Exploring Controller-based Techniques for Precise and Rapid Text Selection in Virtual Reality

Text selection is a common task in interactive systems. Often, it can be difficult because the letters and words are too small and clustered together to allow precise selection. Compared to traditional 2D interfaces, text selection is more challenging in virtual reality (VR) head-mounted displays (HMDs) because users interact with the immersive 3D space via mid-air interaction, which has higher degrees of freedom but becomes more imprecise and involves a higher workload due to the lack of support from a fixed structure like a desk. There has been limited exploration of techniques that support precise and rapid text selection at the character, word, sentence, or paragraph levels in VR HMDs. To fill this gap, we propose three controller-based text selection methods: Joystick Movement, Depth Movement, and Wrist Orientation. They are evaluated against a baseline selection method via a user study with 24 participants. Results show that the three proposed techniques significantly improved the performance and user experience over the baseline, especially for the selection beyond the character level.