The Effectiveness of Locomotion Interfaces Depends on Self-Motion Cues, Environmental Cues, and the Individual

Abstract

The proliferation of locomotion interfaces for virtual reality necessitates a framework for predicting and evaluating navigational success. Spatial updating---the process of mentally updating one's self-location during locomotion---is a core component of navigation, is easy to measure, and is sensitive to common elements of locomotion interfaces. This paper highlights three factors that influence spatial updating: body-based self-motion cues, environmental cues, and characteristics of the individual. The concordance framework, which characterizes locomotion interfaces based on agreement between body movement and movement through the environment, serves as a useful starting point for understanding the effectiveness of locomotion interfaces for enabling accurate navigation.