Usability Evaluation of Interaction Modalities for 3-D Object Manipulation in Immersive Virtual Reality Systems

This study investigates how different interaction modalities influence user performance and experience in virtual reality environments. We compared three commonly used modalities, including controller-based input, hand tracking, and eye gaze, as well as a combined modality that integrated multiple inputs. We conducted an empirical user study with 30 participants (10 males, 20 females), in which each participant completed two tasks: arranging toruses on a vertical pole and stacking virtual blocks in predefined positions. We evaluated the efficiency, effectiveness, and user preference for each modality through quantitative and qualitative measures. Quantitative data included task completion time, errors rates, and responses to closed-ended questions regarding the preferred modalities, whereas qualitative data included survey responses to the open-ended questions. Statistical analysis revealed that the controller modality resulted in faster task completion times with the least error rate, whereas the eye gaze took significantly longer completion time with the highest error rates. The majority of participants preferred using the controller for its efficiency and effectiveness, highlighting that interaction modality plays a crucial role in determining user performance and experience in basic object manipulation tasks in VR.