SBIR Phase I: Immersive Virtual Reality-Based Assessment Tool for Spatial Orientation

The broader/commercial impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to design the first scientifically valid, immersive virtual reality–based assessment tool for measuring spatial orientation. This ability is essential in fields such as aviation, healthcare, and public safety, where over 10 million Americans are assessed each year. Despite its importance, existing tools—relying on conventional computerized assessments—are not reliable and fail to activate the sensory systems involved in spatial orientation. The proposed project integrates insights from cognitive neuroscience and human-computer interaction to create a scientifically grounded, portable, and scalable solution for accurate spatial orientation assessment in personnel selection, training, and diagnostics. It will also advance scientific understanding of the processes involved in spatial orientation and how immersive virtual reality can support reliable assessment and training of this ability. The business model involves annual licensing to key industry sectors. By year three, the tool is expected to be deployed in at least three major industries, reaching thousands of users, with impact reflected in licensing uptake and institutional implementation. This technology will be a key driver of the company’s commercial success, marking the start of developing valid immersive virtual reality tools for assessing cognitive abilities. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop the first scientifically validated immersive virtual reality–based assessment tool for spatial orientation, the capacity to imagine a reoriented self or a change of perspective within an environment. Current spatial ability assessments primarily measure allocentric processing—object-to-object encoding from a fixed viewpoint—and fail to engage the multisensory systems essential for encoding egocentric spatial relations between the body and surrounding objects. The proposed assessment instrument integrates immersive virtual reality with unique design features that activate vestibular and proprioceptive input from the environment and systematically constrain allocentric strategies. The research will follow an iterative development process, combining behavioral testing, real-world navigation tasks, and EEG-based neurophysiological validation. Key parameters such as reorientation angles, pointing directions, and response dynamics will be optimized to isolate egocentric processing. Anticipated outcomes include a portable and scalable assessment tool with strong internal and predictive validity, and the establishment of a new psychometric framework for assessing spatial orientation. This project advances both cognitive neuroscience and applied assessment technologies, with high-impact applications across aviation, defense, healthcare, and STEM education. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.