Improving Virtual Reality Accessibility through Context-Aware Spatial Remapping

Abstract

VR makes assumptions about user ability that might be impossible for a user with mobility limitations to meet, and the more gestural and motion-based input of VR means common motor accessibility solutions do not provide a sufficiently adaptable remedy. This dissertation presents the results of a three-phase research path covering a variety of research questions within accessible spatial input. First, an investigation of accessible multi-modal input setups demonstrates that designing for input categories rather than input devices is key, due to the large range of customized accessibility setups. The second project, focused on the situational impairments experienced when switching between desktop and VR, demonstrates and evaluates a solution that responds to user context to make this cross-device input easier. The final project investigates individual user ranges of motion for VR, and presents a design language for body motion inspired by 3D geometric primitives. These motion primitives are used to create a solution that enables user-customizable input remapping in a simpler and more concise way than traditional transfer functions.