The systematic evaluation of an embodied control interface for virtual reality

PLoS One. 2021 Dec 7;16(12):e0259977. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0259977. eCollection 2021.

Abstract

Embodied interfaces are promising for virtual reality (VR) because they can improve immersion and reduce simulator sickness compared to more traditional handheld interfaces (e.g., gamepads). We present a novel embodied interface called the Limbic Chair. The chair is composed of two separate shells that allow the user's legs to move independently while sitting. We demonstrate the suitability of the Limbic Chair in two VR scenarios: city navigation and flight simulation. We compare the Limbic Chair to a gamepad using performance measures (i.e., time and accuracy), head movements, body sway, and standard questionnaires for measuring presence, usability, workload, and simulator sickness. In the city navigation scenario, the gamepad was associated with better presence, usability, and workload scores. In the flight simulation scenario, the chair was associated with less body sway (i.e., less simulator sickness) and fewer head movements but also slower performance and higher workload. In all other comparisons, the Limbic Chair and gamepad were similar, showing the promise of the Chair for replacing some control functions traditionally executed using handheld devices.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Space Simulation / instrumentation*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • User-Computer Interface
  • Virtual Reality
  • Young Adult

Grants and funding

This research is supported by the Innosuisse - Swiss Innovation Agency (Award Number: 181581. PFESES). https://www.innosuisse.ch/inno/en/home.html The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.