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The benefits of using a walking interface to navigate virtual environments

Authors:

Simon LesselsAuthors Info & Claims

ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction (TOCHI), Volume 16, Issue 1

Article No.: 5, Pages 1 - 18

https://doi.org/10.1145/1502800.1502805

Published: 23 April 2009 Publication History

Abstract

Navigation is the most common interactive task performed in three-dimensional virtual environments (VEs), but it is also a task that users often find difficult. We investigated how body-based information about the translational and rotational components of movement helped participants to perform a navigational search task (finding targets hidden inside boxes in a room-sized space). When participants physically walked around the VE while viewing it on a head-mounted display (HMD), they then performed 90% of trials perfectly, comparable to participants who had performed an equivalent task in the real world during a previous study. By contrast, participants performed less than 50% of trials perfectly if they used a tethered HMD (move by physically turning but pressing a button to translate) or a desktop display (no body-based information). This is the most complex navigational task in which a real-world level of performance has been achieved in a VE. Behavioral data indicates that both translational and rotational body-based information are required to accurately update one's position during navigation, and participants who walked tended to avoid obstacles, even though collision detection was not implemented and feedback not provided. A walking interface would bring immediate benefits to a number of VE applications.

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Cited By

Jia YSin ZLi CNg PHuang XBaciu GCao JLi Q(2025)Traceable teleportation: Improving spatial learning in virtual locomotionInternational Journal of Human-Computer Studies10.1016/j.ijhcs.2024.103399194(103399)Online publication date: Feb-2025
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhcs.2024.103399
Kessler FFrankenstein JRothkopf C(2025)Navigation in real-world environmentsEncyclopedia of the Human Brain10.1016/B978-0-12-820480-1.00091-7(127-156)Online publication date: 2025
https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-820480-1.00091-7
Creem-Regehr SKelly JBodenheimer BStefanucci J(2025)Virtual reality as a tool to understand spatial navigationEncyclopedia of the Human Brain10.1016/B978-0-12-820480-1.00011-5(105-126)Online publication date: 2025
https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-820480-1.00011-5
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Index Terms

The benefits of using a walking interface to navigate virtual environments
1. Computing methodologies
  1. Computer graphics
    1. Graphics systems and interfaces
      1. Virtual reality
2. Human-centered computing
  1. Human computer interaction (HCI)
    1. Interaction devices
      1. Graphics input devices

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Published In

cover image ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction

ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction Volume 16, Issue 1

April 2009

199 pages

ISSN:1073-0516

EISSN:1557-7325

DOI:10.1145/1502800

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Copyright © 2009 ACM.

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Publication History

Published: 23 April 2009

Accepted: 01 June 2008

Revised: 01 November 2007

Received: 01 January 2007

Published in TOCHI Volume 16, Issue 1

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Jia YSin ZLi CNg PHuang XBaciu GCao JLi Q(2025)Traceable teleportation: Improving spatial learning in virtual locomotionInternational Journal of Human-Computer Studies10.1016/j.ijhcs.2024.103399194(103399)Online publication date: Feb-2025
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhcs.2024.103399
Kessler FFrankenstein JRothkopf C(2025)Navigation in real-world environmentsEncyclopedia of the Human Brain10.1016/B978-0-12-820480-1.00091-7(127-156)Online publication date: 2025
https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-820480-1.00091-7
Creem-Regehr SKelly JBodenheimer BStefanucci J(2025)Virtual reality as a tool to understand spatial navigationEncyclopedia of the Human Brain10.1016/B978-0-12-820480-1.00011-5(105-126)Online publication date: 2025
https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-820480-1.00011-5
Zhang YZhang BJang WPan Y(2024)Enhancing Spatial Cognition in Online Virtual Museum Environments: Integrating Game-Based Navigation Strategies for Improved User ExperienceApplied Sciences10.3390/app1410416314:10(4163)Online publication date: 14-May-2024
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Shafique SSetti WCampus CZanchi SDel Bue AGori M(2024)How path integration abilities of blind people change in different exploration conditionsFrontiers in Neuroscience10.3389/fnins.2024.137522518Online publication date: 17-May-2024
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Bampouni EAhmad AXi NLegaki NHamari J(2024)Effects of Immersion and Embodiment on Memory in Virtual RealityProceedings of the 27th International Academic Mindtrek Conference10.1145/3681716.3681724(58-67)Online publication date: 8-Oct-2024
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Chakraborty SKane AGagnon HMcNamara TBodenheimer B(2024)Comparative Effectiveness of an Omnidirectional Treadmill versus Natural Walking for Navigating in Virtual EnvironmentsACM Symposium on Applied Perception 202410.1145/3675231.3675243(1-10)Online publication date: 30-Aug-2024
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Um JJeon EKang YKang SElsharkawy ADelPreto JMatusik WRus DKim SKostakos VKay JHoang T(2024)LegSense: Inducing Walking Sensation in Seated VR by Providing Movement Illusion via Electrical Muscle StimulationCompanion of the 2024 on ACM International Joint Conference on Pervasive and Ubiquitous Computing10.1145/3675094.3678375(797-802)Online publication date: 5-Oct-2024
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