FinePoint: A Novel Technique for Object Manipulation that Bridges the Gap Between Virtual Reality and the Desktop
Sam Torzewski · 2015
We present FinePoint, a technique for positioning and orienting objects in three-dimensional space using a six-degreeof-freedom (6DOF) tracking device. In conventional desktopbased techniques, 2D interfaces such as the mouse and keyboard are used, but with these tools rotation tasks are difficult because the rotation has to be broken down into a few 1or 2D rotations, and translation tasks are difficult due to lack of depth cues. This puts a greater burden on the user to orient the object correctly. Standard VR interfaces focus on free one-to-one movement with 6-DOF input devices, but their accuracy is limited by the un-steadiness of the user’s hands. FinePoint bridges the gap between the full one-to-one manipulation of a 6-DOF tracker, often described by users as the most natural user interface, and the precision of a conventional mouse and keyboard by giving the user many ways of manipulating an object that vary in speed and accuracy. These methods can be switched between on the fly, and new methods can be added on a perapplication basis. We use a hierarchical control scheme to select these methods. We report on a pilot test comparing a partial implementation of FinePoint to a standard one-toone freehand technique. Counter to our initial hypothesis, we found that FinePoint was slower than the one-to-one approach when performing 3D docking tasks at a similar level of accuracy. This pilot has helped us to refine our hypotheses about which aspects of FinePoint will be most useful in practice and in which tasks FinePoint will be most useful. Specifically, we find that separating movement methods into logical groupings is useful, but that further work is needed to make it practical. These methods would be most useful for translation tasks rather than rotation. Ultimately, we believe a FinePoint technique revised and refined according to the lessons described in this thesis will allow more free exploration of data in scientific and medical research, and allow for faster iteration on design tasks in engineering fields.