Printing Virtual Reality Interfaces - The Cognitive Map Probe

The Cognitive Map Probe (CMP) is a novel Virtual Reality interface that attempts to assess the cognitive mapping abilities of its users. The CMP uses a tangible user interface (TUI) in order to support natural acquisition and straightforward assessment of cognitive maps. It is directed at the assessment of early Alzheimer Disease (AD) by measuring the decline in cognitive mapping abilities, a decline associated with early phases of AD. The CMP uses an adaptation of a pioneering "Machine-Readable Model", the Segal Model, which enables the user to interact with a virtual neighborhood environment by manipulating highly realistic, highly detailed, physical 3D models. All the CMP's TUI subparts were designed as realistic 3D small -scale models of physical landmarks and later printed using a 3D printer. This affords a very simple mapping between the virtual and physical elements of the CMP interface. In this short paper we briefly describe the CMP project's fundamentals and the concept of literally printing 3D VR interfaces. 1. Cognitive Mapping and early AD Cognitive Maps can be defined as: an overall mental image or representatio n of the space and layout of a setting. Cognitive mapping can be defined as: the mental structuring process leading to the creation of a cognitive map (2).