Publication

bmlTUX: Design and control of experiments in virtual reality and beyond

Authors

Adam O. Bebko
Nikolaus F. Troje

Center for Vision Research
York University
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Abstract

Advances in virtual reality (VR) technology have made it a valuable new tool for vision and perception researchers since it offers a critical depth cue, active motion parallax. Coding VR experiments from scratch is difficult and time-consuming so researchers rely on software such as Unity game engine to create and edit virtual scenes. However, Unity lacks built-in tools for controlling experiments. Existing third-party add-ins require complicated scripts to define experiments. This can be difficult and requires advanced coding knowledge, especially for multifactorial experimental designs. In this paper, we describe a new free and open-source tool called the BiomotionLab Toolkit for Unity Experiments (bmlTUX) that provides a simple interface for controlling experiments in Unity. In contrast to existing tools, bmlTUX provides a graphical interface to automatically handle combinatorics, counterbalancing, randomization, mixed designs, and blocking of trial order. The toolbox works “out-of-the-box” since simple experiments can be created with almost no coding. Furthermore, multiple design configurations can be swapped with a drag-and-drop interface allowing researchers to test new configurations iteratively while maintaining the ability to easily revert to previous configurations. Despite its simplicity, bmlTUX remains highly flexible and customizable, catering to coding novices and experts alike.

Download Paper

In Press, submitted to i-Perception, available as pre-print on PsyArXiv: https://psyarxiv.com/arvkf/

Citing

Bebko, A. O., & Troje, N. F. (2020 In Press) bmlTUX: Design and control of experiments in virtual reality. _i-Perception. preprint doi: 10.31234/osf.io/arvkf PsyArXiv: https://psyarxiv.com/arvkf

@misc{bebko_troje_2020,
 title={bmlTUX: Design and control of experiments in virtual reality and beyond},
 url={psyarxiv.com/arvkf},
 DOI={10.31234/osf.io/arvkf},
 publisher={PsyArXiv},
 author={Bebko, Adam O and Troje, Nikolaus F},
 year={2020},
 month={May}
}
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