Usability of Multiple Degree-of-Freedom Input Devices and Virtual Reality Displays for Interactive Visual Data Analysis

Interactive virtual reality applications commonly require two key technologies: multiple degree-of-freedom input devices, and 2D or 3D displays. The industry has developed a vast variety of devices for a growing consumer market. Consumer magazines regularly publish test reports for new devices. These reports are often focused on the gaming community, which is typically the driving force behind new product development. Although many lessons can be learned from the gaming industry, the scientific community is generally focused on other criteria, such as precision, degrees of freedom, and user tracking. It is expected that some of these criteria, which are currently in the state of research, will eventually be incorporated into products for a mass market, just like consumer graphics cards and certain input devices did in the past.

This study is an attempt to provide an overview of existing 2D and 3D input device and display technologies for interactive scientific visualization applications. Different types of input devices and displays were tested in combination with each other. The article explains why certain combinations of input devices and displays work together better than others.