Effects of attention-demanding task-based technique on reorientation in virtual reality

Reorientation techniques in virtual reality (VR) enable users to explore virtual spaces that are larger than the physical spaces within limited physical spaces. Increasing the rotation gain, which alters the user's orientation between physical and virtual spaces, enables users to navigate a larger virtual space. However, as a significant rotation gain may disrupt the user's sense of presence and cause discomfort, it is used at limited values. To address this issue, we propose an attention-demanding task-based reorientation technique that leverages the human perceptual phenomenon of inattentional blindness. We design attention-demanding tasks that require users to focus on specific types of attention (visual, mental, and physical) and verify that tasks are effective in demanding the intended attention type. In addition, we measure the user noticeability, presence, and VR sickness. The results show that users are less likely to notice reorientation during attention-demanding tasks than during tasks without specific attentional demands, which also avoids undesired effects such as presence degradation and increased VR sickness. Our findings suggest VR content design guidelines for seamlessly integrating reorientation techniques into VR interactive scenarios, thereby increasing the opportunities for reorienting users in virtual environments.