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Visual Perception and Evaluation of Photo-Realistic Self-Avatars From 3D Body Scans in Males and Females

Thaler, Anne ; Piryankova, Ivelina ; Stefanucci, Jeanine K. ; Pujades, Sergi ; Rosa, Stephan de la ; Streuber, Stephan ; Romero, Javier ; Black, Michael J. ; Mohler, Betty J. (2024)
Visual Perception and Evaluation of Photo-Realistic Self-Avatars From 3D Body Scans in Males and Females.
In: Frontiers in ICT, 2018, 5
doi: 10.26083/tuprints-00016777
Article, Secondary publication, Publisher's Version

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Item Type: Article
Type of entry: Secondary publication
Title: Visual Perception and Evaluation of Photo-Realistic Self-Avatars From 3D Body Scans in Males and Females
Language: English
Date: 12 March 2024
Place of Publication: Darmstadt
Year of primary publication: 4 September 2018
Place of primary publication: Lausanne
Publisher: Frontiers Media S.A.
Journal or Publication Title: Frontiers in ICT
Volume of the journal: 5
Collation: 14 Seiten
DOI: 10.26083/tuprints-00016777
Corresponding Links:
Origin: Secondary publication DeepGreen
Abstract:

The creation or streaming of photo-realistic self-avatars is important for virtual reality applications that aim for perception and action to replicate real world experience. The appearance and recognition of a digital self-avatar may be especially important for applications related to telepresence, embodied virtual reality, or immersive games. We investigated gender differences in the use of visual cues (shape, texture) of a self-avatar for estimating body weight and evaluating avatar appearance. A full-body scanner was used to capture each participant's body geometry and color information and a set of 3D virtual avatars with realistic weight variations was created based on a statistical body model. Additionally, a second set of avatars was created with an average underlying body shape matched to each participant's height and weight. In four sets of psychophysical experiments, the influence of visual cues on the accuracy of body weight estimation and the sensitivity to weight changes was assessed by manipulating body shape (own, average) and texture (own photo-realistic, checkerboard). The avatars were presented on a large-screen display, and participants responded to whether the avatar's weight corresponded to their own weight. Participants also adjusted the avatar's weight to their desired weight and evaluated the avatar's appearance with regard to similarity to their own body, uncanniness, and their willingness to accept it as a digital representation of the self. The results of the psychophysical experiments revealed no gender difference in the accuracy of estimating body weight in avatars. However, males accepted a larger weight range of the avatars as corresponding to their own. In terms of the ideal body weight, females but not males desired a thinner body. With regard to the evaluation of avatar appearance, the questionnaire responses suggest that own photo-realistic texture was more important to males for higher similarity ratings, while own body shape seemed to be more important to females. These results argue for gender-specific considerations when creating self-avatars.

Uncontrolled Keywords: biometric self-avatars, immersive virtual reality, body weight estimation, avatar appearance, gender differences
Identification Number: Artikel-ID: 18
Status: Publisher's Version
URN: urn:nbn:de:tuda-tuprints-167778
Additional Information:

Specialty section: This article was submitted to Virtual Environments, a section of the journal Frontiers in ICT

Classification DDC: 100 Philosophy and psychology > 150 Psychology
600 Technology, medicine, applied sciences > 620 Engineering and machine engineering
700 Arts and recreation > 796 Sports
Divisions: 03 Department of Human Sciences > Institut für Sportwissenschaft
Zentrale Einrichtungen > Centre for Cognitive Science (CCS)
Date Deposited: 12 Mar 2024 12:59
Last Modified: 18 Jul 2024 15:12
SWORD Depositor: Deep Green
URI: https://tuprints.ulb.tu-darmstadt.de/id/eprint/16777
PPN: 519916336
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