Supervisors info:
Μαρία Ρούσσου, Επίκουρη Καθηγήτρια, Τμήμα Πληροφορικής και Τηλεπικοινωνιών, Εθνικό και Καποδιστριακό Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών
Summary:
Many studies have been conducted in the past few years that focus on interaction and embodiment in the field of Virtual Reality (VR). However, despite the recent widespread use and continuing rise of controller-based head-mounted display (HMD) hardware for VR, there is little research on the use of handheld controllers in this context. To address this shortcoming, we explore the effects of different virtual hand representations on interaction and the user’s sense of embodiment, inspired by the work of Argelaguet et al. in 2016, in this case using controllers.
We designed an experiment where users perform the task of selecting and moving a cube from and to specific positions on a table inside an immersive virtual environment. Three representations were selected: the abstract shape of a Sphere, the 3D model of the Controller, which is a one-to-one representation of what the users have in their hands in the physical world, and a human-looking Hand, the most realistic and familiar of the three. For each representation, users were asked to perform the same task with and without obstacles (Brick Wall, Barbed Wire, Electric Current).
A total of 39 participants, belonging to various age groups and having different levels of experience in VR, took part in the study. The design and results of the experiment are presented in this thesis, reporting significant differences in the actual performance of the different representations, the perceived sense of ownership, as well as the users’ preferences. Although no significant differences were identified in the sense of agency, the users’ performance with the Sphere was significantly worse compared to the other two. Statistical analysis of the results indicates that it is the Hand that generates the strongest sense of ownership, and it is the favorite representation. This makes it the best solution overall when designing interactive virtual environments with controllers, combining good performance with enhanced sense of ownership, with the exception of cases requiring very precise object manipulation in which the Controller is the best option.
Keywords:
Virtual Reality, Interaction, Virtual Embodiment, Perception
