The emerging possibilities of data analysis and exploration in virtual
reality raise the question of how users can be best supported during
such interactions. Spherical visualizations allow for convenient
exploration of certain types of data. Our tangible sphere, exactly
aligned with the sphere visualizations shown in VR, implements a
very natural way of interaction and utilizes senses and skills trained
in the real world. This work is motivated by the prospect to create
in VR a low-cost, tangible, robust, handheld spherical display that
would be difficult or impossible to implement as a physical display.
Our concept enables it to gain insights about the impact of a fully
tangible embodiment of a virtual object on task performance,
comprehension of patterns, and user behavior. After a description of the
implementation we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of our
approach, taking into account different handheld spherical displays
utilizing outside and inside projection.
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Feel the Globe: Enhancing the Perception of Immersive Spherical Visualizations with Tangible Proxies
Recent developments in the commercialization of virtual reality
open up many opportunities for enhancing human interaction with
three-dimensional objects and visualizations. Spherical visualizations
allow for convenient exploration of certain types of data. Our
tangible sphere, exactly aligned with the sphere visualizations shown
in VR, implements a very natural way of interaction and utilizes
senses and skills trained in the real world. In a lab study, we investigate
the effects of the perception of actually holding a virtual
spherical visualization in hands. As use cases, we focus on surface
visualizations that benefit from or require a rounded shape. We
compared the usage of two differently sized acrylic glass spheres to
a related interaction technique that utilizes VR controllers as proxies.
On the one hand, our work is motivated by the ability to create in VR
a tangible, lightweight, handheld spherical display that can hardly
be realized in reality. On the other hand, gaining insights about
the impact of a fully tangible embodiment of a virtual object on
task performance, comprehension of patterns, and user behavior is
important in its own right. After a description of the implementation
we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of our approach, taking
into account different handheld spherical displays utilizing outside
and inside projection.
more »
« less
- Award ID(s):
- 1748392
- PAR ID:
- 10146470
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Proceedings of IEEE Virtual Reality 2019, NIDIT: Workshop on Novel Input Devices and Interaction Techniques
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 1693 to 1698
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
-
Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Conference Paper:
- https://doi.org/10.1109/VR.2019.8797869
