Abstract

This thesis presents the development and evaluation of an intuitive, general-purpose interaction system for Virtual Reality (VR) that enables realistic physics-based interactions. Limitations of current VR applications prevent users from seamlessly applying real-world motor skills in the virtual environment. This issue is addressed by implementing low-level interactions, such as grabbing, throwing, and catching, with minimal task-specific assumptions, accompanied by an analysis of their complexity. A suite of assistive tools is added to utilize the unique opportunities of VR.

Using juggling as a representative skill, the system’s usability was empirically evaluated with a qualitative pre-study and a quantitative follow-up study with 26 experienced jugglers, demonstrating successful skill transfer from the real world to VR. The comparison of novel, camera-based hand tracking with motion controller input significantly favored controllers for fast-paced interactions due to tracking limitations, but indicated the potential of hand tracking for more nuanced and immersive interactions in VR.

This thesis highlights the ongoing challenge of bridging the simulation gap, contributes novel insights, and invites further exploration of the applicability of its findings to other fields.

Results/Implementation/Project Description

Conclusion

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