VVIR-OM: Efficient Object Manipulation in VR with Variable Virtual Interaction Region

Manipulating with virtual objects is a fundamental requirement in virtual environments. A good manipulation method needs to consider efficiency, accuracy, and comfort. This paper proposes VVIR-OM, an object manipulation method in virtual reality (VR) based on a variable virtual interaction region (VVIR). A hand interaction hemisphere region (HIHR) is introduced and constructed in real space, where the user is more comfortable manipulating the objects. Then a VVIR is introduced, and an interaction heat volume (IHV) based method is proposed to update VVIR during the process of the manipulation. At last, a mapping algorithm is proposed to map the user hand position in HIHR to the position in VVIR. Two user studies are designed to evaluate the performance of VVIR-OM. Compared to the state-of-the-art methods, VVIR-OM achieves significant improvements in task completion time, manipulation precision, and a significant reduction in fatigue. Moreover, VVIR-OM outperforms other methods in terms of task load and usability without the cost of cybersickness.