A Real Space Extension Approach Using a Turntable for Natural Walking in Virtual Reality

Abstract

AbstractThere are three main types of walking techniques for moving in a virtual reality (VR) space. However, these techniques are far from real walking and cause discomfort when walking. This study proposes a method for natural walking in VR space. The proposed method uses a turntable to rotate only the body in real space, thereby extending the walking range. Furthermore, we evaluate the efficiency of the proposed method by comparing the subjective evaluation of walking sensation with two other representative movement methods. In the experiment, we evaluated the sense of natural gait by comparing the scores from a questionnaire on the sense of gait. The experimental results suggest that the proposed method is the most natural way to walk in the VR space compared to other methods. The results also indicated that the perception of space differed depending on the means of movement in the VR space, suggesting the need for further investigation.KeywordsVirtual realityNatural walkingTurntable