With affordable high performance VR displays becoming commonplace, users are becoming increasingly aware of the need for well-designed locomotion interfaces that support these displays. After considering the needs of users, we quantitatively evaluated an embodied locomotion interface called the NaviChair according to usability needs and fulfillment of system requirements. Specifically, we investigated influences of locomotion interfaces (joystick vs. an embodied motion cueing chair) and display type (HMD vs. projection screen) on a spatial updating pointing task. Our findings indicate that our embodied VR locomotion interface provided users with an immersive experience of a space without requiring a significant investment of set up time.

We describe design considerations in Serpentine Dance, Refocused (SDR), an interactive movement installation that pays homage to Loïe Fuller's mesmerizing creations of light and motion. Our design goals were inspired by kinesthetic empathy research. Fuller created the Serpentine Dance (1891) at a time when many artists turned to abstraction as a way for audiences to engage with the essence of motion rather than narrative plots. We sought to heighten the feeling of kinesthetic empathy through creating an interactive environment where audience members could physically engage and reflect on the sensation of spinning, a prominent action in the Serpentine Dance. Through our analysis of SDR we found that our design intentions relating to kinesthetic empathy were not addressed by current design frameworks for kinesthetic interactions. Based on kinesthetic empathy research, we restructure and extend these frameworks into an evaluative and generative framework for interactive systems. We propose that kinesthetic empathy is the center of all movement interactions. This broader definition of kinesthetic empathy can be used to evaluate and generate a wide variety of movement interactions. We discuss the design of SDR through the lens of our evaluative framework.

Locomotion interfaces that support physical self-motion in virtual reality facilitate spatial updating, but have relatively high cost and typically require large physical spaces. A better understanding of the illusion of self-motion, or vection, presents a potential solution to this problem. Though circular self-motion illusions induced using only visuals or only walking have been investigated previously, the interaction between these two types has not. We conducted an experiment to examine the additive effects of walking stimuli and visual motion cues on intensity and convincingness of circular veetion. Our results indicate a trend towards decreased vection onset time when illusory rotation stimuli were combined. Measures of intensity and convincingness were also rated higher for the combined stimulus condition when compared with walking or visual stimuli separately. Consequently, lean and elegant virtual reality interface designs should include both walking and visual stimuli for a compelling experience of self-motion.