Evaluating the Usability of Microgestures for Text Editing Tasks in Virtual Reality

Area of Science:

• Human-Computer Interaction
• Virtual Reality Systems
• Ergonomics

Background:

• Traditional virtual reality (VR) input methods like controllers and gestures present challenges in precision, social inclusion, and user comfort.
• Limitations in current VR interfaces necessitate the development of more intuitive and less physically demanding interaction techniques.
• Microgestures offer a potential solution for device-free, subtle, and ergonomic interactions within virtual environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce microGEXT, a novel system for text editing in VR utilizing microgestures.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of microGEXT in reducing physical strain and improving user experience compared to conventional VR text editing methods.
• To assess the performance of microGEXT across different text editing and information-gathering tasks in VR.

Main Methods:

• Development of microGEXT, a sensor-free system employing subtle hand movements for VR text editing.
• Conducting three user studies with a total of 50 participants to evaluate microGEXT.
• Comparative analysis of microGEXT against a ray-casting and pinch menu baseline for text editing efficiency and user-reported fatigue.

Main Results:

• MicroGEXT significantly reduced overall edit time and user fatigue compared to the baseline method in Study 1.
• The system demonstrated efficiency in short text selection tasks but showed slower performance for longer text ranges in Study 2.
• Participants found microGEXT intuitive for open-ended information-gathering tasks in Study 3, indicating broad applicability.
• Across all evaluations, microGEXT consistently showed enhanced user experience and reduced physical effort.

Conclusions:

• MicroGEXT presents a promising alternative to traditional VR text editing techniques by leveraging microgestures.
• The system offers improved ergonomics and reduced physical strain, enhancing the overall user experience in virtual reality.
• Further research could explore optimizations for longer text manipulations and broader applications of microgesture-based interactions in VR.