Visualization of spatial Relations in ViRtual enViRonments with aRtificial Depth cues

Gesture-based interaction in virtual environments often suffers from inaccurate depth estimations by the user. In particular, the usability of selection and manipulation tasks highly depends on correct distance judgments. Since haptic feedback is not available, the visual representation and the unambiguous interpretation of spatial configurations are fundamental aspects that influence the usability of gesture-based interaction in virtual environments. Reasons for incorrect judgment of egocen-tric depth in three-dimensional spaces are still partially unclear. We propose a different approach to overcome this issue. We introduce additional artificial depth cues, which are designed to improve the user's understanding of spatial relations within virtual environments. Three visualizations of egocentric depth are introduced: a Depth-of-Field effect inspired by focus effects in photography , an effect called Color Perspective based on observations of the use of color in art, and the visualization of volumetric shadows using Crepuscular Rays.