Discrete Virtual Rotation in Pointing vs. Leaning-Directed Steering Interfaces: A Uni vs. Bimanual Perspective

TL;DR

This work explores the integration of discontinuous Orientation Selection into steering interfaces intending to preserve the seamless sensation of real-world movement, while mitigating the risk of inducing cybersickness, and uncover indications that Pointing-Directed Steering outperforms embodied interfaces in usability and task load in the given setting.

Abstract

In this work, we explore the integration of discontinuous Orientation Selection into steering interfaces intending to preserve the seamless sensation of real-world movement, while mitigating the risk of inducing cybersickness. Our implementation encounters conflicts in standard input mappings, prompting us to adopt bimanual interaction as a solution. Recognizing the complexity that may arise from this step, we also develop unimanual alternatives, e.g., utilizing a Human-Joystick, commonly referred to as Leaning interface. The outcomes of an empirical study centered around a primed search task yield unexpected findings. We observed a sample of users spanning multiple levels of gaming experience and a balanced gender distribution exhibit no significant difficulties with the bimanual, asymmetric interfaces. Remarkably, the performance of Orientation Selection is, as in prior work, at least on par with Snap Rotation. Moreover, through a subsequent exploratory analysis, we uncover indications that Pointing-Directed Steering outperforms embodied interfaces in usability and task load in the given setting.

Figures (8)

• Figure 1: Orientation Selection: When selecting an orientation by pointing (1), there are at least two ways of interpreting whom's orientation was selected: (2a) the looking/HMD direction's, i.e., the user is looking at the target after the re-orientation or (2b) the locomotion platform's direction, i.e., the user determines the orientation of the virtual pendant of their physical body, which sounds strange but is the way we reorient ourselves in reality when we move our bodies towards a target object and our head's orientation is used to look around. In the common case where the forward direction of the head/HMD and the locomotion platform point in the same direction when rotating, i.e., the user is simply looking forward, both methods behave identically. It is important to add at this point that in our setting, we can assume that the orientation of the motion platform corresponds to that of the user's physical body, as we assume that the user is sitting on a non-rotatable chair. In cases where this is not the case, without the use of additional trackers it remains unclear what the forward direction of the physical body is. In our implementation, we choose (2a).
• Figure 2: Ego-perspective into the virtual environment. In the foreground the current target coin is visible. In the background, you can discern one of the items to be remembered, a construction worker.
• Figure 3: Measurement of the six labyrinth courses. Superimposed are the positions of the memorizable objects (circles) and the positions of the coins (ellipses). The size of the overlays does not accurately represent their actual size.
• Figure 4: SUS
• Figure 5: NASA TLX