Fashion versus perception: the impact of surface lightness on the perceived dimensions of interior space

The Topo-Speech sensory substitution system as a method of conveying spatial information to the blind and vision impaired

Humans, like most animals, integrate sensory input in the brain from different sensory modalities. Yet humans are distinct in their ability to grasp symbolic input, which is interpreted into a cognitive mental representation of the world. This representation merges with external sensory input, providing modality integration of a different sort. This study evaluates the Topo-Speech algorithm in the blind and visually impaired. The system provides spatial information about the external world by applying sensory substitution alongside symbolic representations in a manner that corresponds with the unique way our brains acquire and process information. This is done by conveying spatial information, customarily acquired through vision, through the auditory channel, in a combination of sensory (auditory) features and symbolic language (named/spoken) features. The Topo-Speech sweeps the visual scene or image and represents objects' identity by employing naming in a spoken word and simultaneously conveying the objects' location by mapping the x-axis of the visual scene or image to the time it is announced and the y-axis by mapping the location to the pitch of the voice. This proof of concept study primarily explores the practical applicability of this approach in 22 visually impaired and blind individuals. The findings showed that individuals from both populations could effectively interpret and use the algorithm after a single training session. The blind showed an accuracy of 74.45%, while the visually impaired had an average accuracy of 72.74%. These results are comparable to those of the sighted, as shown in previous research, with all participants above chance level. As such, we demonstrate practically how aspects of spatial information can be transmitted through non-visual channels. To complement the findings, we weigh in on debates concerning models of spatial knowledge (the persistent, cumulative, or convergent models) and the capacity for spatial representation in the blind. We suggest the present study's findings support the convergence model and the scenario that posits the blind are capable of some aspects of spatial representation as depicted by the algorithm comparable to those of the sighted. Finally, we present possible future developments, implementations, and use cases for the system as an aid for the blind and visually impaired.

Conceptual Framework to Support Personalized Indoor Space Design Decision-Making: A Systematic Literature Review

COVID-19 has forced people to spend more time indoors due to lockdown and social distancing, and clients demand personalized indoor spaces designed to increase individual satisfaction indoors. Consequently, various fourth industrial revolution technologies have been applied to support construction spaces to satisfy those clients lacking architectural knowledge and experience by reflecting individual tendencies and perceptions to build personalized indoor spaces. Therefore, it is crucial to understand how users evaluate the space according to behaviors and emotions felt in the space. A systematic review is performed to integrate significant categories from multiple disciplines to investigate the various decision-making aspects. In this study, 124 papers were selected, applying the PRISMA checklist to conduct a systematic literature review with scientometric analysis to propose a conceptual framework by reflecting the research trend related to indoor space decision-making. Accordingly, research on indoor space decision-making is increasing with pursuing convergence with various fields of study. The research is focused on the following four clusters: indoor space components, human tendencies, technology, and spatial evaluation. The framework proposed by integrating these trends could be utilized by clients as a practical tool to support people-centered indoor space decision-making post-COVID-19. Moreover, a framework should be developed to expand effectiveness in indoor spaces through convergence and collaboration research with psychology, physiology, and the medical field.

Light Distribution and Perceived Spaciousness: Light Patterns in Scale Models

Previous research showed that light distribution can affect the perception of spatial size and shape. However, most studies are limited to quantitative assessment of a few scenarios without explaining possible causes behind peoples’ experiences. This exploratory study aimed to reveal complex relationships between light patterns and perceived size, and to investigate how light patterns affect perceived spaciousness. A qualitative approach was used with pair-wise comparisons between systematic visual observations of scale models. The observations confirmed that illuminated walls increase spaciousness. Yet, darkness impacts the perception of spaciousness as well. Both compound and separated light zones can expand depth, height, or width, depending on the interpretation of these patterns of light seen in relation to the whole spatial context. Furthermore, the position of illuminated areas, with placements on edge or in the center, may additionally influence perceived size.

