Authors
Tabitha C. Peck
Mary C. Whitton
Henry Fuchs
DOI Bookmark: http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/10.1109/VR.2008.4480761
Abstract
Virtual environments (VEs) that use a real-walking locomotion interface have typically been restricted in size to the area of the tracked lab space. Techniques proposed to lift this size constraint, enabling real walking in VEs that are larger than the tracked lab space, all require reorientation techniques (ROTs) in the worst-case situation–when a user is close to walking out of the tracked space. We propose a new ROT using distractors–objects in the VE for the user to focus on while the VE rotates—and compare our method to current ROTs through two user studies. Our findings show ROTs using distractors were preferred and ranked more natural by users. Users were also less aware of the rotating VE when ROTs with distractors were used.
Index Terms
H.5.1 [Information Interfaces and Presentation]: Multimedia Information Systems—Artificial, augmented, and virtual realities H.5.2 [Information Interfaces and Presentation]: User Interfaces—Evaluation/methodology I.3.6 [Computer Graphics]: Methodology and Techniques—Interaction techniques; I.3.7 [Computer Graphics]: Three-Dimensional Graphics and Realism— Virtual Reality