The Arctic Data Visualization Environment (ADVE): dataset

The Arctic region is undergoing drastic changes warranting immediate actions to understand them and how humans interact and cognitively perform in these environments. To address this concern, the Arctic Data Visualization Environment (ADVE) was created. ADVE is a virtual reality platform that allows decision makers and other users to enter into three-dimensional virtual environments created using light detecting and ranging (LiDAR) point clouds and unmanned aircraft system (UAS) derived datasets. In this study, data were collected from 52 participants who participated in either desktop Virtual Reality (Desktop-VR) or head-mounted display Virtual Reality (HMD-VR) immersive conditions of two Arctic environment types (taiga, tundra). Simultaneous gaze, fixation, and saccade eye-tracking metrics were recorded. Object identification and memory (delayed, immediate) performance were better in the tundra region compared to the taiga region. Object identification was greater in the Desktop-VR condition compared to the HMD-VR condition. The sense of remembering was greater during immediate memory recall compared to delayed memory recall. In the Desktop-VR condition, duration of average saccade was positively correlated with delayed memory recall. In HMD-VR condition, duration of average saccade and duration of average fixation were positively correlated with immediate memory recall. The results indicate varying human cognition in different Arctic and immersive conditions necessitating further ADVE research.