Impact of Virtual Reality-Based Design Review System on User’s Performance and Cognitive Behavior for Building Design Review Tasks

Abstract

Virtual reality (VR) can potentially enhance various design and construction assessment intensive tasks, such as construction design and review. However, it may lead to cognitive overload, adversely affecting the participants’ performance. It is critical to understand the effects of VR cognitive behavior for implementing VR technology in the construction industry. The principal objective of this study was to investigate the participants’ cognitive load (CL), task performance (TP), and situational awareness (SA) in the VR environment for the evaluation of building design review tasks. Participants were asked to review the design task based on their memory knowledge and understanding in one of the three environments: paper-based, monitor-based, and immersive virtual environment. Participants’ CL was measured using the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load Index (NASA TLX), TP was evaluated on completion time and the number of errors correctly detected, and situational awareness (SA) was assessed using the Situational Awareness and Review Technique (SART). The statistical results show a high CL and better performance in the immersive virtual environment. These findings can contribute to a better understanding of cognitive process characteristics and capabilities for design review activities in the VR environment.

Critical analysis of the use of extended reality XR for training in civil engineering

“…User interviews and questionnaires were used to evaluate XR activities or compare two groups, one that received information through XR applications and another that received information in a conventional manner. The first group always performed better in the areas of memory, understanding, and application [9, 33, 94]. It should be noted that the articles presented more than one form of evaluation in the experience.…”

“…On the other hand, applications are able to deliver visualisations of nonexistent buildings and new projects in existing environments where a project is located. They are also able to deliver more awareness of the relationship of the components of the structure and the phases of the work through the four-dimensional (4D) BIM model, providing a better understanding of the spatial movement of equipment, materials, and placement of components in the work, resulting in a more optimised design for the operation phase [47,51,62,63,81,86,94,101,107]. For structural analysis, the applications provide visualisation capabilities for structural buckling according to the mode of vibration, knowledge and spatial visualisation skills, and visualisation of deformations, support reactions, load transfer between elements, and internal forces in different types of structures for different types and load combinations [33,93].…”

Application of Neural Radiance Fields (NeRFs) for 3D Model Representation in the Industrial Metaverse

“…Despite their benefits, it is crucial to consider potential negative effects, such as vision problems or software dependence, requiring careful design and attention to updates to ensure compatibility with specific goals [1]. In the industrial context, these virtual environments play a crucial role in training and decision-making, providing professionals with a secure and controlled environment for studying complex processes [2].…”

Workload Measurement Method for Manned Vehicles in Multitasking Environments

“…The scale was originally designed to meet the needs of the aerospace industry, and over time, its application scope has significantly expanded. Nowadays, the NASA-TLX scale is not limited to the aviation industry but is widely used in various fields such as transportation, nuclear power plants, healthcare, and humancomputer interaction, becoming an important tool for assessing WL in these fields [17][18][19]. The subjective measurement methods are widely used due to their ease of management and efficiency [20,21].…”