Managing level of detail through head-tracked peripheral degradation: a model and resulting design principles

TL;DR

This paper introduces a psychophysical model explaining how peripheral degradation in head-tracked displays can be optimized, supported by experiments showing the importance of inset area over shape for search performance.

Contribution

It presents a new model based on eye/head movement tradeoffs and provides design principles for peripheral degradation in large field of view displays.

Findings

Inset area significantly affects search performance.

Performance with at least 30-degree inset matches undegraded displays.

Shape of inset is not a significant factor.

Abstract

Previous work has demonstrated the utility of reductions in the level of detail (LOD) in the periphery of head-tracked, large field of view displays. This paper provides a psychophysically based model, centered around an eye/head movement tradeoff, that explains the effectiveness of peripheral degradation and suggests how peripherally degraded displays should be designed. An experiment evaluating the effect on search performance of the shape and area of the high detail central area (inset) in peripherally degraded displays was performed, results indicated that inset shape is not a significant factor in performance. Inset area, however, was significant: performance with displays subtending at least 30 degrees of horizontal and vertical angle was not significantly different from performance with an undegraded display. These results agreed with the proposed model.