Investigation of Cognitive Preference in Augmented Reality Node-Link Diagrams
Zhiyi Yu, Xiaoyue Zhou · 2023
Node-link diagrams are commonly used for visualizing entity-relationship data, but as the number of nodes and links increases, it can become challenging due to occlusion issues. One potential solution is representing these diagrams in 3D. In a recent study, we conducted a multi-factor experiment in an AR (Augmented Reality) environment to investigate how the complexity and spatial arrangement of node-link diagrams, as well as user interaction preferences, are related. We varied factors like viewing angle, rendering distance, and the number of nodes. Three viewing angles (24, 34, and 42 degrees) were tested, with three distance levels (23cm, 36cm, and 60cm) and three node count levels (8, 16, and 24). The results indicated that the time it took to perform tasks was mainly influenced by the viewing angle in the diagram's immediate vicinity. Surprisingly, participants preferred to rotate the node-link diagram for complex tasks, even though it took longer than simply walking and viewing. Additionally, participants tended to rotate the diagram when the target was closer during detailed viewing tasks. In these detailed tasks, people typically walked clockwise around the diagram and got closer to it. The research results have reference value for the human-computer interaction design of data visualization in the virtual space.