Curving the Virtual Route: Applying Redirected Steering Gains for Active Locomotion in In-Car VR

This study examines the feasibility of user-applied active locomotion in In-Car Virtual Reality (VR), overcoming the passivity in mobility of previous In-Car VR experiences where the virtual movement was synchronized with the real movement of the car. We present the concept of virtual steering gains to quantify the magnitude of user-applied redirection from the real car's path. Through a user study where participants applied various levels of steering gains in an active virtual driving task, we assessed usability factors through measures of motion sickness, spatial presence, and overall acceptance. Results indicate a range of acceptable steering gains in which active locomotion improves spatial presence without significantly increasing motion sickness. Future works will attempt to further validate a steering gain threshold in which active locomotion in In-Car VR can be applicable.