Exploring Interaction Mechanisms for Map Interfaces in Virtual Reality Environments

PubDate: September 2018

Teams: Universidad Carlos III de Madrid

Writers: Andrés Santos-Torres；Telmo Zarraonandia；Paloma Díaz；Ignacio Aedo

PDF: Exploring Interaction Mechanisms for Map Interfaces in Virtual Reality Environments

Abstract

Virtual Reality (VR) technologies offer new ways to visualize and use map interfaces in Geographical Information Systems (GIS). But to explore the potential benefits that this technology might provide in this context, it is necessary to deploy an affordable interaction that is both efficient and satisfactory from the users’ point of view. This work aims to provide insights on how to approach the interaction design for this type of novel interfaces. We present a study comparing the usability and performance of two popular interaction strategies: body-based interaction and device-based interaction. In the first case, users controlled the map using their own body, their hands and gaze. In the second case, they managed the application using a gamepad, the Oculus Touch®. The results suggest that controlling the map using the gamepad can improve performance of the selection task, in terms of time and error rate. Also, the users’ satisfaction responses for system usability favored this interaction strategy.