A study on the factors that improve the velocity perception of a virtual reality-based vehicle simulator

The Virtual Reality (VR) system of a real-time VR-linked vehicle simulator that was used in this study provides visual information and sound effects to participants. The VR system of a VR-linked vehicle simulator should provide a perceived velocity similar with the perceived velocity in actual driving. To achieve these goals, modeling and rendering methods that offer an improved performance for complex VR applications, such as the 3D road model, were implemented and evaluated. We also evaluated the influences of graphic and engine sound effects on the driver and analyzed each result according to a driver's viewpoint, the dot densities of road texture provided, the lateral distance between a virtual driver and environmental objects, and the engine sound. Each factor was individually analyzed through an experiment that evaluated the influence of visual images or sound effects in the vehicle simulator. Through the experimental evaluation, the research results could be used for improving the effectiveness of VR-based vehicle simulators.