Please note: This PhD seminar will take place online.
Johann David Wentzel, PhD candidate
David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science
Supervisor: Professor Daniel Vogel
This seminar will cover two of our most recent research publications.
The first part discusses an investigation into how interfaces can use context to make switching between VR and desktop interfaces easier. An initial formative study explores cross-reality switching habits, finding most switches are momentary “peeks” between interfaces, with specific habits determined by current context. The results inform SwitchSpace, a collection of context-aware “peeking” techniques that allow users to view or interact with desktop from VR, and vice versa, without fully switching.
The second part discusses a comparison of the most common VR menu techniques. After a survey of 108 VR menus across 84 popular VR apps, we compared the six most common combinations of menu characteristics with regard to relative performance and usability. With a single-level menu, direct input is the fastest interaction technique in general, and is unaffected by number of items. With a two-level hierarchical menu, marking is fastest regardless of item number. Menus using raycasting, the most common menu interaction technique, were among the slowest of the tested menus but were rated most consistently usable.
Attend this PhD seminar on Zoom.