Wall patterns influence the perception of interior space

The texture of an object’s surface influences its perceived spatial extent. For example, Hermann von Helmholtz reported that a square patch with black and white stripes appears elongated perpendicular to the stripes’ orientation. This time-honoured finding stands in contrast with more recent recommendations by interior-design experts who suggest that stripe wall patterns make rooms appear elongated in the direction parallel to the stripes’ orientation. In a series of four experiments, we presented stripe wall patterns and varied the orientation of the stripes (horizontal vs. vertical) and their density (number of stripes per degree of visual angle). Subjects estimated the width and height of stereoscopically presented interior spaces. Stripe patterns with higher densities made rooms appear both wider and higher than did stripe patterns with lower densities or plain walls. In contrast to both the predictions from the Helmholtz-square and the design guidelines, this effect was only weakly modulated by pattern orientation, in the sense that rooms appeared elongated in the direction parallel to the stripes’ orientation. We conclude that object-based texture effects cannot be generalised to interior space perception. For a room’s perceived spatial extent, pattern density is more important than pattern orientation.

A machine learning approach to quantify the specificity of colour-emotion associations and their cultural differences

The link between colour and emotion and its possible similarity across cultures are questions that have not been fully resolved. Online, 711 participants from China, Germany, Greece and the UK associated 12 colour terms with 20 discrete emotion terms in their native languages. We propose a machine learning approach to quantify (a) the consistency and specificity of colour-emotion associations and (b) the degree to which they are country-specific, on the basis of the accuracy of a statistical classifier in (a) decoding the colour term evaluated on a given trial from the 20 ratings of colour-emotion associations and (b) predicting the country of origin from the 240 individual colour-emotion associations, respectively. The classifier accuracies were significantly above chance level, demonstrating that emotion associations are to some extent colour-specific and that colour-emotion associations are to some extent country-specific. A second measure of country-specificity, the in-group advantage of the colour-decoding accuracy, was detectable but relatively small (6.1%), indicating that colour-emotion associations are both universal and culture-specific. Our results show that machine learning is a promising tool when analysing complex datasets from emotion research.

Which Attribute of Ceiling Color Influences Perceived Room Height?

OBJECTIVE

We investigate effects of the hue, saturation, and luminance of ceiling color on the perceived height of interior spaces.

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have reported that the perceived height of an interior space is influenced by the luminance of the ceiling, but not by the luminance contrast between ceiling and walls: brighter ceilings appeared higher than darker ceilings, irrespective of wall and floor luminance. However, these studies used solely achromatic colors. We report an experiment in which we extend these findings to effects of chromatic ceiling colors.

METHODS

We presented stereoscopic room simulations on a head-mounted display (Oculus Rift DK2) and varied hue (red, green, blue), saturation (low, high), and luminance (bright, dark) of the ceiling independently of each other.

RESULTS

We found the previously reported ceiling luminance effect to apply also to chromatic colors: subjects judged brighter ceilings to be higher than darker ceilings. The remaining color dimensions merely had a very small (hue) or virtually no effect (saturation) on perceived height.

CONCLUSION

In order to maximize the perceived height of an interior space, we suggest painting the ceiling in the brightest possible color. The hue and saturation of the paint are only of minor importance.

APPLICATION

The present study improves the empirical basis for interior design guidelines regarding effects of surface color on the perceived layout of interior spaces.

Bright paint makes interior-space surfaces appear farther away

Previous studies have reported that bright ceilings appear higher than dark ceilings, irrespective of the other colorimetric properties of the ceiling color (hue, saturation) and irrespective of the luminance of the remaining room surfaces (walls, floor). In the present study, we expand these findings to width and depth estimates. We presented stereoscopic full-scale room simulations on a head-mounted display and varied the luminance of the side walls, rear wall, and ceiling independently of each other. Participants judged the width and depth of the simulated rooms. Our results show that the perceived spatial layout of a given room is significantly influenced by the luminance of the direct bounding surfaces (e.g., the side walls when judging perceived width) but less affected by the luminance of the other surfaces. In the discussion, we provide an overall picture of effects of surface luminance on the perceived layout of interior spaces and discuss the conclusions in the context of existing interior-design guidelines.

Cultural differences in room size perception

Cultural differences in spatial perception have been little investigated, which gives rise to the impression that spatial cognitive processes might be universal. Contrary to this idea, we demonstrate cultural differences in spatial volume perception of computer generated rooms between Germans and South Koreans. We used a psychophysical task in which participants had to judge whether a rectangular room was larger or smaller than a square room of reference. We systematically varied the room rectangularity (depth to width aspect ratio) and the viewpoint (middle of the short wall vs. long wall) from which the room was viewed. South Koreans were significantly less biased by room rectangularity and viewpoint than their German counterparts. These results are in line with previous notions of general cognitive processing strategies being more context dependent in East Asian societies than Western ones. We point to the necessity of considering culturally-specific cognitive processing strategies in visual spatial cognition research.

