2026-09-22T06:05:20Z https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/127237 2025-03-29 col_2142_5131 col_2142_11614 com_2142_5130 com_2142_11613 com_2142_8903

en text Submission original under an indefinite embargo labeled 'Open Access'. The submission was exported from vireo on 2025-03-28 without embargo terms The student, Christopher Widdowson, accepted the attached license on 2024-11-28 at 17:34. The student, Christopher Widdowson, submitted this Dissertation for approval on 2024-11-28 at 17:40. This Dissertation was approved for publication on 2024-12-05 at 18:48. DSpace SAF Submission Ingestion Package generated from Vireo submission #21422 on 2025-03-28 at 14:27:19 application/pdf Human performance in virtual reality Widdowson, Christopher J 2024-12-05 Wang, Ranxiao F Wang, Ranxiao F LaValle, Steven M Hovakimyan, Naira Simons, Daniel Lleras, Alejandro Virtual Reality Cognition Performance eng Virtual reality (VR) is a technology that simulates a user's presence in a computer-generated environment by engaging multiple sensory modalities, typically using a head-mounted display. The present research explores human performance in virtual reality (VR), with a focus on sensory integration, spatial cognition, and safety perception in virtual environments. The research is organized into three main studies, each addressing different aspects of human interaction within VR. The first study investigates the effects of different movement profiles on cybersickness and postural stability. Contrary to common assumptions in VR design, the findings indicate that varying speed profiles do not significantly influence user comfort or stability, suggesting that other underlying factors, such as the nature of visual cues, may be more influential. The second study examines human navigation in non-Euclidean virtual spaces, highlighting the cognitive challenges users encounter when navigating environments that deviate from traditional Euclidean assumptions. The results suggest that users may benefit from additional training, or cognitive aids, to effectively navigate curved spaces. The third study focuses on human-drone interaction within a VR setting and introduces a novel method for measuring perceived safety based on head acceleration data. This new measure provides a more nuanced and detailed understanding of safety perception compared to traditional physiological metrics alone, offering new insight for design guidelines that promote safer and more intuitive VR interactions. Overall, the research underscores the importance of empirical validation and interdisciplinary approaches in VR research. The findings offer valuable insights for designing more immersive and user-friendly VR systems that can accommodate a diverse range of users, enhancing both the effectiveness and safety of VR applications. 2024-12 Thesis https://hdl.handle.net/2142/127237 Copyright 2024 Christopher J. Widdowson Psychology Psychology University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Ph.D. Dissertation