More for less: Fast image warping for improving the appearance of head tracking on HMDs

In consumer 3D applications such as video games, users frequently have the option to adjust the trade-off between graphics quality and frame rate, with a common approach being to maximise graphics quality while retaining an acceptable (but not ideal) frame rate. However, consumer head-mounted displays require ideal frame rates in order to prevent discomfort and motion sickness. In this paper we present a minimal image warping method to perceptually increase the frame rate for critical types of motion (particularly head tracking). We analyse the magnitude of graphical artefacts introduced by image warping, when used with the Oculus Rift developer kit 1, and perform a user study evaluating improvements in viewing experience achieved with our technique. The results of the study indicate that for head orientation tracking, even basic image warping is perceptually the same as rendering at an ideal frame rate.