Utilizing HMD VR to Improve the Spatial Learning and Wayfinding Effects in the Virtual Maze

Human wayfinding strategy in an unfamiliar space has been an important research issue in the interface design of spatial navigation. This study aims at comparing the participants’ spatial learning and wayfinding performance using two different visual displays - the regular PC screen and the head mounted display (HMD) virtual reality (VR) system. HMD VR (we used HTC vive) is the popularizing device which provides users the immersive visual experience and full body interaction with the virtual environment. We designed a target-finding experiment to examine three factors, the spatial complexity, the visual display, and the landmark type. The participants were divided into two groups and used PC screen with keyboard and VR with controller stick respectively to perform the task, namely finding a particular target in six virtual mazes in two different sizes. In each target finding trial, the participant received one of the three navigation aids, a given distant landmark, some local landmarks in every intersection, or local landmarks freely laid by the participant. We measured the complete time, the times of taking repeat routes, the times and duration of the pause, and the eye movements during target-finding in PC screen. Soon after the task, the participants were also asked to draw a maze map from memory. The preliminary results reveal the group of PC screen found target more quickly, but the VR group produced cognitive maps with higher spatial accuracy.