Towards a Bedder Future: A Study of Using Virtual Reality while Lying Down

Author

Thomas van Gemert, Kasper Hornbæk, Jarrod Knibbe, Joanna Bergström, CHI 2023

Keywords

virtual reality, supine, bed, room-scale, lying down, movement, user experience

WHAT

  • developed a custom driver for SteamVR to transform the virtual coordinate space

  • 3 topics about using VR in bed

    • how everyday movements become tricky when lying down

    • users can use the applications while lying down comfortably

    • discuss how the illusion of virtually standing up can lead to embodiment

WHY

  • staring at the ceiling or sky is typically not the most exciting part of the environment when lying down

  • breaking the mapping between their body’s pose in the real and virtual worlds

  • imposing significant movement restrictions compared to standing freely

HOW

  • Method

    • Relaxed think-aloud protocol

    • Semi-structured Interview

      • quality of the interaction (usability, utility, and emotional impact)

      • context of the user (user’s previous experience, physical position, and physical abilities)

      • higher-level reflection (the utility and appeal of the VR experience when lying down)

  • Applications

  • Participants

    • 14 experienced VR users

    • 11 males and 3 females, 31.8 ± 5.9 years old

  • Rotating the Virtual Coordinate Space

    • OpenVR Motion Compensation (OVRMC)

    • software offsets to align the center of the tracking space with the participant’s feet

  • Apparatus

    • Bed, mattres and pillow

    • a laptop for note-taking and three monitors to display the in-game view, an on-screen clock, and the OBS recording window

    • HTC Vive Pro headset with a modified head-strap, two HTC Vive Pro controllers, and four SteamVR 2.0 lighthouses

  • Procedure

    • welcome and explanation

    • 2 warming-up exercises for the think-aloud protocol

    • lie down and put on the headset

    • start SteamVR Home, video and audio recording

    • 10 minutes SSI

  • Analysis

    • thematic analysis framework as explained by Braun and Clarke

      • data familiarization

      • initial coding

      • created an initial loose grouping of codes

    • Research questions

      • What is the user experience of using VR while lying in bed?

      • How do users move, or want to move, when using VR in bed?

      • How can users interact with the virtual environment (e.g., locomotion, object manipulation)?

Results

  • “It’s just a lot of ab work!” — Common Movements are Surprisingly Hard in Bed

    • Leaning

    • Reaching

    • Crouching

    • Looking around

    • Translating

  • “If you’re moving so much, why not get up?” — The Challenge of Benefiting from Lying Down

    • Relaxing and being comfortable

    • Using the arms to interact

    • Expectations of movement

    • Avoiding VR sickness

  • “I forgot that I’m lying down” — Embodiment and the Illusion of Standing Up

    • Embodiment

    • Perception of the horizon

Discussion

  • Implications of Movement for Research and Design

    • We need interaction techniques to replace maneuvering when lying down

    • Future designs for VR while lying down should leverage the legs

    • Physical head rotations should be supported and augmented

    • Strenuous physical movements can be replaced with game mechanics

    • We need locomotion techniques for small, not just medium, distances

  • Implications of the Bed for Research and Design

    • Manage expectation ofcomfort versus effort

    • Expand the usable area of interaction for the arms

    • Explore the use ofVR for reclining and lying on other surfaces

    • Use locomotion techniques that do not cause VR sickness

  • How Do Haptic and Vestibular Sensations Influence Embodiment?

  • Use Cases of VR when Lying Down

    • You can, but do not want to move

    • You cannot move, but want to

    • You can and you want to move

    • You cannot move and do not want to