Sewing
Also known as SewTyping, Penetrating selection
A virtual mallet on the controller selects a target as soon as it passes through it from either side, so several targets can be picked in one continuous up-and-down weaving motion, like a needle through fabric.
How it works
A virtual mallet (a stick with a small sphere at its tip, about 32 cm long in the typing study) extends from a handheld controller. Targets are thin 3D objects that react on both their top and bottom faces; a selection is confirmed the moment the tip penetrates either face, so after going down through one target the user moves straight on and comes up through the next instead of pulling back out. In a Fitts' task study (N=12, HTC Vive) Sewing was faster (751 vs 978 ms), more accurate and needed less movement than top-only 'bouncing'. Applied to text entry (SewTyping, N=27 between subjects) it reached 26.6 WPM, faster than controller pointing and a drum-like keyboard.
Papers
- Yang Li, Sayan Sarcar, Kibum Kim, Huawei Tu, Xiangshi Ren (2022). Designing Successive Target Selection in Virtual Reality via Penetrating the Intangible Interface with Handheld Controllers. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies 165 doi:10.1016/j.ijhcs.2022.102835