The Handheld Virtual Panel (HVP) is the virtual panel attached to the non-dominant hand’s controller in virtual reality (VR). The HVP is the go-to technique for enabling menus and toolboxes in VR devices. In this paper, we investigate target acquisition performance for the HVP as a function of four factors: target width, target distance, the direction of approach with respect to gravity, and the angle of approach. Our results show that all four factors have significant effects on user performance. Based on the results, we propose guidelines towards the ergonomic and performant design of the HVP interfaces.
The paper investigates target acquisition for handheld virtual panels in VR and shows that target width, distance, direction of approach with respect to gravity, and angle of approach, all impact user performance.