Going Out Of Bounds: Expanding Physical Space and Movement in Virtual Reality

Abstract

This research explores the potential of utilising physical space and physical movement, in the creation of a virtual experience centered around the autoethnographic narrative of my own childhood memories.

Presently, VR experiences are developed to fit within the confines of ‘Roomscale VR’, which limits physical space and movement to a single room. After researching play-areas, game mechanics and physical movement, it was found that higher levels of immersion can be achieved through better consideration of how these elements are integrated into the virtual experience. By expanding access to greater amounts of physical space and representing physical obstacles within a virtual environment, we can empower the user to trust the world within the VR headset. This freedom results in more immersive experiences.

Employing the cyclical methodology of iterative design and the reflective methodology of autoethnography, the artefact created to support this thesis is the result of numerous prototypes and reflections. The artefact places the VR user on a virtual re-creation of a farm paddock located in Puketitiri, Hawkes Bay, with a narrative ‘child-guide’. This guide demonstrates the interactive potential of the virtual environment, through movement that evokes the childhood feelings of whimsy and freedom found in strolling through hayfields, jumping for leaves and skimming stones across a pond. By utilising the new play-space model, the artefact demonstrates that there is immersive potential to be realised through feeling freer, safer to roam and extending physical interactions with a virtual environment.