ABOVE & BELOW: Investigating Ceiling and Floor for Augmented Reality Content Placement

Abstract

Augmented Reality (AR) interfaces support users by providing access to digital content within real-world environments. However, displaying content at the users’ eye level might result in the occlusion of the real world. Therefore, it requires finding AR content placement areas that free the users’ field of vision. In this work, we systematically investigate two content placement areas beyond the users’ eye level: the ceiling and floor. To understand how potential users perceive virtual content on the ceiling and floor and how the content should be placed on these areas, we conducted two user studies. While the first exploratory study showed the general usefulness of either area, the second quantitative study allowed us to define optimal placement parameters regarding visibility and comfort. With insights from our studies, we provide design recommendations for future AR applications that support 2D content presentation on the ceiling and the floor.