VR-Based Interface Enabling Ad-Hoc Individualization of Information Layer Presentation

Abstract

Graphical user interfaces created for scientific prototypes are often designed to support only a specific and well-defined use case. They often use two-dimensional overlay buttons and panels in the view of the operator to cover needed functionalities. For potentially unpredictable and more complex tasks, such interfaces often fall short of the ability to scale properly with the larger amount of information that needs to be processed by the user. Simply transferring this approach to more complex use-cases likely introduces visual clutter and leads to an unnecessarily complicated interface navigation that reduces accessibility and potentially overwhelms users. In this paper, we present a possible solution to this problem. In our proposed concept, information layers can be accessed and displayed by placing an augmentation glass in front of the virtual camera. Depending on the placement of the glass, the viewing area can cover only parts of the view or the entire scene. This also makes it possible to use multiple glasses side by side. Furthermore, augmentation glasses can be placed into the virtual environment for collaborative work. With this, our approach is flexible and can be adapted very fast to changing demands.