A VR Locomotion Concept based on a Handheld Spherical Controller

Among the various locomotion concepts for VR teleportation and movement via a controller / joystick are the most prominent ones. This topic seeks to develop a novel concept, based on a spherical handheld controller that not only serves as a locomotion device but also as a tool to visualize a miniture verison of the virtual environment the user is interacting with. This miniture map can be used to provide clues concerning navigation but also can provide visual feedback about the current virtual movement such as velocity and dircetion by showing an avatar. Finally, a user study to examine the performance of the concept and possible impact on cybersickness and learnability needs to be conducted.

Tasks:

• Literature research concerning VR locomotion techniques.
• Implementation of a translation of rotation to the movement of the virtual camera.
• Execution and evaluation of a user study for comparative results.

Requirements:

• Basics in Unity 3D (C#) and 3D-modelling.
• Interest in tangible VR-interaction.
• Interest in novel movement concepts