Summary Week 11:
Pop Through Button Devices for VE Navigation and Interaction:
In the following paper authors discuss two devices that can be used to navigate in VE. They also introduce novel navigation and interaction techniques to utilize the capabilities of these pop through button devices. The buttons on these devices have two clearly distinguished activation states corresponding to light and firm pressure exerted on the buttons. The two devices introduced are:
Trigger Gun: It consists of two pop through buttons embedded into a clay frame. One button is placed in such a way that it can be triggered by using the index finger and is characterized by having relatively longer travel distance. The other button is more compact and is mounted at 45 degree angle on top of the frame for the thumb. It resembles a flight simulator joystick and is modeled using oven baked clay which makes it easy to make changes to the structure.
Finger Sleeve: This devise can be worn on the index finger of either hand. It’s frame is made out of an elastic fabric and small piece of flexible plastic. The design considerations for the devices were made in such a way that they would suit most of the users.
In order fully utilize the capabilities of the above mentioned devices the authors put forth two new navigation and interaction techniques. These techniques resemble already existing techniques but are modified to utilize the capabilities of the devices to the maximum extent. The techniques are:
Zoom Back: A technique to explore the VE. It allows the user to select a target point on the surface of an object in VE using a virtual laser pointer emanating from the device. On pressing the button lightly the user is translated towards the target point in 2 seconds and is brought back to his original position on releasing the button, whereas pressing the button firmly locks the position.
Laser Grab: Unlike Zoom Back this moves the user relative to the object not directly to the object. Selection mechanism is similar to Zoom Back. The relative distance between the users head and hand is used to determine his distance from the object in VE. On pressing harder devices switches to orbital mode, in which he can orbit about the selected target point in direct proportion to the angular change in the arm projected in the plane parallel to the floor.
They also introduce Snapshot which enables the user to select from a list of images. On soft pressing the user is taken to the location for a couple of seconds whereas on firm pressing the location is locked. They also go on to describe Cave Painting as a task to make use of these devices.
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