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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. 

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.