2018 IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces (VR), 2018
Virtual reality avatars and the illusion of virtual body ownership are increasingly attracting at... more Virtual reality avatars and the illusion of virtual body ownership are increasingly attracting attention from researchers [1] [2]. As a continuation to our previous work with avatars [3], we updated our existing RUIS for Unity toolkit [4] with new capabilities that facilitate the creation of virtual reality applications with adaptive and customizable avatars.
2020 IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces Abstracts and Workshops (VRW), 2020
Virtual reality (VR) training is an increasingly popular topic in sports science [1]. We introduc... more Virtual reality (VR) training is an increasingly popular topic in sports science [1]. We introduce a VR application for martial arts training, which utilizes physics-based full-body interaction that extends our previous work on the subject [2]. Our use of full-body tracking and user-worn VR equipment without external tethering enables training of techniques that employ lower body: e.g. kicking, grappling, and leg sweeps. Hence a wide variety of martial art styles – from stand-up fighting to ground fighting – can be trained.The training application features virtual opponents and a motion tracked user avatar, which is implemented using RUIS toolkit [3]. The avatar’s and the virtual opponents’ body segments are part of physics simulation that determine their final motion. This enables dynamic hand-to-hand combat, where the user’s punches, takedowns, holds, and other techniques affect the opponents in a convincing manner. The user can engage any number of virtual opponents at full power...
Proceedings of the 20th International Academic Mindtrek Conference, 2016
Virtual camera design is an important but tricky part of creating virtual reality experiences; in... more Virtual camera design is an important but tricky part of creating virtual reality experiences; interaction can feel awkward if the camera is not placed exactly at the user's eyes, but on the other hand a 3rd person perspective (3PP) can provide a better view of the environment and/or the avatar. To inform camera design, we contribute the first study that systematically explores and quantifies how interaction difficulty changes when the camera is moved between a natural 1st person perspective (1PP) and a typical 3PP where the camera is behind and above the user. In our experiment, 24 participants catched flying virtual balls in seven different camera views. Catching performance degraded almost linearly as a function of camera distance from 1PP, and adaptation to non-1PP was slow or non-existent after a quick initial and partial adaptation. Our result suggest that natural 1PP should be used whenever possible, and transitions between views should be minimized to minimize the user constantly struggling to adapt. We also discuss how our results can be explained by the relation of camera perspective and retinal optical flow, and what interaction techniques can mitigate 3PP interaction problems.
CHI '13 Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems on - CHI EA '13, 2013
This work in progress -paper describes our efforts in developing trampoline training games using ... more This work in progress -paper describes our efforts in developing trampoline training games using computer vision technology. The study is part of a project about developing digitally augmented exercise environments for faster, safer and more engaging sports training. We describe four initial prototypes and the feedback obtained from testing them both with circus students and with people with no background in trampolining.
Summary form only given. Recently a number of affordable game controllers have been adopted by vi... more Summary form only given. Recently a number of affordable game controllers have been adopted by virtual reality (VR) researchers [1][4]. We present a video1 of a VR demo called TurboTuscany, where we employ such controllers; our demo combines a Kinect controlled full body avatar with Oculus Rift head-mounted-display [2]. We implemented three positional head tracking schemes that use Kinect, Razer Hydra, and PlayStation (PS) Move controllers. In the demo the Kinect tracked avatar can be used to climb ladders, play with soccer balls, and otherwise move or interact with physically simulated objects. PS Move or Razer Hydra controller is used to control locomotion, and for selecting and manipulating objects. Our subjective experience is that the best head tracking immersion is achieved by using Kinect together with PS Move, as the latter is more accurate and responsive while having a large tracking volume. We also noticed that Oculus Rift's orientation tracking has less latency than any of the positional trackers that we used, while Razer Hydra has less latency than PS Move, and Kinect has the largest latency. Besides positional tracking, our demo uses these three trackers to correct the yaw drift of Oculus Rift. TurboTuscany was developed by using our RUIS toolkit, which is a software platform for VR application development [3]. The demo and RUIS toolkit can be downloaded online2.
