Virtual information space navigation: Evaluating the use of head tracking

This paper reports a study of information search in a three-dimensional virtual information space. A comparison was made of performance with and without head tracking, as provided by a virtual reality headset. Twenty-five percent of participants in a head tracking condition experienced feelings of nausea, and efficiency of navigation was poorer in this condition than in a comparison condition in which participants viewed the virtual environment on a conventional CRT. Spatial ability interacted with 'head tracking' condition, with low spatial ability participants performing more poorly when using head tracking than when this facility was not available. It is concluded that the use of dual input systems in the head tracking condition (head tracking and mouse) increased the cognitive demands placed on participants, resulting in a less 'robust' interface.