Omnidirectional Photographic Capture for VR-Based Representation of Indoor Space: A Subjective Study

The availability of high-resolution omnidirectional cameras enables the rapid acquisition of real-world environments, which can be leveraged for virtual visits. This has significant potential for applications in education, cultural heritage, and simulation. This paper presents a subjective evaluation of a lightweight technique for representing real indoor spaces in Virtual Reality (VR) using 360-degree imagery. A real room was captured and displayed as an equirectangular texture mapped onto a virtual sphere. Twenty-two participants explored the scene using natural locomotion and completed perceptual and cognitive tasks. Their experience was assessed using standardized questionnaires concerning presence, depth perception, visual realism, and distortion. Results indicate that the method can effectively convey a sense of immersion and spatial presence when viewed through a VR headset, though projection-related distortions remain a limitation. Overall, the approach is shown to be a viable solution for rapid VR deployment where visual immersion is prioritized over interactive complexity.