Look-and-Twist: A Simple Selection Method for Virtual and Augmented Reality

TL;DR

The paper tackles the challenge of simple, hardware-agnostic VR/AR interaction by introducing look-and-twist, a head-rotation based method that uses axis-angle reasoning to twist around the look axis and select targets, effectively providing a point-and-click analog without controllers. Leveraging a low-cost IMU and straightforward implementation in common engines, the method supports both binary and continuous control and is suitable for mobile VR on Cardboard-like devices. A preliminary user study compares look-and-twist to dwell-time, showing comparable performance on first exposure and improvements with practice, and offering potential extensions to locomotion and object manipulation. The work aims to broaden accessibility of VR interactions and reduce hardware barriers while enriching interaction vocabularies in real-world applications.

Abstract

This paper introduces a novel interaction method for virtual and augmented reality called look-and-twist, which is directly analogous to point-and-click operations using a mouse and desktop. It is based on head rotation alone and is straightforward to implement on any head mounted display that performs rotational tracking. A user selects features of interest by turning their head to face an object, and then performs a specified rotation along the axis of the looking direction. The look-and-twist method has been implemented and tested in an educational context, and systematic user studies are underway. Early evidence indicates that the method is comparable to, or faster than, the standard dwell time method. The method can be used, for example, with Google Cardboard, and it is straightforward to learn for inexperienced users. Moreover, it has the potential to significantly enrich VR interactions by providing an additional degree of freedom of control, which the binary nature of dwell-based methods lacks.

Figures (3)

• Figure 1: Using Euler's 3D rotation theorem, every 3D rotation can be expressed as a 'twist' of $\theta$ about some directional axis $v$ through the origin. For the look-and-twist method, the user looks in direction $v$ and twists by $\theta$, which both correspond to rotational degrees of freedom, and are easily tracked by a low-cost inertial measurement unit (IMU).
• Figure 2: Look-and-twist interaction indicator in neutral position.
• Figure 3: The grid of buttons for the selection task, in which the red button is the next one to be selected.