The Effect of Spatial Audio on Curvature Gains in VR Redirected Walking

Abstract

Redirected walking (RDW) is a technique that allows users to navigate larger physical spaces in virtual reality (VR) environments by manipulating the users’ view of the virtual world. In this study, we investigate the effect of adding spatial audio elements to curvature gains in RDW aiming to increase the perceptual threshold for the manipulation and allowing for higher levels of unnoticed redirection. We conducted a user study (n = 18), evaluating perceptual thresholds across conditions with and without spatial audio elements across different curvature gains. We found that spatial audio can significantly increase thresholds with a large effect size. This finding indicates the value of spatial audio for RDW. It could facilitate higher levels of redirection, while maintaining a convincing experience, leading to more freedom to navigate virtual environments in even smaller physical spaces.