In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science

Yaser Karbaschi

will defend his thesis

Design and Implementation of Different Interaction Techniques for Object Rotation in Mobile Virtual Reality Applications

Abstract

Manipulating 3D objects and navigating are the main components when exploring Virtual Reality (VR) content. These tasks can get complex in Mobile-VR due to the limited available inputs. While VR (and specifically Mobile-VR) has the potential to be the next major computing platform, evaluating and defining standards for interaction with VR content is demanding. In this thesis, two mobile applications are proposed to explore interaction techniques in mobile-VR. We evaluated the use of pointer-like controller –implemented using Google Daydream– to allow for 3D rotation of objects on mobile-VR platforms. A user study has been done with 18 participants utilizing the three interaction techniques for a rotation task: Using a reticle to click and drag axis handles or the object for free rotation, adopted from 3D desktop applications (Trackball); Using the remote's inertial sensing alone (Remote); and a hybrid method that combines the remote rotation with the axis handles (Hybrid). Remote and Hybrid were significantly faster than Trackball, while Hybrid was the preferred method and had the lowest average workload. There was no major difference in accuracy between methods. We also discuss our qualitative observations as well as people's preferences and put our findings into the context of the application domain of 3D manipulation in VR environments.

Date: Wednesday, April 4, 2018
Time: 9:00 AM
Place: PGH 550
Advisor: Dr. Shishir Shah

Faculty, students, and the general public are invited.