Whole-Body Interaction and Representative Applications in Virtual Reality

Abstract

A sufficiently qualified virtual reality (VR) application should be an immersive environment where all natural actions and behaviors, e.g., head expressive motions, torso postures, limb gestures and body signs, should be recognized and translated to interactive operations or commands. But according to our survey on the state-of-the-art applications, there is still a large gap between the actuality and the ideal. To fill this gap, we carried out a focus group discussion through which a descriptive framework of whole-body interaction (WBI) techniques was formed. The framework provides a comprehensive illustration about the natural interaction forms derived from human bodily natural actions and behaviors. We also discussed and proposed technical principles for implementing WBI techniques. Based on these, we developed experiencing prototypes and had them evaluated. An empirical user study proved the feasibility and benefits of the WBI techniques.