Evaluation of Two Leaning-Based Control Methods in a Dragon Riding Interface

In this paper we present a dragon rider 3D flight interface which allows users to intuitively control the movement of a fantasy dragon in a virtual world by leaning their body in a seated position. We introduce two different approaches to measure the user’s leaning state in the real world, one using a Wii Balance Board to measure the distribution of the user’s weight on the seat and the other using a Kinect to track the user’s upper body skeleton. We compared the two methods in an experiment focusing on the usability, sense of presence and efficiency in a 3D flight task in a virtual environment presented on a headmounted display. While both approaches were considered as intuitive by our participants, our results indicate that tracking the user’s upper body with a Kinect was preferred by the participants and estimated as more usable than via shifts in the user’s weight.