Summary:
In this research, we evaluated different direction sources with Continuous Artificial Lo
comotion (CAL) in Virtual Reality (VR). In CAL, the user moves continuously in a virtual
environment (VE) by pressing direction buttons on the controllers. However, the direction
of the movement in most cases is defined either by the headset, or by one of the con
trollers, which may feel unnatural. In this study, we propose two extra direction sources,
one based on the direction of the user’s hips, and another based on the direction of their
feet. To implement these direction methods, we utilized trackers that were placed on these
body parts. We evaluated the four methods in terms of performance, preference, motion
sickness and presence. To evaluate, we designed and implemented a VE, and conducted
a user study with 24 participants. The users had to fulfill three tasks with each method: to
navigate in a zigzag environment, then to cross a corridor while counting some dots posi
tioned on the walls of that corridor, and finally to complete a mini game by placing colored
cubes in the desired area. Data were collected both quantitatively and qualitatively. The
results of our study indicate that hip and feet methods are the optimal selection in terms
of performance for executing different virtual tasks; that motion sickness is not affected
by the different direction sources; and that the users preferred most the feet and headset
methods.