In this paper, we investigate the use of volumetric shadows for enhancing three-dimensional perce... more In this paper, we investigate the use of volumetric shadows for enhancing three-dimensional perception and action in third-person motion games. They offer an alternative to previously studied cues and visual guides. Our preliminary survey revealed that from the games that require Kinect, 37 % rely primarily on a third-person view and 9 % on a first-person view. We conducted a user study where 30 participants performed object reaching, interception, and aiming tasks in six different graphical modes of a video game that was controlled using a Kinect sensor and PlayStation Move controllers. The study results indicate that different volumetric shadow cues can affect both the user experience and the gameplay performance positively or negatively, depending on the lighting setup. Qualitative user experience analysis shows that playing was found to be most easy and fluent in a typical virtual reality setting with stereo rendering and flat surface shadows. Author Keywords Depth perception; d...
Proceedings of the Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play, 2020
We propose 3PP-R, a novel Virtual Reality display and interaction technique that allows natural m... more We propose 3PP-R, a novel Virtual Reality display and interaction technique that allows natural movement in 3rd-person perspective (3PP), including body rotation without losing sight of the avatar. A virtual display such as a World-in-Miniature model orbits around the user when the user turns, but does not rotate except for the user's avatar. From the user's perspective, the display appears fixed in the field of vision, while the world rotates around the avatar. 3PP-R combines the strengths of 3PP and 1st-person perspective (1PP): Similar to 1PP, it allows interacting with rich natural movements, while also reaping the benefits of 3PP, i.e., superior spatial awareness and animating the avatar without nauseating viewpoint movement, e.g., for joystick-controlled locomotion. We test 3PP-R in a maze navigation study, which indicates considerably less cybersickness in 3PP-R than in 1PP. We also demonstrate 3PP-R in dynamic game interaction including running, jumping, swinging on ...
2020 IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces Abstracts and Workshops (VRW), 2020
This work examines whether pseudo-haptic experiences can be achieved using a game controller with... more This work examines whether pseudo-haptic experiences can be achieved using a game controller without motion tracking. For this purpose, we implemented a virtual hand manipulation method that uses the controller’s analog stick. We compared the method’s pseudo-haptic experience to that of the conventional approach of using a hand-held motion controller. The results suggest that our analog stick manipulation can present pseudo-weight sensations in a similar way to the conventional approach. This means that interaction designers and users can also choose to utilize analog stick manipulation for pseudo-haptic experiences, as an alternative to motion controllers.
IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces (VR), 2018
Virtual reality avatars and the illusion of virtual body ownership are increasingly attracting at... more Virtual reality avatars and the illusion of virtual body ownership are increasingly attracting attention from researchers [1] [2]. As a continuation to our previous work with avatars [3], we updated our existing RUIS for Unity toolkit [4] with new capabilities that facilitate the creation of virtual reality applications with adaptive and customizable avatars...
2018 IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces (VR), 2018
Virtual reality avatars and the illusion of virtual body ownership are increasingly attracting at... more Virtual reality avatars and the illusion of virtual body ownership are increasingly attracting attention from researchers [1] [2]. As a continuation to our previous work with avatars [3], we updated our existing RUIS for Unity toolkit [4] with new capabilities that facilitate the creation of virtual reality applications with adaptive and customizable avatars.
2020 IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces Abstracts and Workshops (VRW), 2020
Virtual reality (VR) training is an increasingly popular topic in sports science [1]. We introduc... more Virtual reality (VR) training is an increasingly popular topic in sports science [1]. We introduce a VR application for martial arts training, which utilizes physics-based full-body interaction that extends our previous work on the subject [2]. Our use of full-body tracking and user-worn VR equipment without external tethering enables training of techniques that employ lower body: e.g. kicking, grappling, and leg sweeps. Hence a wide variety of martial art styles – from stand-up fighting to ground fighting – can be trained.The training application features virtual opponents and a motion tracked user avatar, which is implemented using RUIS toolkit [3]. The avatar’s and the virtual opponents’ body segments are part of physics simulation that determine their final motion. This enables dynamic hand-to-hand combat, where the user’s punches, takedowns, holds, and other techniques affect the opponents in a convincing manner. The user can engage any number of virtual opponents at full power...
