Digital measurement of spatial ability using a Virtual Reality environment

Abstract

Many activities, such as reading a map and self-orienting in the right direction, are linked with people’s spatial ability. This skill allows an understanding of the space-object relationship and its mental transformations. Digital tools such as Virtual Reality allow us to simulate real-world conditions to carry out interactive experiments to train and measure people’s spatial skills, particularly mental rotation and spatial orientation. This work defines a method to collect information about users spatial ability level, and a way to train its abilities. The method was submitted to a pilot test with users preliminary validation. Thus, by applying the method, the authors aim to collect data to understand if the expansion of the scope from traditional test from 2d paper-and-pencil to 3d virtual environment bring new insights on mental rotation and spatial orientation.