Asymmetric Interface: User Interface of Asymmetric Virtual Reality for New Presence and Experience

Abstract

This study proposes an asymmetric interface that can provide head-mounted display (HMD) and non-HMD users with improved presence and an experience consistent with the user’s environment in an asymmetric virtual reality. For the proposed asymmetric interface, a controller-based hand interface is designed for portability, easy and convenient use, and high immersion. Subsequently, a three-step decision-making structure that supports accurate and efficient decision-making is defined based on the asymmetric experience structure of each user (HMD and non-HMD). Based on this process, an optimal interface that distinguishes between HMD (direct interaction) and non-HMD users (multi-viewpoint interaction) is implemented. With the objective of surveying and analyzing each user’s experience along with the presence provided by the proposed interface, an asymmetric virtual reality application is developed directly, and an experiment is conducted with the participants. Finally, it is statistically analyzed and verified that the use of the proposed asymmetric interface can provide optimal presence and user-optimized experience to both HMD and non-HMD users.