Techniques for Multiple Room Connection in Virtual Reality: Walking Within Small Physical Spaces

Area of Science:

• Virtual Reality
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Immersive Technologies

Background:

• Navigating limited physical spaces in Virtual Reality (VR) often necessitates non-walking locomotion methods like teleportation.
• Walking-based VR navigation can significantly increase user immersion and presence.
• Existing VR navigation techniques are not always optimized for small, constrained physical spaces common in home environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and evaluate three novel room-connection techniques (portals, corridors, central hubs) for creating "impossible spaces" in VR.
• To assess the effectiveness of these techniques in enabling natural walking-based navigation within small physical areas.
• To investigate the impact of these techniques on user presence, cybersickness, spatial awareness, and overall user experience.

Main Methods:

• Development of three distinct room-connection techniques: portals, corridors, and central hubs.
• Implementation of these techniques to create "impossible spaces" with overlapping physical areas.
• User study with 33 participants evaluating navigation effectiveness in a 2.5 x 2.5 m physical space.

Main Results:

• All three room-connection techniques (portals, corridors, central hubs) were found to be viable for connecting virtual rooms.
• Each technique demonstrated distinct characteristics, positively influencing presence, reducing cybersickness, and improving spatial awareness and orientation.
• Portals offered flexibility, corridors provided seamless transitions, and central hubs simplified navigation.

Conclusions:

• Room-connection techniques can effectively adapt virtual environments (VEs) for small physical spaces, enhancing VR experiences for home users.
• These methods facilitate natural, walking-based navigation, improving immersion and user satisfaction in constrained environments.
• Applications in virtual tours, training simulations, and emergency preparedness can benefit from these adaptable VR navigation solutions.