Is Virtual Reality an Effective Experimental Tool for Window View Studies with Dynamic Content Involved?

Dynamic content is a desirable quality in window views. However, most researchers have focused on static window scenes, which are inconsistent with real-world window views. The scarcity of studies involving dynamic view content is exacerbated by the lack of suitable evaluation tools, which this study aims to address. A novel method of displaying dynamic content in the virtual scene was presented. A two-stage experiment with forty-eight subjects was designed to compare subjective responses to a dynamic window scene in physical and virtual environments. Virtual reality’s effectiveness was assessed based on the consistency of their responses regarding level of satisfaction with the window view in both environments. Imaging capability, sense of presence, and sense of comfort were also adopted as evaluation criteria in the virtual environment. Responses concerning satisfaction with different view contents in the physical and virtual environments were found to have no statistically significant difference and they also achieved statistical equivalence. It was also established that the novel method used to display dynamic window scenes could retain the clarity of content and attain good scene integration. The virtual environment offered a sense of presence, although some subjects still paid attention to the physical environment. In relation to sense of comfort, most subjects found the headset’s weight to be bearable and it did not compromise the performance of tasks in the virtual environment. However, visual fatigue was identified as a notable drawback which should be addressed to improve the comfort of subjects and accuracy of results. This study affirms virtual reality’s viability as a convenient and effective tool for evaluating dynamic window views.