Magic Carpet: Interaction Fidelity for Flying in VR.

Area of Science:

• Virtual Reality (VR) and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)
• Immersive Technologies and User Experience

Background:

• Locomotion in virtual environments is often unnatural, with current methods constraining degrees of freedom (DoFs) for high interaction fidelity.
• Flying in VR offers faster traversal but presents challenges due to increased DoFs and lack of innate human experience.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and validate the Magic Carpet, a novel VR flying approach designed for high interaction fidelity and improved user experience.
• To investigate techniques that mitigate balance and cybersickness issues during virtual flight.

Main Methods:

• Developed the Magic Carpet design space, separating direction indication and speed control into distinct travel phases.
• Conducted two complementary studies evaluating techniques for each travel phase using objective and subjective measures.
• Assessed efficiency, embodiment, physical fatigue, and cybersickness for tested techniques.

Main Results:

• Identified optimal techniques within the Magic Carpet design space for virtual flight.
• Demonstrated that the Magic Carpet approach supports high-interaction fidelity techniques.
• Showcased improvements in user experience, including reduced cybersickness and fatigue.

Conclusions:

• The Magic Carpet provides an effective framework for naturalistic and high-fidelity virtual flight.
• Separating DoFs for direction and speed control enhances user control and immersion in VR flying.
• This research contributes to more comfortable and engaging virtual locomotion experiences.