Proceedings of the 20th International Academic Mindtrek Conference, 2016
Virtual camera design is an important but tricky part of creating virtual reality experiences; in... more Virtual camera design is an important but tricky part of creating virtual reality experiences; interaction can feel awkward if the camera is not placed exactly at the user's eyes, but on the other hand a 3rd person perspective (3PP) can provide a better view of the environment and/or the avatar. To inform camera design, we contribute the first study that systematically explores and quantifies how interaction difficulty changes when the camera is moved between a natural 1st person perspective (1PP) and a typical 3PP where the camera is behind and above the user. In our experiment, 24 participants catched flying virtual balls in seven different camera views. Catching performance degraded almost linearly as a function of camera distance from 1PP, and adaptation to non-1PP was slow or non-existent after a quick initial and partial adaptation. Our result suggest that natural 1PP should be used whenever possible, and transitions between views should be minimized to minimize the user constantly struggling to adapt. We also discuss how our results can be explained by the relation of camera perspective and retinal optical flow, and what interaction techniques can mitigate 3PP interaction problems.
CHI '13 Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems on - CHI EA '13, 2013
This work in progress -paper describes our efforts in developing trampoline training games using ... more This work in progress -paper describes our efforts in developing trampoline training games using computer vision technology. The study is part of a project about developing digitally augmented exercise environments for faster, safer and more engaging sports training. We describe four initial prototypes and the feedback obtained from testing them both with circus students and with people with no background in trampolining.
Summary form only given. Recently a number of affordable game controllers have been adopted by vi... more Summary form only given. Recently a number of affordable game controllers have been adopted by virtual reality (VR) researchers [1][4]. We present a video1 of a VR demo called TurboTuscany, where we employ such controllers; our demo combines a Kinect controlled full body avatar with Oculus Rift head-mounted-display [2]. We implemented three positional head tracking schemes that use Kinect, Razer Hydra, and PlayStation (PS) Move controllers. In the demo the Kinect tracked avatar can be used to climb ladders, play with soccer balls, and otherwise move or interact with physically simulated objects. PS Move or Razer Hydra controller is used to control locomotion, and for selecting and manipulating objects. Our subjective experience is that the best head tracking immersion is achieved by using Kinect together with PS Move, as the latter is more accurate and responsive while having a large tracking volume. We also noticed that Oculus Rift's orientation tracking has less latency than any of the positional trackers that we used, while Razer Hydra has less latency than PS Move, and Kinect has the largest latency. Besides positional tracking, our demo uses these three trackers to correct the yaw drift of Oculus Rift. TurboTuscany was developed by using our RUIS toolkit, which is a software platform for VR application development [3]. The demo and RUIS toolkit can be downloaded online2.
In this paper, we investigate the use of volumetric shadows for enhancing three-dimensional perce... more In this paper, we investigate the use of volumetric shadows for enhancing three-dimensional perception and action in third-person motion games. They offer an alternative to previously studied cues and visual guides. Our preliminary survey revealed that from the games that require Kinect, 37 % rely primarily on a third-person view and 9 % on a first-person view. We conducted a user study where 30 participants performed object reaching, interception, and aiming tasks in six different graphical modes of a video game that was controlled using a Kinect sensor and PlayStation Move controllers. The study results indicate that different volumetric shadow cues can affect both the user experience and the gameplay performance positively or negatively, depending on the lighting setup. Qualitative user experience analysis shows that playing was found to be most easy and fluent in a typical virtual reality setting with stereo rendering and flat surface shadows. Author Keywords Depth perception; d...
Proceedings of the Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play, 2020
We propose 3PP-R, a novel Virtual Reality display and interaction technique that allows natural m... more We propose 3PP-R, a novel Virtual Reality display and interaction technique that allows natural movement in 3rd-person perspective (3PP), including body rotation without losing sight of the avatar. A virtual display such as a World-in-Miniature model orbits around the user when the user turns, but does not rotate except for the user's avatar. From the user's perspective, the display appears fixed in the field of vision, while the world rotates around the avatar. 3PP-R combines the strengths of 3PP and 1st-person perspective (1PP): Similar to 1PP, it allows interacting with rich natural movements, while also reaping the benefits of 3PP, i.e., superior spatial awareness and animating the avatar without nauseating viewpoint movement, e.g., for joystick-controlled locomotion. We test 3PP-R in a maze navigation study, which indicates considerably less cybersickness in 3PP-R than in 1PP. We also demonstrate 3PP-R in dynamic game interaction including running, jumping, swinging on ...
