On-arm body centered 3D user interfaces

Today's 2D user interfaces (UIs) are mature, while their 3D counterparts have not yet reached a similar state. For Virtual Reality (VR) systems, directly using 2D interactive elements as 3D "floating" UIs introduces challenges, such as the lack of haptic feedback when "touching" a virtual mid-air button or when the hand appears behind a panel. I propose VRambrace, an intuitive VR system control method that takes advantage of proprioception and passive haptic feedback to enable interaction with menus, sliders, and keyboards on the user's forearm. VRambrace overlays UI elements on different sides of the non-dominant forearm and enables direct interaction with these elements with the dominant hand's index finger. My evaluation reveals that users perform similarly with VRambrace compared to interacting with the same UI elements floating near the arm for short tasks. As arm registration and tracking were not sufficiently accurate for text entry with VRambrace, users typed faster with a mid-air keyboard. Promisingly, some users still preferred VRambrace due to the added haptic feedback and sensation of touch between the fingertip and the surface of the arm. Findings from my in-depth analysis suggest that VRambrace would benefit from better tracking, calibration, and arm modelling.