The Research On The Relation Among The Travel Information Source, Small-scale Spatial Ability And Environment Spatial Distance Knowledge In Virtual Reality

Distance Knowledge in Environmental Space is the knowledge to determine whether human can get to a distant target within a fixed time. Distance estimation is the behavior in actual spatial environment, which is based on acquiring the distance knowledge. The ability of estimating distance can help human better plan the route to save time and energy. Distance knowledge also plays an important role in wayfinding and spatial orientation. However, little research on distance knowledge has been conducted, such as the process of acquiring distance knowledge, information resources that effect distance estimation, whether large-scale spatial distance can be predicted by small-scale spatial ability test, factors that affect distance estimation by acquiring distance knowledge, and how they affect such distance estimation. These areas still need to be further studied. Current research on distance knowledge doesn't consider the small-scale visual spatial ability and environmental spatial ability. In this study, mechanism of the route-angularity effect when human estimates distance was investigated by using VRML in designing virtual reality environment and changing the route features. Relationship of small-scale spatial ability and environmental spatial distance estimation ability was also studied to examine whether they have the same mechanism and especially how accurate small-scale spatial test can predict the environmental spatial distance. Thus, this study of process and characteristics in environmental spatial distance cognition not only plays an important part in understanding human behaviors with spatial cognition, but also greatly contribute to environmental spatial tasks include learning the layout of new environments, such as buildings or cities, navigation in known environments, and giving and interpreting verbal navigation directions, especially the navigation ability of taxi/bus drivers and pilots, and resources saving in daily life.Four experiments in this study are as follows,1. Possibility of route-angularity effect after participant finishes comparative route exploration.2. Relationship of distance estimation and navigation speed in environmentalspace.3. Relationship of estimation and the angles of turns.4. Relationship of estimation and navigation effort. The following conclusions are obtained,1. In desktop virtual reality environment, participant predicts longer distance when there are more turns, which is route-angularity effect.2. distance estimation is affected by navigation speed. The faster the speed, the shorter the distance estimated.3. distance estimation is affected by navigation effort. The more the effort, the longer the distance estimated, especially when in disturbance condition.4. The small-scale spatial tests can't predict the environmental spatial distance estimation in the desktop virtual reality environment.5. VR technique represents human behavior in environment space very well andsatisfies strict experimental requirements. Experimental results are well repeated.