Experiences with a Virtual Reality System for Immersive Decision Making and Learning

A Computer Automated Virtual Environment (CAVE) can be used to set up immersive Virtual Reality (VR) setups of real-world applications in e.g., public safety, infrastructure prototyping, and education. These environments combine real-time motion tracking with high-resolution 3-dimensional projections onto four panels arranged to form a room-sized cube that enhances the users’ immersive experience fostering interdisciplinary research and scientific applications. The CAVE system offers a novel and unmatched paradigm for cutting-edge VR research in comparison to conventional VR technology, such as Head-Mounted Displays (HMDs). However, its effectiveness and usability needs to be studied in the context of diverse applications. In this paper, we present a study of the "Mizzou CAVE" at the University of Missouri-Columbia, and report on the experiences in terms of its usefulness in cross-disciplinary applications, and the opportunities/challenges for potential researchers and users. Specifically, the study features Likert-scale-based questionnaires to collect empirical quantitative data for measuring efficacy and satisfaction outcomes striving towards the purpose of applications involving decision making and learning. Our survey findings obtained from CAVE users and content developers highlight the unique system capabilities of realism, customization, simplicity, interactibility, comfort, and potential for collaboration.