Depth and Distance Perceptions within Virtual Reality Environments. A Comparison between HMDs and CAVEs in Architectural Design

The Perceptions of Depth and Distance are considered as two of the most important factors in Virtual Reality Environments, as these environments inevitability impact the perception of the virtual content compared with the one of the real world. Many studies on depth and distance perceptions in a virtual environment exist. Most of them were conducted using Head-Mounted Displays (HMDs) and less with large screen displays such as those of Cave Automatic Virtual Environments (CAVEs). In this paper, we make a comparison between the different aspects of perception in the architectural environment between CAVE systems and HMD. This paper clarifies the Virtual Object as an entity in a VE and also the pros and cons of using CAVEs and HMDs are explained. Eventually, just a first survey of the planned case study of the artificial port of the Trajan emperor near Fiumicino has been done as for COVID-19 an on-field experimentation could not have been performed.