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Real walking is the most natural way to locomote in virtual reality (VR), but a confined physical walking space limits its applicability. Redirected walking (RDW) is a collection of techniques to solve this problem. One of these techniques aims to imperceptibly rotate the user's view of the virtual scene in order to steer her along a confined path whilst giving the impression of walking in a straight line in a large virtual space. Measurement of perceptual thresholds for the detection of such a modified curvature gain have indicated a radius that is still larger than most room sizes. Since the brain is an adaptive system and thresholds usually depend on previous stimulations, we tested if prolonged exposure to an immersive virtual environment (IVE) with increased curvature gain produces adaptation to that gain and modifies thresholds such that, over time, larger curvature gains can be applied for RDW. Therefore, participants first completed a measurement of their perceptual threshold for curvature gain. In a second session, the same participants were exposed to an IVE with a constant curvature gain in which they walked between two targets for about 20 minutes. Afterwards, their perceptual thresholds were measured again. The results show that the psychometric curves shifted after the exposure session and perceptual thresholds for increased curvature gain further increased. The increase of the detection threshold suggests that participants adapt to the manipulation and stronger curvature gains can be applied in RDW, and therefore improves its applicability in such situations.

Locomotion and vison are closely linked. When users explore virtual environments by walking they rely on stable visible landmarks to plan and execute their next movement. In my research I am developing novel methods to predict locomotion paths of human subjects for the immediate future, i.e. the next few seconds. I aim to connect different types of behavioral data (eye, hand, feet and head tracking) and test their reliability and validity for predicting walking behavior in virtual reality. Such a prediction will be very valuable for natural interaction, for example in redirected walking schemes.My approach begins with an evaluation of the quality of data gathered with current tracking methods. Informative experimental conditions need to be developed to find meaningful patterns in natural walking. Next, raw tracked data of different modalities need to be connected with each other and aggregated in a useful way. Thereafter, possible valid predictors need to be developed and compared to already functioning predicting algorithms (e.g. [2],[6],[12]). As a final goal, all valid predictors shall be used to create a prediction algorithm returning the most likely future path when exploring virtual environments.

Modern progressive lenses are widely used to allow distance and near-view within one lens. Novice users experience motion sickness during adaptation and have problems performing everyday tasks when first using progressive lenses. To evaluate the effects of progressive lens distortion in psychophysical experiments these need to be simulated in real-time. We present a method to generate the distortion pattern of a progressive lens in virtual reality that allows testing perceptual distortions and behavioural consequences of exposure to such distortions. A user study showed that the heading angle on the horizontal axis was significantly underestimated through implemented distortion.

This book provides abstracts of papers of the 2nd International Conference Polylogue and Synthesis of Arts: History and Modernity, Theory and Practice; Epochs – Styles – Genres, which took place on March 4–5, 2019, at the Rimsky-Korsakov Saint Petersburg State Conservatory. The conference was dedicated to Music and its relationship to Philosophy, Literature, and the Visual Arts. While papers were presented predominantly by Russian academicians, a range of authors participated from Western European, United States and Far East academies, including from China and Mongolia. In this way, the conference’s agenda was expanded to worldwide cultures. The original conference proceeding was published in Russian in 2019; it was subsequently translated into English and revised for this present edition. The limited availability of Russian academic publications in the West, combined with a language barrier, create considerable constraints in the way of wider recognition. We aim to address this gap by offering readers this English edition as a source for a broader appreciation in the West of contemporary Russian research.

Synaesthesia is a remarkable phenomenon: It unites scientists and artists, as well as different disciplines such as neuroscience, psychology, music, art, philosophy and linguistics. This book is a collection of interviews with scientists and artists who explore synaesthesia. We asked similar questions to each of them: e.g., How can synaesthesia be defined? Is it inborn? Are synaesthetes special? How does it influence visual artists? Thirty people talked with us, including many of the world’s leading synaesthesia researchers, such as Richard E. Cytowic, Lawrence E. Marks, Jamie Ward and Edward M. Hubbard, and famous synaesthete artists such as Anne Patterson, Carol Steen, Timothy B. Layden and Raewyn Turner. Our interview partners from North and South America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand helped create this unique collection and provided many insightful ideas, colourful illustrations and unforgettable descriptions of their experiences.

Synesthesia is a remarkable phenomenon: it unites scientists and artists, scholars and laymen, as well as different disciplines such as neuroscience, psychology, musicology, art history, philosophy, and linguistics. It is ‘the’ interdisciplinary issue par excellence. This book provides the abstracts of a scientific-artistical conference “Music and Synesthesia” in Vienna, scheduled for July 3–5, 2020, with participants from different countries inside of Europe, from North, Central, and South America, and even from Australia. Synästhesie ist ein bemerkenswertes Phänomen: Es vereint Wissenschaftler, Künstler, Fachleute und Laien sowie verschiedene Forschungsfelder wie Neurowissenschaften, Psychologie, Musikwissenschaft, Kunstgeschichte, Philosophie und Sprachwissenschaften. Es ist ‚das‘ interdisziplinäre Thema schlechthin. Diese Buch sammelt die Abstracts einer wissenschaftlich-künstlerischen Tagung zu Musik und Synästhesie in Wien, geplant vom 3. bis 5. Juli 2020, mit Beiträgen aus verschiedenen Ländern Europas, Nord-, Mittel- und Südamerikas, und sogar aus Australien.