A comparative study of navigation interfaces in virtual reality environments: A mixed-method approach.

Area of Science:

• Virtual Reality (VR) and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)
• Human Factors and Ergonomics

Background:

• Motion-based navigation is common in VR, but interface choice significantly impacts user experience.
• Existing comparative studies often lack in-depth qualitative evaluation of VR navigation methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of three distinct VR navigation interfaces: walking-in-place (WIP), joystick, and teleportation.
• To evaluate user performance, sense of presence, workload, usability, and motion sickness across these interfaces.
• To provide insights for developing guidelines for effective VR navigation interface implementation.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-method design was employed with 21 participants performing a navigation task in a VR environment.
• Quantitative and qualitative data were collected on user performance, presence, workload, usability, and simulator sickness.
• Comparative analysis was conducted across walking-in-place, joystick, and teleportation navigation methods.

Main Results:

• Each navigation interface demonstrated unique advantages and disadvantages across the evaluated metrics.
• Significant differences were observed in user performance, presence, workload, usability, and motion sickness.
• The walking-in-place (WIP) interface requires further investigation regarding user safety.

Conclusions:

• No single VR navigation interface is optimal for all metrics; selection depends on specific application needs.
• The findings underscore the trade-offs inherent in different VR navigation techniques.
• Further research, particularly on the safety aspects of walking-in-place, is crucial for advancing VR interface design.