Align-Box: Enable Fast Bare-Hand Multi-Object Alignment in VR

In virtual reality (VR, Appendix A: Table A1), efficient alignment of multiple objects is essential for tasks such as indoor layout design, where geometric constraints are common. To improve interaction efficiency and spatial perception, we propose an interactive multi-object alignment metaphor, Align-Box, which employs dual hexahedral boxes and intuitive hand gestures to support both group-based and object-based alignment. By mapping object bounding boxes to proxy boxes, Align-Box enables fast and precise multi-object manipulation. We evaluated the method through a controlled user study. Results show that Align-Box reduced task completion time by up to 77.3% and operation count by 78.6% compared to baseline techniques, while significantly improving usability. These results demonstrate that Align-Box provides an effective workflow for applications such as in-VR scene editing, architectural visualization, and training simulations, and shows strong potential for immersive content creation in Industry 5.0 contexts.