THE PROJECT

Recent advances in extended reality (XR) technology have stimulated novel uses of and increased access to XR-based geovisualizations.  XR represents a significant opportunity for geovisualization, enabling interactive 3D spatial data experiences in 3D.  However, determining for whom these experiences are most effective requires greater awareness of the human factors governing the cognitive processes behind geospatial knowledge transfer and the significance of XR.  While spatial ability tests may be included in research assessing geovisualization effectiveness, applying conventional metrics to assess contemporary 3D interfaces (which do not demand the same cognitive operations as the 2D interfaces for which those metrics were designed) seems a poor fit.  The immersive mental rotations test (IMRT) is a virtual reality (VR) based adaptation of a classic spatial ability test, the mental rotations test (MRT).  The IMRT was developed specifically for VR, to explore the effect that emerging display technologies and virtual environment design have on the ability to mentally rotate 2D images of 3D objects and the 3D objects themselves.  The results of this pilot study suggest that immersive VR-based geovisualizations may support spatial information experiences that are perceptually accessible to a greater portion of the general population than conventional equivalents.