Strolling through cyberspace with your hands in your pockets: head directed navigation in virtual environments

摘要

Head-Directed Navigation is a simple and efficient method for navigating large virtual spaces. For walkthrough applications such as architectural visualization or games, the user is often required to cover simulated distances. In doing so, inexperienced users often have a hard time learning comlicated navigation patters with 3-D mice or similar input devices. In large virtual worlds, this frequently leads to disorientation. With head directed navigation, the user navigates the virtual environment only by orienting his or her head. An orientation tracker mounted on the head-mounted display worn by the user is used to derive the navigation commands. Besides the approach's simplicity, the user's hands are left free for other tasks.