When Virtual Vision Differs from Reality: Tracking Perception and Action
VR and AR wearable displays offer novel visual experiences that are captivating but can easily overwhelm our visual system. Head-mounted displays introduce distinct perceptual constraints in accommodation, vergence, and field of view. While modern displays can mitigate some of these conflicts, factors such as interpupillary distance, optical configuration, and stereoscopic rendering often fail to replicate real-world counterparts and alter perceived depth. These discrepancies become particularly critical when translating operational tasks into immersive environments, as they can alter perceived depth and potentially affect the validity of user outcomes. Conventionally, the performance of visual tasks can be related to existing binocular visual function measures. However, existing clinical tests are conducted under strictly controlled conditions that cannot fully reproduce the viewing conditions and visual artifacts of immersive displays. Computerized vision tests in virtual displays, together with eye and motion tracking provide a testbed for examining how these discrepancies translate into perceptual and visuomotor responses, bridging the gap between conventional measures of visual function and user performance in immersive systems. In this talk, we examine the differences between real and virtual viewing across a range of perceptual and applied tasks. Together, these studies demonstrate how tracking the eyes and body can provide objective predictions of how users respond to the differences between natural and immersive viewing, informing the design and evaluation of safer and more effective immersive systems.
Bio: Xue Teng obtained her Ph.D. in bioengineering from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, and is currently a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at York University, Canada. She is an adaptive and multidisciplinary researcher who expanded from traditional engineering into handling equipment and developing extended reality systems for assistive driving, aeronautical training, and clinical vision assessment. As a hands-on learner, Teng constantly explores emerging technologies, facilitating collaborations with engineers and bridging perception science with real-world applications.