Seamless, Bi-directional Transitions along the Reality-Virtuality Continuum: A Conceptualization and Prototype Exploration
Ceenu George, An Ngo Tien, Heinrich Hußmann
Abstract
With head mounted displays, consumers are able to transition from the real world to virtual realities. However, this requires frequent transitions between the two realities to maintain their physical integrity and awareness of the real world while in the virtual space. We completed two consecutive studies to investigate the dimensions of a system that supports seamless transition between realities without requiring the user to remove the headset. Our results are twofold: First, based on the the analysis of structured interviews (n=20), we present a conceptualization of existing solutions (n=37) and novel ideas (n=9) in the form of a design space. Second, we present the results of a user study (n=36) in which we tested two exemplary prototypes that evolved from the design space, called “Sky Portal” and “Virtual Phone.” Our exploration shows that our “Virtual Phone” metaphor has the potential to support HMD users in completing bidirectional transitions along Milgram's reality-virtuality continuum. Users are also enabled to complete micro-interactions across the realities, even without performance loss.