exploring four rooms (library, office, lounge, and conference room), each of which had 15 objects. 'Active navigation' was performed by allowing participants to self-pace and control their own navigation within a predetermined time limitation for each room. 'Passive navigation' was conducted by forced navigation of the four rooms in random order. Total navigation duration and objects for both navigations were identical. After navigating VEs, participants were asked to recognize the objects that had been in the four rooms. Recognition for objects was measured by response time and the percentage of correct, false, hit, and miss responses. Those in the active navigation condition had a significantly higher percentage of hit responses (t (52) = 4.000 p < 0.01), and a significantly lower percentage of miss responses (t (52) = -3.763, p < 0.01) in object recognition than those in the passive condition. These results suggest that active navigation plays an important role in spatial cognition as well as providing a better explanation about the efficiency of learning in a 3D-based program.