Abstract
In this work, we propose a convenient method for evaluating levels of angular jerk in augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR). Jerk is a rarely analyzed metric in usability studies, although it can be measured and calculated easily with most head-worn displays and can yield highly relevant information to designers. Here, we developed and implemented a system capable of calculating and analyzing jerk in real-time based on orientation data from an off-the-shelf head-worn display. An experiment was then carried out to determine whether the presence of AR user interface annotations results in changes to users’ angular head jerk when conducting a time-pressured visual search task. Analysis of the data indicates that a decrease in jerk is significantly associated with the use of AR augmentations. As noted in the limitations section, however, the conclusions drawn from this work should be limited, as this analysis method is novel in the VR/AR space and because of methodological limitations that limited the reliability of the jerk data. The work presented herein considerably facilitates the use of jerk as a quick component measure of usability and serves as an initial point off which future research involving jerk in VR and AR can be performed.
Highlights
As the use of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) becomes more ubiquitous, it will become important to understand how its long-term and consistent use impacts users on several different facets so that user interface (UI) designers can better mitigate the resulting issues and tune UI designs to increase productivity whilst decreasing concerns related to health and safety
In these situations where the user interface requires large movements in a short amount of time, it would be important for designers and researchers to know if their UI designs will require operators to make these sorts of exaggerated movements that may lead to excessive jerk, and possible fatigue and performance decrements
To test our algorithms and method, we developed a testbed that used virtual reality to simulate a drone-based augmented reality video pass-through device that would be used in the real world to scan civil infrastructure elements for defects
Summary
As the use of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) becomes more ubiquitous, it will become important to understand how its long-term and consistent use impacts users on several different facets so that user interface (UI) designers can better mitigate the resulting issues and tune UI designs to increase productivity whilst decreasing concerns related to health and safety. Early AR and VR systems required users to be somewhat immobile, tethered, or confined to small rooms but, as technology improved (and continues to improve), users are afforded greater movement capabilities unbridled by the technology constraints of past devices. As these technology constraints decrease, designers will need to understand how unrestricted movement in these virtual spaces may impact users. We propose jerk as a candidate metric for understanding how movement in virtual and mixed-reality spaces may impact users and for developing best practices for their use in the novel work and play spaces they may be asked to inhabit as their use becomes more commonplace
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