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Navigation interfaces for virtual reality and gaming: Theory and practice
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2 authors, including:
Bernhard E. Riecke
Simon Fraser University
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All content following this page was uploaded by Ernst Kruijff on 16 January 2018.
niques and devices will be provided, as well as an over-
ABSTRACT view of relevant domains where navigation interfaces
In this course, we will take a detailed look at various breeds of are deployed.
spatial navigation interfaces that allow for locomotion in digital
3D environments such as games, virtual environments or even the • Principles of navigation. The psychophysics of naviga-
exploration of abstract data sets. We will closely look into the tion, including wayfinding and self-motion perception,
basics of navigation, unraveling the psychophysics (including as well as adverse side effects and guidelines
wayfinding) and actual navigation (travel) aspects. The theoretical
foundations form the basis for the practical skillset we will devel- • Navigation paradigms and devices. An overview of
op, by providing an in-depth discussion of navigation devices and navigation paradigms and devices, as well as guidelines.
techniques, and a step-by-step discussion of multiple real-world
case studies. Doing so, we will cover the full range of navigation 2.2 Practice: Designing (Affordable) interfaces
techniques from handheld to full-body, highly engaging and partly Building on the foundation of the previous session, this session
unconventional methods and tackle spatial navigation with hands- we will take a closer look at different methodologies to design,
on-experience and tips for design and validation of novel interfac- develop and validate (novel) navigation techniques and devices.
es. In particular, we will be looking at affordable setups and ways We will conclude with a series of practical, real world examples,
to “trick” out users to enable a realistic feeling of self-motion in in both lecture and practical demonstration format. Thereby, we
the explored environments. As such, the course unites the theory will focus in particular on low-cost solutions that can be readily
and practice of spatial navigation, serving as entry point to under- implemented using limited resources, either by using and repur-
stand and improve upon currently existing methods for the appli- posing readily available existing devices, or by (rapid) prototyp-
cation domain at hand. ing of novel interfaces. As such, participants will gain a deeper
understanding of different navigation approaches and underlying
Index Terms: H.5.1 [Information Interfaces and Presentation]: psychophysical aspects, and skills necessary to design, build, and
Multimedia Information Systems—Artificial, augmented, and validate novel navigation interfaces.
virtual realities
• Design, development and validation of navigation
1 PROPOSED LENGTH techniques and devices. Design and development ap-
Half-day. proaches, including design principles and iterative de-
sign techniques. Furthermore, relevant validation ap-
2 TOPICS proaches will be provided, next to guidelines.
The tutorial encompasses the following sessions and content.
• Case studies. A series of case studies, in part using the
2.1 Theory: Foundations of Spatial Navigation, Tech- principle of repurposing, the usage of existing devices
niques and Devices for new purposes, and rapid prototyping of novel inter-
faces. Live demonstrations are included.
This session will provide the theoretical foundation on top of
which the subsequent practical design application session will be
• Q&A session
built. An introduction will guide the attendees through the general
structure and concepts of the course. Furthermore, we provide an 3 TECHNICAL LEVEL AND INTENDED AUDIENCE
introduction to psychophysical aspects underlying navigation, and
an overview and categorization of various navigation techniques, The intended audience encompasses researchers, students, devel-
paradigms, and devices reflecting the introduced psychophysics. opers and practitioners who can benefit from an up-to-date, prac-
In detail, this section encompasses the following: tical and well-founded overview and practical discussion to design
new or improve upon existing navigation techniques for a wide
• Introduction. An overview of the course, and its’ moti- range of domains. Particularly, the course will be relevant for
vation, goals and structure. Furthermore, specific chal- people working in the domain of virtual reality and games tech-
lenges of design, development and validation of tech- nology, but also tele-operation, tele-presence, and design review.
There are no direct prerequisites for the course, though some
* email: ernst.kruijff@h-brs.de experience with Virtual Reality or immersive gaming will be
** email: b_r@sfu.ca useful. The course technical level is basic to intermediate.
Contact: b_r@sfu.ca