High-Level Perception Lab, UCSC
VR research on how environmental cues affect screen orientation when the body is tilted.
Idea
Understand how context changes perception and preference for screen orientation in VR.
What I built
A VR experiment with two conditions: a black void vs a living room with environmental cues.
Result
Found that environmental cues reduce extreme screen rotations; helped establish the department’s first VR research lab.
Overview
At UCSC’s High-Level Perception Lab, we started Oculab—the first lab in the department to conduct research using VR. Using early hardware like Oculus DK2 and Leap Motion, we built experiments focused on perception in immersive environments.
I led an experiment called “Orientation,” investigating how users rotate a video screen in VR while their body is tilted.
Challenge
Experimental VR must be repeatable and controlled, even on early hardware with tracking limitations. The environment has to be meaningful enough to influence perception without introducing unwanted variability.
Approach
- Two controlled conditions: minimal cues vs contextual cues.
- A simple, measurable task: rotate the screen to what feels “right.”
- Stable implementation to protect validity of results.
Process
- Built the VR experiment in Unity/C#.
- Created two environments: an all-black scene vs a living room with cues like a couch and plant.
- Ran study sessions and managed research assistants (including hour allocation).
- Helped establish lab workflows as the department’s VR capability grew.
Outcome
Participants in the all-black environment rotated the screen more extremely based on comfort, while participants with living room cues used the environment as a reference and rotated less freely—showing how context shapes perception and preference in VR UI orientation.