This paper investigates the use of immersive virtual reconstructions as an aid for jurors during a courtroom trial. The findings of a between-participant user study on memory and decision-making are presented in the context of viewing a simulated hit-run-death scenario. Participants listened to the opening statement of a prosecutor and a defence attorney before viewing the crime scene in Virtual Reality (VR) or as still images. We compare the effects on cognition and usability of using VR over images presented on a screen. We found several significant improvements, including that VR led to more consistent decision-making among participants. This shows that VR could provide a promising solution for the court to present crime scenes when site visitations are not possible.
https://doi.org/10.1145/3411764.3445464
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