Navigation by Walking in Hyperbolic Space Using Virtual Reality

Previous studies and video games have shown that human spatial reasoning is flexible and can naturally accommodate non-Euclidean spaces. In particular, hyperbolic space has been an effective interface for navigating large, complex datasets. In this study, we seek to test human navigation of hyperbolic space through an immersive virtual reality (VR) game. The game design is minimalistic and focused on navigation and walking. We designed Euclidean and hyperbolic versions of two levels, one based on path-following and the other on path-planning across a branching structure. Initial user testing suggests that people can navigate in hyperbolic virtual environments without major disorientation and may navigate branching structures more intuitively than in Euclidean space.