Leaning as a method of translation in large virtual environments

Research has shown that virtual environments (VEs) are best explored on foot. However, when a person uses their own physical locomotion to explore a VE, they are limited by the range of the tracking system or the size of the physical room housing the tracking system. This poster presents a new method of exploring a large VE using a head-mounted display (HMD). Specifically, we examine the idea of physically leaning or tilting as a means of translating the user forward in the virtual space. The feasibility and accuracy of this system is tested by directly comparing it to joystick navigation, where virtual translations are accomplished by pushing the joystick forward. In both methods, physical rotations correspond to virtual rotations and users translate forward in the yaw angle they are facing.