A Simple Video-Based Technique for Measuring Latency in Virtual Reality or Teleoperation.

Area of Science:

• Human-Computer Interaction
• Virtual Reality Systems
• Measurement Techniques

Background:

• Virtual reality (VR) system designers must minimize delays between user actions and virtual environment responses.
• These delays, known as end-to-end latency, negatively impact user performance and can induce simulator sickness.
• Existing methods for latency measurement often require specialized hardware and software, limiting their applicability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a convenient and low-cost technique for measuring end-to-end latency in VR systems.
• To enable latency measurement using readily available equipment, such as a consumer camera (e.g., cell phone camera).
• To provide a method that can assess latency in specific hardware/software configurations and relevant performance environments.

Main Methods:

• The proposed technique utilizes a human evaluator and an ordinary consumer camera to capture user actions and system responses.
• It avoids the need for specialized hardware or software, making it broadly accessible.
• The method was experimentally validated to assess its achievable measurement accuracy.

Main Results:

• The experimental trial demonstrated a measurement uncertainty below 10 milliseconds (ms).
• The technique proved effective in measuring end-to-end latencies in a practical setting.
• Potential refinements were discussed to further enhance accuracy to approximately 1 ms.

Conclusions:

• A convenient, low-cost method for measuring VR system end-to-end latency has been developed.
• This technique offers a practical alternative to specialized equipment, facilitating broader adoption.
• Further refinements hold promise for achieving highly accurate latency measurements, crucial for optimizing VR experiences.