Look at That Distractor: Dynamic Translation Gain under Low Perceptual Load in Virtual Reality

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel method for dynamic translation gain adjustment in virtual reality that uses visual distractors to increase user tolerance for gain changes without compromising comfort or immersion.

Contribution

It presents a new approach that leverages visual distractors to adaptively increase translation gain thresholds in VR, enhancing redirected walking capabilities.

Findings

Distractors significantly raise translation gain thresholds.

The method maintains user comfort and immersion.

Effective for large-scale virtual navigation.

Abstract

Redirected walking utilizes gain adjustments within perceptual thresholds to allow natural navigation in large scale virtual environments within confined physical environments. Previous research has found that when users are distracted by some scene elements, they are less sensitive to gain values. However, the effects on detection thresholds have not been quantitatively measured. In this paper, we present a novel method that dynamically adjusts translation gain by leveraging visual distractors. We place distractors within the user's field of view and apply a larger translation gain when their attention is drawn to them. Because the magnitude of gain adjustment depends on the user's level of engagement with the distractors, the redirection process remains smooth and unobtrusive. To evaluate our method, we developed a task oriented virtual environment for a user study. Results show that introducing distractors in the virtual environment significantly raises users' translation gain thresholds. Furthermore, assessments using the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire and Igroup Presence Questionnaire indicate that the method maintains user comfort and acceptance, supporting its effectiveness for RDW systems.