Immersive Visualization of Google Street View Images using VR for an Environmental Perception Study
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Grant: NFS
Michael Gover
College:
The Dorothy and George Hennings College of Science, Mathematics, and Technology
Major:
Earth Science Teacher Certification Option
Faculty Research Advisor(s):
Feng Qi
Abstract:
Characteristics of the environment affects our psychological and general well-being. The mechanisms of the environment's psychological impacts on humans have been long studied, but many questions remain unanswered. The long-term goal of our project is to explore the impact of urban environmental settings on the psychology of individuals in modern urban living. To achieve this, we use Google Street View (GSV) images to represent environments in urbanized communities in NJ. Participants will be recruited for immersive visualization and answer questions about their perceptions of the environment and related psychological status. Data collected will be used to derive relationships between environmental attributes and psychological variables. The short-term goal is to investigate Virtual Reality (VR) technology for immersive visualization of GSVs. We developed procedures for three VR setups for this purpose. User-testing has been conducted for a comparison of the setups in terms of feasibility, image quality, and user comfort. Results show that…This allows the collection of valuable data to investigate various environmental settings and their psychological impacts. Laying the foundation for evidence-based interventions and policies for healthier and more supportive urban environments.