Walking, looking to the side, and taking curved paths

Abstract

In two experiments, viewers judged heading from displays simulating locomotion through tree-filled environments, with gaze off to the side. They marked their heading with a mouse-controlled probe at three different depths. When simulated eye or head rotation generally exceeded 0.5 deg/sec, there was reliable curvature in perceived paths toward the fixated object. This curvature, however, was slight even with rotation rates as great as 2.6 deg/sec. Best-fit paths to circular arcs had radii of 1.8 km or greater. In a third experiment, pedestrians walked with matched gaze to the side. Measured curvature in the direction of gaze corresponded to a circular radius of about 1.3 km. Thus, at minimum, vision scientists need not worry about perceived path curvature in this situation; real path curvatures are about the same. However, at present, we can make no claim that the same mechanisms necessarily govern the two results.