Giant Finger: A Novel Visuo-Proprioceptive Approach to Simulating Lower-Body Movements in Virtual Reality

Abstract

Surreal experience in virtual reality (VR) occurs when visual experience accompanies congruent somatosensation. However, owing to the limitations of the physical abilities of two legs, existing methods are bound to human capabilities or replaced with safer, less immersive interfaces. To address this, we introduce the ’Giant Finger,’ a concept that replicates human lower body movements through two enlarged virtual fingers. In a user study conducted, we confirmed Giant Finger’s ownership using proprioceptive drift and questionnaires, which is crucial to immerse users in VR. Furthermore, we assessed the Giant Finger’s capability to perform a variety of tasks, comparing it to existing methods. Despite its minimalistic approach, the Giant Finger proves highly effective in supporting lower body movements, with ownership sensation and presence comparable to those the body-leaning method, which utilizes whole-body motion. The Giant Finger holds potential beyond supporting lower body actions; it can assist in providing somatosensory illusions for people with disabilities or support movements in confined spaces. Additionally, the applications demonstrated in this paper suggest the Giant Finger could augment human body capabilities in gaming, industry, and accessibility contexts, introducing novel forms and movements unattainable in reality.