Study of Primitive Input Methods in Mobile Virtual Reality Systems for Educational Applications

This paper presents a study on primitive input methods in mobile virtual reality (VR) systems, aiming to explore user interactions and the effectiveness of three input methods: single-click, double-click, and pointing-dwell, using a Google Cardboard VR headset. The research involved a pilot study followed by experiments, where participants engaged with virtual targets at various visual angles and distances. Results revealed that smaller visual angles of targets increased operation times, and the pointing-dwell method was preferred for less intense tasks, while single-click was more efficient for rapid interactions. Overall, participants rated the 3D experience positively, though slight discomfort was reported during longer sessions. Based on these observations, we drew some design guidelines for developing future mobile VR applications, with a focus on task intensity, user comfort, and input methods. Additionally, an educational mobile VR application was developed to demonstrate the application of the proposed design guidelines. The findings of this study contribute to a better understanding of effective user interaction design in mobile VR systems, particularly for educational applications.