Redirected Seating (RDS) in Helical Space

Redirected seating (RDS) is an adaptation of Redirected Walking (RDW) that creates the illusion of expansive virtual movement in confined spaces by virtually amplifying limited physical rotation. By applying redirected walking principles to seated experiences, RDS enables panoramic exploration using only limited chair rotation. A proof-of-concept implementation introduces amplified yaw, where perceived motion is extended through virtual azimuth gain. A swivel chair is embedded in a virtual helical scene synchronized with a coiling musical soundscape, aligning visual and auditory cues to plausibly justify restricted angular range and reinforce the azimuth-gain illusion. A pilot study confirmed the effectiveness of the approach, showing improved user experience and greater perceived virtual rotation. The RDS framework can be extended to mixed reality applications through integration of a rotary motion platform and adaptive ambient lighting systems, besides head-mounted display. When servomotor-driven chair rotation is paired with IoT-controlled lighting effects and viewed with see-through augmented reality (AR), the coherence of the azimuth-gain illusion is further strengthened. This combination blends physical constraints with enhanced virtual mobility, suggesting that seated VR can achieve perceptual benefits comparable to redirected walking within constrained physical spaces.