Reliability of distance estimation in virtual reality space: A quantitative approach for construction management

This paper reports a study aimed at assessing the reliability of decision-making for construction management based on visual observation of the built environment in virtual reality. The focus of this study is on egocentric distance perception, a critical factor in construction management decisions based on visual observation. The study evaluates the accuracy of distance estimation and walking a target distance in virtual reality, as compared to the real world, through experiments. The experimental results demonstrate that participants consistently underestimate distance and walk beyond the target distance. Notably, in virtual reality, they underestimated the distance by 22% more than they did in the real world, and they overwalked 53% more than they did in the real world. These findings offer valuable insights for construction managers reviewing digital twin models in virtual reality to make informed decisions. Furthermore, this study lays a foundation for future research on the reliability of understanding space occupancy in virtual reality. •Experiment participants underestimated distance both in the virtual and real world.•In the virtual world, they underestimated 22% more than they did in the real world.•Participants walked further than they aimed both in the virtual and real world.•In the virtual world, they walked 53% further than they did in the real world.•Walking on an omnidirectional treadmill was not advantageous for distance estimation.