Realizing a Surrounding-Like Display System for Virtual Environment with Limited Large Screen.

Abstract

This paper presents a new interface that gives users the ability to use their body to control their viewpoint direction in virtual environments without loosing sight of the displayed images, despite the use of a limited large screen system. To keep users provided with continuous visual feedback even when users perform a full body rotation, the interface uses a turntable device as a platform on top of which users will stand at its center and which is capable of canceling users' body turning by a smooth and passive rotation in opposite direction of the turn. Turntable rotation is optimized and synchronized with the displayed images so as to maintain a stable visual feedback that do not affect users' perceptual capabilities. The interface is shown to be simple and adaptable to most virtual environments with large display system and can be integrated with other user interface devices such as haptic devices and omni-direction locomotion devices.