This paper describes an application of VRML-based multimedia to the domain of spatial cognition experiments. Typically, such experiments involve human subjects that are presented with graphical stimuli in a laboratory setup. Larger numbers of subjects and stimuli give more weight to the outcomes of the experiment, but in practice the number of subjects is limited by practicalities like time constraints. This paper describes a way to overcome this limitation: use the internet to bring the experiment to the subject instead of the other way around. We are developing a web page with psychophysicalexperiments, using VRML as a means for presenting three-dimensional graphics to simulate the conditions of a laboratory experiment. While using the web for psychological experiments is not a novel idea, combining that with VRML is new and extends the possibilities for experiments. In this paper we outline the power of using the web and describe an experiment using VRML, highlighting technical asp...
Galia Givaty, Hendrik A. H. C. van Veen, Chris Chr