Path visualization: a method for objective measurement of spatial visualization

ABSTRACT

The ability to mentally represent spatial information is a fundamental cognitive process. To many people, this process feels a bit like visual perception, hence the term ‘spatial visualization’. In this paper, we describe a method for measuring the accuracy of spatial visualization, specifically visualization of a complex path in imaginary space. A critical feature of this method (called Path Visualization) is that it relies on the detection of intersections in a visualized path. Intersection detection is an inherently spatial task that requires a spatial representation. In this paper, we show how the Path Visualization method works, and how it can be customized to address several key research issues in human spatial cognition.     

Variable Granularity in Route Directions

Abstract

This paper addresses changes of spatial granularity in route directions in relation to information needs in multimodal traveling. We outline a model of variability in granularity and apply this model to empirical data. Results reveal that linguistic route directions produced by humans as well as automatically generated web-based services provide the most crucial route elements in hierarchically structured ways that reflect the salient structure imposed by multimodal traveling. However, although the web-based information is impressively comprehensive, human route directions exhibit more flexibility regarding switches of place-related granularity, and they provide more detailed information at complex locations or decision points.     

空间指示语延伸的语义认知解读

指示语涉及语言结构与其所使用语境之间的关系。探讨其五种类型之一的空间指示语向其他领域延伸现象及其背后的语义认知原因,并提出指示现象最终依靠语境分析来理解话语。     

Is Route Learning More Than Serial Learning?

Abstract

The nature of route learning in terms of the memorizing of landmarks was investigated. In Experiment 1, participants memorized landmarks while being guided through a computer-simulated hallway (dynamic, with spatial context), or while viewing the landmarks one by one in front of a black background (static, without context). Two more conditions completed the 2 × 2 design. One condition preserved the dynamic landmark viewing properties (observers approached each object, passed it, turned to the next object, and so on), but the background was black (dynamic, without context). In the other condition the observer saw a stationary display of each object within a hallway, but did not approach the object (static, with context). Serial recall was much better after viewing the landmarks in the dynamic presentation format with spatial context than in the other conditions. Experiment 2 showed that the superior performance in the dynamic condition with context was abolished when all hallway segments were equally long. This implies that metric information is a component of route knowledge at a very early stage, which is incompatible with the dominant framework, but is compatible with the alternative framework for spatial microgenesis.     

The interaction of symmetry and verbal codability in children's reconstruction of spatial configurations

Although the physical organization of spatialinformation clearly influences how it is recognized,recalled, and mentally transformed, few studies haveexplored how different levels of organizationinteract. This study focused on 4- and 6-year-oldchildren's memory for spatial configurations andexamined the relative influence of two levels oforganization: symmetry (vertical, horizontal, or none)and codability (verbal or nonverbal). We predictedthat the influence of symmetry would be lesspronounced among the older children for whom thepatterns were more codable. The results partiallysupported this prediction: Older children'sreconstructions were accurate regardless of patternsymmetry; younger children's reconstructions ofvertically-symmetric patterns were more accurate thantheir reconstructions of horizontally-symmetric andasymmetric patterns. Taken together, the resultsrevealed an interaction between age and symmetry onthe accuracy of children's reconstructions, suggestingthat younger children were more sensitive than olderchildren to differences in pattern symmetry. Thus,different levels of organization may influencechildren's ability to recall spatial information andthe relative influence of these levels may changeduring development.     

Children's control of reference systems in spatial tasks: Foundations of spatial cognitive skill?

Two experiments are presented, one that focused on the abilities of 3- through 8-year-old children to use frames of reference as means for solving a search task in a small-scale perceived space and one that focused on the abilities of 8- through 11-year-old children to use different frames of reference to answer questions about the locations of objects in an environment they had read about. Experiment 1 revealed developmental improvement in the consistent application of object-, place-, and viewer-based frames of reference, with scale of space impacting the pattern of age-related improvement. Experiment 2 showed that young readers' first successes with switching from one reference system to another in representational space involved a vantage point perspective, a viewer-based ``gaze tour' of a small-scale area. Although disparate in focus and method, the studies point to the need for a new theoretical framework for examining developmental issues in the application of spatial frames of reference.     

飞机发动机燃料计量系统故障分析的一种方法

随着产品成本和复杂性的提高，故障模式影响分析已成为复杂系统设计过程中不可或缺的部分。但其有效性多年来一直存在争议，其主要原因在于采用以经验为主的定性推理法，分析繁琐，工作量大，导致很难确定每种故障模式的故障影响。本文从BIT设计的角度，以功能角色模型理论为基础，导出在反馈系统中的推理规则和故障模式影响分析方法。最后以喷气式发动机燃料计量系统为例，阐述对该系统进行故障分析的一般步骤。研究表明，本文提出的功能角色模型理论可有效提高故障模式影响分析效率。     

Effects of Basic Path Properties on Human Path Integration

Abstract

We investigated how path integration performance can be influenced by five basic path properties in a Virtual Reality Cube. Participants performed path-completion tasks in hallway paths with up to 12 segments. Distance information was visual, whereas turning angles were specified through vision and body senses. The ridge regression analyses suggested that path integration was affected by the number of segments, overall path length/turning angles, and the correct homing distance. Moreover, an un-correlation paradigm showed that path completion performance might be affected by participants' expectations for the correct homing distance of different paths. Implications on models of path integration were discussed.     

Effects of Communication Methods on Communication Patterns and Performance in a Remote Spatial Orientation Task

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to examine the impact of communication methods (text-only, audio-only, and audio-plus-video) on communication patterns and effectiveness in a 2-person remote spatial orientation task. The task required a pair of participants to figure out the cardinal direction of a target object by communicating spatial information and perspectives. Results showed that overall effectiveness in the audio-only condition was better than the text-only and audio-plus-video conditions, and communication patterns were more predictive of errors than individual differences in spatial abilities. Discourse analysis showed that participants in the audio-plus-video condition performed less mental transformation of spatial information when communicating, which led to more interpretation errors by the listener. Participants in the text-only conditions performed less confirmation and made more errors by misreading their own display. Results suggested that speakers in the audio-plus-video condition minimized effort by communicating spatial information based on their own perspective but speakers in the audio-only and text-only conditions would more likely communicate transformed spatial information. Analysis of gestures in the audio-plus-video condition confirmed that iconic gestures tended to co-occur with spatial transformation. Iconic gesture rates were negatively correlated with transformation errors, indicating that iconic gestures more likely co-occurred with successful communication of spatial transformation. Results show that when visual interactive feedback is available, speakers tend to adopt egocentric spatial perspectives to minimize effort in mental transformation and rely on the feedback to ensure that the hearer correctly interprets the information. When visual interactive feedback is not available, speakers will put more effort in transforming spatial information to help the hearer to understand the information. The current result demonstrated that allowing two persons to see and communicate with each other during a remote spatial reasoning task can lead to more errors because of the use of a suboptimal communication strategy.     

基于一种隶属函数的夹具相似度计算模型

针对夹具概念设计过程的复杂性和设计结果的不确定性等缺点,将基于实例推理技术应用于夹具概念设计过程当中。并根据夹具特征和概念设计中的模糊需求,选取三角函数作为隶属函数进行相似度计算,构建相似度计算模型,并将其应用于夹具实例推理过程中,最终实现简化夹具设计过程和提高设计效率的目的。