2020 IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces Abstracts and Workshops (VRW), 2020
This work examines whether pseudo-haptic experiences can be achieved using a game controller with... more This work examines whether pseudo-haptic experiences can be achieved using a game controller without motion tracking. For this purpose, we implemented a virtual hand manipulation method that uses the controller’s analog stick. We compared the method’s pseudo-haptic experience to that of the conventional approach of using a hand-held motion controller. The results suggest that our analog stick manipulation can present pseudo-weight sensations in a similar way to the conventional approach. This means that interaction designers and users can also choose to utilize analog stick manipulation for pseudo-haptic experiences, as an alternative to motion controllers.
IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces (VR), 2018
Virtual reality avatars and the illusion of virtual body ownership are increasingly attracting at... more Virtual reality avatars and the illusion of virtual body ownership are increasingly attracting attention from researchers [1] [2]. As a continuation to our previous work with avatars [3], we updated our existing RUIS for Unity toolkit [4] with new capabilities that facilitate the creation of virtual reality applications with adaptive and customizable avatars...
Possibilities of virtual reality (VR) technology have gained considerable attention recently due ... more Possibilities of virtual reality (VR) technology have gained considerable attention recently due to technical advances in affordable head-mounted displays. Yet the use of VR technology has not become mainstream, and there still does not exist a “killer application” for VR. One reason for this situation could be the inherent difficulty of VR software development. This thesis investigates challenges specific to VR software development, and explores methodology for such research. The thesis includes some of the earliest quantitative analysis on VR software development challenges, identifies the most severe development issues, and proposes solutions to them. This has implications on how VR software development could be eased. The analysis is based on data collected from 132 developers of VR application programs, which forms the backbone of the research. The thesis introduces RUIS, a software toolkit for facilitating hobbyist innovation by simplifying the development of VR application programs that rely on immersive displays and spatial interaction devices. Case studies employing VR application programs created with RUIS are included, describing different ways how 3D user interfaces can affect the experience and performance of VR software users. Methodology for benchmarking VR toolkits is presented, RUIS is contrasted with other toolkits, and multiple VR application programs created by students with RUIS are juxtaposed. The results demonstrate the importance of the chosen VR toolkit for the development process in two ways: 1) by presenting several comparisons that show how different VR toolkits can significantly affect the experienced development challenges, and 2) by highlighting the quantifiable distinctions in VR application programs created with different toolkits. Additionally, this thesis features an extensive survey on the developers of 3DUI application programs, revealing their demographics, the software and the hardware that they use, and an overview of the 3DUI application programs that they create. The survey also points out those development challenges that particularly affect inexperienced developers, and illustrates that the reuse of high-level 3D user interface features is low. Potential solutions to these issues are proposed in the thesis.
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Papers by Tuukka M Takala
This thesis investigates challenges specific to VR software development, and explores methodology for such research. The thesis includes some of the earliest quantitative analysis on VR software development challenges, identifies the most severe development issues, and proposes solutions to them. This has implications on how VR software development could be eased. The analysis is based on data collected from 132 developers of VR application programs, which forms the backbone of the research.
The thesis introduces RUIS, a software toolkit for facilitating hobbyist innovation by simplifying the development of VR application programs that rely on immersive displays and spatial interaction devices. Case studies employing VR application programs created with RUIS are included, describing different ways how 3D user interfaces can affect the experience and performance of VR software users.
Methodology for benchmarking VR toolkits is presented, RUIS is contrasted with other toolkits, and multiple VR application programs created by students with RUIS are juxtaposed. The results demonstrate the importance of the chosen VR toolkit for the development process in two ways: 1) by presenting several comparisons that show how different VR toolkits can significantly affect the experienced development challenges, and 2) by highlighting the quantifiable distinctions in VR application programs created with different toolkits.
Additionally, this thesis features an extensive survey on the developers of 3DUI application programs, revealing their demographics, the software and the hardware that they use, and an overview of the 3DUI application programs that they create. The survey also points out those development challenges that particularly affect inexperienced developers, and illustrates that the reuse of high-level 3D user interface features is low. Potential solutions to these issues are proposed in the thesis.