RodCast interaction: A novel technique for dense virtual reality environments

Abstract

Virtual Reality (VR) technologies continue to grow in popularity and application versatility, yet effective interaction within complex dense environments remains as a critical challenge. In particular, users with low level of VR experience often face decreased accuracy and dissatisfaction selecting occluded objects. A variety of interaction techniques to select and manipulate objects exist, but there is a research gap in understanding what kinds of techniques support users in dense environments. This study evaluates the user performance and preference in such environments. Three interaction techniques are examined in this study: Go-Go Hand, Flower Cone, and a proposed technique called RodCast Interaction. RodCast Interaction introduces an arc-based gesture-controlled technique to enhance object selection by previewing the interaction path. A within-subjects user study was conducted using a commodity VR headset and a simple virtual environment, where participants completed occluded object selection tasks with four standardized target distances and three defined density levels. Performance was assessed through accuracy and time. Although the Go-Go Hand and Flower Cone techniques outperformed RodCast in the overall results, certain findings suggest that RodCast may offer enhanced user experiences in larger environments or for users with greater experience. Overall, this study utilizes a user study to identify design considerations for interaction techniques in VR, with an emphasis on usability and effectiveness in high-occlusion scenarios