Human Senses and Immersion in Virtual Reality

This lecture discusses the properties of human senses and their stimulation through immersive technologies. It begins by examining the various human senses, including vision, audition, and kinesthetic perception, and highlights the importance of sensory stimuli in virtual reality (VR) experiences. The instructor presents examples, such as a tennis player interacting with their environment, to illustrate how sensory information is processed. The lecture also addresses the concept of immersion, defining it as the objective fidelity of sensory stimuli produced by technological systems. The relationship between sensory stimulation and immersion is explored, emphasizing that the quality of a VR experience relies heavily on the effectiveness of sensory displays. The instructor concludes by noting that while the spectrum of human senses is broad, vision remains the dominant sense, and most technological advancements in immersion have focused on visual displays. The lecture highlights the challenges in producing certain sensory stimuli and suggests future discussions on navigation and motor activity in VR.