Flying in virtual reality on 3 different axes: evaluation of the effects of a full rotating VR interface on performance, cybersickness and user experience

A promising trend in Virtual Reality (VR) is the use of embodied interfaces, systems that involve full-body motion within a Virtual Environment. These devices enhance immersion and user experience while reducing cybersickness when compared to hand-held interfaces, such as gamepads. However, existing embodied interfaces often lack comprehensive motion cues and control. In this study, we evaluated the VitruvianVR, a novel embodied interface, providing self-motion cues through 3-axes rotation, suitable for multiple VR experiences such as flight simulations. This gyroscopic VR device allows users to rotate their entire body in all directions, simulating the sensation of flying. VitruvianVR has been compared to a traditional hand-held interface (i.e., gamepad) during a flight simulation. Combining both self-reported and objective data, we focused on performance metrics (i.e., flight accuracy, failures, birds report), cybersickness, User eXperience (UX), sense of presence, acceptance, mental load and participants’ head and body rotation behaviours. Our main findings show that users’ flight accuracy performance with Vitruvian VR is reduced when compared to the gamepad, and generates more mental workload than a hand-held interface. VitruvianVR is associated with greater head rotations compared to the gamepad session, while being associated with lower perceived cybersickness symptoms than the counterpart. Furthermore, VitruvianVR leads to higher scores of UX, including overall satisfaction, enjoyment, realism, novelty, perceived safety and sense of presence compared to the gamepad. The results broaden the knowledge regarding full motion cueing interfaces and provide a step forward in the design of effective bodily rotating devices. VitruvianVR suggests promising opportunities of application in various flight-related contexts.