VVIR-OM: Efficient Object Manipulation in VR with Variable Virtual Interaction Region

AbstractManipulating with virtual objects is a fundamental requirement in virtual environments. A good manipulation method needs to consider efficiency, accuracy, and comfort. This paper proposes VVIR-OM, an object manipulation method in virtual reality (VR) based on a variable virtual interaction region (VVIR). A hand interaction hemisphere region (HIHR) is introduced and constructed in real space, where the user is more comfortable manipulating the objects. Then a VVIR is introduced, and an interaction heat volume (IHV) based method is proposed to update VVIR during the process of the manipulation. At last, a mapping algorithm is proposed to map the user hand position in HIHR to the position in VVIR. Two user studies are designed to evaluate the performance of VVIR-OM. Compared to the state-of-the-art methods, VVIR-OM achieves significant improvements in task completion time, manipulation precision, and a significant reduction in fatigue. Moreover, VVIR-OM outperforms other methods in terms of task load and usability without the cost of cybersickness.Keywords: Virtual realityobject manipulationvariable virtual interaction regioninteraction heat volume Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Additional informationFundingThis work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China through Project 61932003, 62372026, by Beijing Science and Technology Plan Project Z221100007722004, and by National Key R&D plan 2019YFC1521102.Notes on contributorsQinwen ZhengQinwen Zheng is a master student in the School of Computer Science and Engineering of Beihang University, China. His current research focuses on virtual reality, augmented reality, and HCI.Lili WangLili Wang received her PhD degree from Beihang University, Beijing, China. She is a professor with the School of Computer Science and Engineering of Beihang University and a researcher with the State Key Laboratory of Virtual Reality Technology and Systems. Her interests include virtual reality, real-time rendering and HCI.Wei KeWei Ke received his PhD degree from Beihang University, Beijing, China. He is currently a professor at the Faculty of Applied Sciences, Macao Polytechnic University. His research interests include programming languages, image processing, computer vision, and tool support for component-based engineering and systems.Sio Kei ImSio Kei Im received his PhD degree from Queen Mary University of London, United Kingdom. He is a professor at the Faculty of Applied Sciences, Macau Polytechnic University. His research interests include video coding, image processing, machine learning for NLP and multimedia.