Abstract
The retinal size of an image, and its binocular disparity, both reduce as the distance to the object increases. In order to accurately perceive the size and shape of an object from retinal information, it is therefore necessary to know its distance. Observers typically show under-constancy, such that the apparent size and depth both tend to reduce with increasing distance. We assessed the degree of constancy for objects presented in consumer virtual reality. Observers were presented with an ellipsoid in an Oculus Rift, at distances between 40 and 100 cm at eye-height. Using the Oculus Touch controller, their task was to alter the height and width of the ellipsoid to set its size, and the depth to set its shape, to match these against a hand-held tennis-ball. Both size and depth settings increased with increasing distance, indicating under-constancy. These results show that the degree of shape and size constancy in consumer virtual reality is comparable to that found using carefully-calibrated psychophysical techniques.
Meeting abstract presented at VSS 2018