How can we provide a “moving experience” through VR without having to use a full-scale motion platform?
Could a compact and relatively low-cost “motion seat” provide some of the same benefits, thus reducing cost, complexity, space & safety requirements?
Despite considerable advances in Simulation and Virtual Reality (VR) technology, it largely remains an open problem how to provide a convincing and embodied sensation of really being present and immersed in large virtual spaces, and navigating through them effectively without excessive disorientation and motion/simulator sickness. This is particularly true when the goal is to develop cost– and space-efficient solutions and physical space is limited, such that virtual navigation cannot be enabled by physically walking or moving-base motion simulators.
In collaboration with
Christie, a large audio-visual and VR system company, we jointly perform research into
innovative “motion seats” that allow for small-scale user motion and vibrations. The goal is to devise more compact and cost-effective ways to enhance the user experience (e.g., perceived realism, immersion, self-motion perception) as well as task-specific performance in simulators.
Initial qualitative research is used to identify key design decisions and outline requirements. This helps to guide the design and iterative refinement of both the motion seat and suitable experiments to investigate its effectiveness. Together, this will lead to a working prototype of a motion seat and demonstrator, scientific analysis and reports, and guidelines for possible future research and development. This project will enable and inspire more affordable yet effective simulators.
Reducing the reliance on large, heavy, and costly moving-base simulators can further enhance user acceptance, safety, and accessibility to wider audiences while reducing cost, space, and technical support needs.
This could provide benefits for both use single-user systems (e.g., arcades, home-based premium games, flight simulators or telepresence/remote operation systems) and multi-user systems (e.g., large format digital theatres, next-generation movies, and theme parks).
Media Gallery
Project videos
This video gives a first glimps of a gamified experiment that we designed, where users can use either a Leap motion controller or a 2-handed joystick interface to control a helicopter (quatrocopter) flythrough in Virtual Reality. This demo illustrates flying through a Mediterranean market place (which was the training phase in one of our studies), projected on a Christie 2-projector VR simulator.
Related Publications
http://ispace.iat.sfu.ca/wp-content/plugins/zotpress/
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Hashemian, A. M., & Riecke, B. E. (2017, April 6).
Rotate and Lean: Does Leaning toward the Target Direction Improves the Virtual Reality Navigation? [Poster]. Second International Workshop on Models and Representations in Spatial Cognition, Tübingen, Germany.
(Download)
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Kitson, A., Grechkin, T. Y., Heyde, M. von der, & Riecke, B. E. (2017, April 6).
Navigating Virtual Environments – Do Physical Rotations Aid in Orientation? [Poster]. Second International Workshop on Models and Representations in Spatial Cognition, Tübingen, Germany.
(Download)
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Nguyen-Vo, T., Riecke, B. E., & Stuerzlinger, W. (2017, April 6).
Investigating the Effect of Simulated Reference Frames on Spatial Orientation in Virtual Reality [Poster]. Second International Workshop on Models and Representations in Spatial Cognition, Tübingen, Germany.
(Download)
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Nguyen-Vo, T., Riecke, B. E., Stuerzlinger, W., Pham, D.-M., Kruijff, E., & Riecke. (2020).
NaviBoard and NaviChair: Limited Translation Combined with Full Rotation for Efficient Virtual Locomotion [Talk]. IEEE Virtual Reality 2020, Atlanta, GA, USA.
https://youtu.be/JCYL2qVFO6M
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Kruijff, E., & Riecke, B. E. (2018). Navigation Interfaces for Virtual Reality and Gaming: Theory and Practice.
CHI ’18 Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 4 pages (half-day course). https://doi.org/10.1145/3170427.3170643
(Download)
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Hashemian, A. M., Kitson, A., Nguyen-Vo, T., Benko, H., Stuerzlinger, W., & Riecke, B. E. (2018). Investigating a Sparse Peripheral Display in a Head-Mounted Display for VR Locomotion.
2018 IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces (VR), 571–572. https://doi.org/10.1109/VR.2018.8446345
(Download)
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Kruijff, E., & Riecke, B. E. (2018).
Navigation Interfaces for Virtual Reality and Gaming: Theory and Practice. 2 pages (half-day course).
(Download)
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Nguyen-Vo, T., Riecke, B. E., & Stuerzlinger, W. (2018). Simulated Reference Frame: A Cost-Effective Solution to Improve Spatial Orientation in VR.
2018 IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces (VR), 415–422. https://doi.org/10.1109/VR.2018.8446383
(Download)
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Nguyen-Vo, T., Riecke, B. E., Stuerzlinger, W., Pham, D.-M., & Kruijff, E. (2018).
Do We Need Actual Walking in VR? Leaning with Actual Rotation Might Suffice for Efficient Locomotion [Poster]. Spatial Cognition 2018.
(Download)
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Freiberg, J., Kitson, A., & Riecke, B. E. (2017). Development and Evaluation of a Hands-Free Motion Cueing Interface for Ground-Based Navigation.
Proceedings of IEEE Virtual Reality 2017, 273–274. https://doi.org/10.1109/VR.2017.7892282
(Download)
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Kitson, A., Hashemian, A. M., Stepanova, E. R., Kruijff, E., & Riecke, B. E. (2017). Comparing Leaning-Based Motion Cueing Interfaces for Virtual Reality Locomotion.
Proceedings of IEEE Symposium on 3D User Interfaces 3DUI, 73–82. https://doi.org/10.1109/3DUI.2017.7893320
(Download)
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Kruijff, E., & Riecke, B. E. (2017). Navigation Interfaces for Virtual Reality and Gaming: Theory and Practice.
Course, 433–434. https://doi.org/10.1109/VR.2017.7892362
(Download)
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Freiberg, J. (2015).
Experience Before Construction: Immersive Virtual Reality Design Tools for Architectural Practice [MSc Thesis, Simon Fraser University].
http://summit.sfu.ca/item/16052 (Download)
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Kitson, A., Riecke, B. E., Hashemian, A. M., & Neustaedter, C. (2015). NaviChair: Evaluating an Embodied Interface Using a Pointing Task to Navigate Virtual Reality.
Proceedings of the 3rd ACM Symposium on Spatial User Interaction, 123–126. https://doi.org/10.1145/2788940.2788956
(Download)
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Kruijff, E., Riecke, B. E., Trepkowski, C., & Kitson. (2015).
Upper Body Leaning can affect Forward Self-Motion Perception in Virtual Environments. 103–112. https://doi.org/10.1145/2788940.2788943
(Download)
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Grechkin, T. Y., & Riecke, B. E. (2014). Re-evaluating Benefits of Body-based Rotational Cues for Maintaining Orientation in Virtual Environments: Men Benefit from Real Rotations, Women Don’t.
ACM Symposium on Applied Perception SAP, 99–102. https://doi.org/10.1145/2628257.2628275
(Download)