Informed design for virtual environments: The impact of object shape on reaching performance

Locating objects in virtual space is not the same as locating them in physical space. The visual properties of the virtual object can affect the perception of its spatial location, reducing the ability to accurately co-locate the hand and the object. This chapter presents an investigation into the effects of object geometry and proximity brightness cues on the time-to-target of a virtual reality reaching and grasping task. Twenty-nine healthy adults reached for a variety of virtual objects. Time-to-target (recorded using magnetic tracking) was significantly affected by object geometry, but not by brightness cues. We conclude that object geometry needs to be carefully considered for applications where accurate colocation of hand and object are important.