Trails of Performance: A Study of Real Time Optimization Techniques in Heterogeneous Natural Environments for VR

• Lucas Rangel da Cruz CEFET/RJ
• Nicole Cristina Vieira dos Santos CEFET/RJ
• Luiz André de Souza CEFET/RJ
• Andressa dos Santos Oliveira CEFET/RJ
• Marcelo Arêas Rodrigues da Silva CEFET/RJ
• Joel André Ferreira dos Santos CEFET/RJ

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5753/sbgames.2025.10340

Resumo

Introduction: Virtual reality has gained widespread adoption across training, education, and other fields, yet hardware limitations, especially in lower-end standalone devices, pose challenges for accessibility and quality. Moreover, optimization is still a slow and experimental process, often at odds with the fast pace of research, especially for small teams. Thus, effective software optimization is critical for delivering a smooth and enjoyable experience for users and developers. Objectives: This study evaluates various optimization techniques and proposes a hybrid approach to address limitations observed in a target VR scene. Methodology: Performance metrics were collected on a VR device at key points in a test scene for each technique. Results were compared to identify the most effective methods, which were then combined into a hybrid technique and further assessed. Results: The hybrid technique increased performance by 26%, achieving an average frame time reduction of around 8 ms compared to individual techniques, with the second-best technique, a Level of Detail system, yielding a reduction of around 4 ms on average. However, the hybrid technique’s broader applicability outside the test scene requires further experimentation.

Palavras-chave: Optimization, Virtual Reality, Unity, Occlusion, LOD, Comparison

Referências

Anthes, C., García-Hernández, R. J., Wiedemann, M., e Kranzlmüller, D. (2016). State of the art of virtual reality technology. In 2016 IEEE Aerospace Conference, pages 1–19.

da Silva, C., Figueiredo, T., Rodrigues, B., Bozelli, R., e Freire, L. (2021). Em busca de uma Ética do viver: Narrativas de professores e educadores ambientais em experiÊncias didÁticas em uma trilha interpretativa na amazÔnia. Tecné Episteme y Didaxis TED.

Galindo Jr, G. G. T. (2018). Um conjunto de métodos de otimização e boas práticas para jogos digitais 3d na portabilidade para plataformas menos potentes. Final Project Thesis.

Hamad, A. e Jia, B. (2022). How virtual reality technology has changed our lives: An overview of the current and potential applications and limitations. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(18).

Klein, D., Spjut, J., Boudaoud, B., e Kim, J. (2024). Variable frame timing affects perception of smoothness in first-person gaming. In 2024 IEEE Conference on Games (CoG), pages 1–8.

Koskela, T. e Vatjus-Anttila, J. (2015). Optimization techniques for 3d graphics deployment on mobile devices. 3D Research, 6.

Luebke, D. P. e Humphreys, G. (2007). How gpus work. Computer, 40.

Ntakakis, G., Plomariti, C., Frantzidis, C., Antoniou, P. E., Bamidis, P. D., e Tsoulfas, G. (2023). Exploring the use of virtual reality in surgical education. World Journal of Transplantation, 13(2):36–43.

Nusrat, F., Hassan, F., Zhong, H., e Wang, X. (2021). How developers optimize virtual reality applications: A study of optimization commits in open source unity projects. In 2021 IEEE/ACM 43rd International Conference on Software Engineering (ICSE), pages 473–485.

Oksanen, M. (2022). 3d interior environment optimization for vr. Final Project Thesis.

Opsenica, B. (2020). Frustum culling. Accessed on: 17 jan. 2025. Accessed on: [link].

Radivojevic, F. (2024). Level of detail (lod) in games: Enhancing performance and visuals. Accessed on: 17 jan. 2025. Accessed on: [link].

Saleh, N., Salaheldin, A. M., Badawi, M., e El-Bialy, A. (2025). Rehabilitative game-based system for enhancing physical and cognitive abilities of neurological disorders. Cognitive Neurodynamics, 19(1). Cited by: 0; All Open Access, Hybrid Gold Open Access.

Sanjay, S. e Salanke, N. S. G. R. (2017). Recent trends and challenges in virtual reality. International Journal of Computer Applications, 166:4–6.

Scratchapixel (2024a). Introduction to polygon meshes. Accessed on: 17 jan. 2025. Accessed on: [link].

Scratchapixel (2024b). What is shading: Light-matter interaction. Accessed on: 17 jan. 2025. Accessed on: [link].

Shirley, P. e Marschner, S. (2009). Fundamentals of Computer Graphics. A. K. Peters, Ltd., USA, 3rd edition.

Soares, B. R., Barbosa, A., Silva, C. d., Lopes, V., Bozelli, R., e Santos, L. d. (2021). Jogo “vida na lagoa da mata”: Entrelaçando ensino de ciências e divulgação científica na floresta nacional de carajás (pa). Anais XIII Encontro Nacional de Pesquisa em Educação em Ciências.

Unity Technologies (2024). Unity Manual (2022.3 LTS). Accessed on: 05 fev. 2025.

Wang, P., Wu, P., Wang, J., Chi, H.-L., e Wang, X. (2018). A critical review of the use of virtual reality in construction engineering education and training. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15(6). Cited by: 589; All Open Access, Gold Open Access, Green Open Access.

Xiao, Y., Bhaumik, R., Yang, Z., Siekkinen, M., Savolainen, P., e Ylä-Jääski, A. (2010). A system-level model for runtime power estimation on mobile devices. In 2010 IEEE/ACM Int’l Conference on Green Computing and Communications & Int’l Conference on Cyber, Physical and Social Computing, pages 27–34.