Measuring Perceived Ceiling Height in a Visual Comparison Task

When judging interior space, a dark ceiling is judged to be lower than a light ceiling. The method of metric judgments (e.g., on a centimetre scale) that has typically been used in such tasks may reflect a genuine perceptual effect or it may reflect a cognitively mediated impression. We employed a height-matching method in which perceived ceiling height had to be matched with an adjustable pillar, thus obtaining psychometric functions that allowed for an estimation of the point of subjective equality (PSE) and the difference limen (DL). The height-matching method developed in this paper allows for a direct visual match and does not require metric judgment. It has the added advantage of providing superior precision. Experiment 1 used ceiling heights between 2.90 m and 3.00 m. The PSE proved sensitive to slight changes in perceived ceiling height. The DL was about 3% of the physical ceiling height. Experiment 2 found similar results for lower (2.30 m to 2.50 m) and higher (3.30 m to 3.50 m) ceilings. In Experiment 3, we additionally varied ceiling lightness (light grey vs. dark grey). The height matches showed that the light ceiling appeared significantly higher than the darker ceiling. We therefore attribute the influence of ceiling lightness on perceived ceiling height to a direct perceptual rather than a cognitive effect.

Most and Least Preferred Colours Differ According to Object Context: New Insights from an Unrestricted Colour Range

Humans like some colours and dislike others, but which particular colours and why remains to be understood. Empirical studies on colour preferences generally targeted most preferred colours, but rarely least preferred (disliked) colours. In addition, findings are often based on general colour preferences leaving open the question whether results generalise to specific objects. Here, 88 participants selected the colours they preferred most and least for three context conditions (general, interior walls, t-shirt) using a high-precision colour picker. Participants also indicated whether they associated their colour choice to a valenced object or concept. The chosen colours varied widely between individuals and contexts and so did the reasons for their choices. Consistent patterns also emerged, as most preferred colours in general were more chromatic, while for walls they were lighter and for t-shirts they were darker and less chromatic compared to least preferred colours. This meant that general colour preferences could not explain object specific colour preferences. Measures of the selection process further revealed that, compared to most preferred colours, least preferred colours were chosen more quickly and were less often linked to valenced objects or concepts. The high intra- and inter-individual variability in this and previous reports furthers our understanding that colour preferences are determined by subjective experiences and that most and least preferred colours are not processed equally.

Effects of Coloured Lighting on the Perception of Interior Spaces

Use of coloured lighting in interior spaces has become prevalent in recent years. Considerable importance is ascribed to coloured lighting in interior and lighting design. The effects of colour on the perception of interior spaces have been studied as surface colour; but here, the effects of three different types of chromatic light were investigated. The lighting differed in colour (red, green and white) and perceptions of interior space were assessed. 97 participants (59 women, 38 men; M age = 21.4 yr.) evaluated the experiment room on a questionnaire assessing eight evaluative factors: Pleasantness, Arousal, Aesthetics, Usefulness, Comfort, Spaciousness, Colour, and Lighting quality. Perceptions of the room differed by colour of lighting for some of the evaluative factors, but there was no sex difference in perceptions. Interior spaces may be perceived as equally pleasant under white, green and red lighting. Under white lighting a space is perceived as more useful, spacious, clear, and luminous. Green lighting would make the same effect. Green and white lighting were perceived equally comfortable in an interior space. Chromatic coloured lighting was perceived to be more aesthetic than white lighting. The results support previous findings for some evaluative factors, but differed for others.

The effect of furnishing on perceived spatial dimensions and spaciousness of interior space

Despite the ubiquity of interior space design, there is virtually no scientific research on the influence of furnishing on the perception of interior space. We conducted two experiments in which observers were asked to estimate the spatial dimensions (size of the room dimensions in meters and centimeters) and to judge subjective spaciousness of various rooms. Experiment 1 used true-to-scale model rooms with a square surface area. Furnishing affected both the perceived height and the spaciousness judgments. The furnished room was perceived as higher but less spacious. In Experiment 2, rooms with different square surface areas and constant physical height were presented in virtual reality. Furnishing affected neither the perceived spatial dimensions nor the perceived spaciousness. Possible reasons for this discrepancy, such as the influence of the presentation medium, are discussed. Moreover, our results suggest a compression of perceived height and depth with decreasing surface area of the room.