1. Research Proposal
“Directing textual focus and the engagement of peripheral vision in a hemispherical environment”
Benjamin Fromm
CIS09021 – Planetarium Project
Supervisor: Benjamin Close

2. Introduction Topics of discussion:
cis09021 – Research Proposal
Introduction
Topics of discussion:
 Dome environments – spherical mirror projection
 Peripheral vision in an immersive environment
 Display of text in a dome environment
 The motivation for the research area
 The methodology which will be used
 Conclusion
Benjamin Fromm

3. cis09021 – Research Proposal
Dome Environments:
 Planetariums and smaller personal domes provide an immersive environment for science education, virtual reality, and entertainment.
The major immersive property of the hemispherical surface is the fact that the viewers peripheral vision is engaged. (Bourke, 2004)
Peripheral Vision = vision which occurs outside the very centre gaze of your eye
 In the past made use of star projectors and multiple CRT projectors or projectors with ‘fish eye lenses’ attached in order to display content on the dome surface.
Benjamin Fromm

4. Mueller Planetarium - Nebraska, USA. (10m dome diameter)
cis09021 – Research Proposal
Mueller Planetarium - Nebraska, USA. (10m dome diameter)
Bourke, n.d
Benjamin Fromm

5. Dome Environments – ‘Spherical projection’:
cis09021 – Research Proposal
Dome Environments – ‘Spherical projection’:
 The most recent way of achieving full dome projection is through the use of a ‘spherical mirror projection system’
 Spherical mirror projection uses pre-warped videos, a single digital projector and a spherical mirror in order to distribute light in a wide, solid angle and provide a seamless full dome experience
Bourke, n.d
Benjamin Fromm

6. Display of text in a dome environment:
cis09021 – Research Proposal
Display of text in a dome environment:
 Planetariums offer a truly immersive environment, however the display of some visual features can be difficult due to the nature of the dome environment.
One major problem with dome environments is the display of text.
- Text plays an important role in any visual production and eye tracking studies have shown that 78% of people are first drawn to text over graphics and often recall textual information easier. (Nielsen, 2000)
 Text is a feature which plays a large role in the planetarium project
Benjamin Fromm

7. cis09021 – Research Proposal
Motivation:
The projection technology which is in use in the planetarium at Mawson Lakes is relatively new.
The proper display of text on the dome has been a problem in the past.
There is not a great deal of research which has been done into how best to make use of text in the dome environment and how effectively the viewers peripheral vision is engaged.
Placement of content on the dome surface to ensure that every patron gets a satisfactory experience dependent on position.
Benjamin Fromm

8. cis09021 – Research Proposal
Motivation (cont’d):
Examining the roles of textual information in combination with peripheral vision in the dome environment.
- What is the best place to put text on the dome surface to ensure that each person is able to easily read and understand the text?
- What role does peripheral vision play in the sensory experience of viewers in the dome environment
Benjamin Fromm

9. Methodology and Expected Outcome:
cis09021 – Research Proposal
Methodology and Expected Outcome:
The methods which will be used is to set up several sessions in the planetarium where a selection of people will be asked to watch a series of visualisations displayed on the dome surface.
The people will complete a questionnaire relating to the visualisations to gauge the effectiveness of each one
Position of text
Movement of text
Sizing
Relative Position
Origin of the text (When did people notice text, effectiveness of the positioning in regard to eye lines – peripheral vision)
 The expected outcome is a set of indicators and guidelines on what textual properties work best in the dome environment and how the sense of peripheral vision can be employed in order to increase sensory awareness in dome environments.
Benjamin Fromm

10. cis09021 – Research Proposal
Conclusion:
There is a great deal of content being created for use in dome environments however there is no guiding principles on textual representation on the dome surface and how effectively the sense of peripheral vision can be used in immersive environments such as the planetarium.
In dome environments the placement and transitioning of content needs to be considered to ensure that each patron, regardless of their position has an adequate experience in regard to content being displayed.
Benjamin Fromm

11. cis09021 – Research Proposal
References:
Bourke, P 2005, Spherical mirror: a new approach to hemispherical dome projection, ACM, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Bourke, P n.d, Image gallery of dome installations‘, [Online, accessed 21st May, 2009].
URL:
- Nielsen, J 2000, 'Eyetracking Study of Web Readers‘, [Online, accessed 21st May, 2009].
URL:
Benjamin Fromm