The way of water: exploring the role of interaction elements in usability challenges with in-car VR experience

• Published in: Virtual reality : the journal of the Virtual Reality Society 2024-06, Vol.28 (3), p.121, Article 121
• Main Authors: Jeon, Hwaseung, Jo, Taewoo, Yeo, Dohyeon, An, Eunsol, Kang, Yumin, Kim, SeungJun
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Artificial Intelligence; Computer Graphics; Computer Science; Helmet mounted displays; Image Processing and Computer Vision; Motion sickness; Original Article; Road humps; Situational awareness; User experience; User Interfaces and Human Computer Interaction; Virtual reality
• ISSN: 1434-9957; 1359-4338; 1434-9957
• DOI: 10.1007/s10055-024-01001-3

With advancements in autonomous driving technology, the variety of activities that can be performed in a vehicle has increased. This improves the possibility of watching virtual reality (VR) content on a head-mounted display (HMD). However, unlike VR used in stationary environments, in-car VR can lead to discomfort and motion sickness due to the vehicle movements. Additionally, the obstruction of the outside view during driving may cause user anxiety. In this study, we investigated, for the first time, the effect of dynamic road environments, such as turns, stops, and speed bumps, on the in-car VR experience. Based on our findings, we included situational awareness (SA) cues in the in-car VR content to help users perceive their surroundings and improve the user experience. We conducted a user study with thirty participants to validate the impact of these cues. Consequently, we discovered that the Dynamics cue, which provides SA information while maintaining the context of the VR content, improves user immersion and trust while easing VR motion sickness.