Effects of Visual Cues on Depth Perception in Virtual Landscapes

With computer technology development, the volume and quality of virtual landscapes developed dynamically. This subject has the potential to be a new field for landscape architecture. This paper focused on the perception of space in a virtual landscape because the concept of perception will underlie every future research related to this topic. Researchers indicated that when the presence of visual cues is restricted, the deterioration in perception increases (LOYOLA 2016). Although research revealed the effect of visual cues on perception, no study could be conducted on developing their application rates. This study aims to show the impact of visual cues on depth perception in virtual landscapes. Articles published on visual cues that affect depth perception were studied. The effect of each visual cue in the experiment shows with spheres created within a room visualized in Unreal Engine 5. 40 Participants are asked to estimate the distance of the displayed sphere from the back wall at each stage. Participants' answers are compiled through a semi-structured interview. Comparative analysis is made between the true distance and the estimation. The absolute error is found and presented with comparison graphics. The results reveal visual cues ’effects on depth perception in virtual landscapes. This study presents the effects of visual cues for virtual landscape designers to use by revealing data that will strengthen the perception of depth in virtual landscape designs. The result of this research will be a robust future reference for landscape architects who will investigate the new domain of landscape architecture.