Comparative Assessment of Thermal and Visual Comfort in Immersive Virtual Environments Based on Varied Activity Intensity: A Pilot Experimental Study

Activity levels are crucial in thermal comfort (TC) studies, and specific activities determine the choice of visuals in building design for users. This research presents a pilot study for the experimental design to assess comparability between visual scenarios and TC in controlled settings under different activity intensities for an immersive virtual environment (IVE) while sampling unregulated environments. This experimental design compares two distinct metabolic activity intensities, comparing observations between unregulated and virtual thermal controlled environments. Observations were conducted in Monash University Makerspace, an unregulated environment, to understand users’ thermal and visual perceptions based on activity intensities, clothing levels, and lighting. The observations in a controlled setting were carried out in the simulated IVE where participants were exposed to 18°C, 24°C, and 30°C with cool white light simulation. Data were analyzed using interval plots and linear regression which indicates higher thermal sensations, discomfort, and heat when carrying out high-intensity activity for the same clothing level. In comparison, in the controlled setting, the same behavioral intention selected in the IVE applied to the unregulated environment. Previous studies have not explored whether TC aligns in virtual reality (VR) for different activity intensities, especially for high-intensity activity. Also, there is a need to understand how thermal and visual comfort is influenced by visual scenarios under varied activity intensity and thermal condition changes. A feasibility study using VR for low-intensity activity in a controlled climate shows changes in visual perception during different thermal conditions. The study contributes to understanding the feasibility of the experimental design of VR for the TC changes’ observations based on two activities.