UC Santa Barbara

One of the key functionalities of an immersive virtual environment (IVE), is to induce presence, or the sense of “being there”, from the user. This is dependent on how the virtual reality (VR) system can manipulate our perception of spatial layout, which involves neurobiological processes of constructing a neural map of the peripersonal space, or the nearby space within our reach. This dissertation aims to understand what presence is, how our brain perceives space, and the importance of peripersonal space in generating presence. Using various iterations of projection-based VR system setups as examples of how to utilize this knowledge, this dissertation will provide insight on how to effectively set up projection-based VR systems with limited resources.