EyePointing: A Gaze-Based Selection Technique

Abstract

Interacting with objects from a distance is not only challenging in the real world but also a common problem in virtual reality (VR). One issue concerns the distinction between attention for exploration and attention for selection - also known as the Midas-touch problem. Researchers proposed numerous approaches to overcome that challenge using additional devices, gaze input cascaded pointing, and using eye blinks to select the remote object. While techniques such as MAGIC pointing still require additional input for confirming a selection using eye gaze and, thus, forces the user to perform unnatural behavior, there is still no solution enabling a truly natural and unobtrusive device free interaction for selection. In this paper, we propose EyePointing: a technique which combines the MAGIC pointing technique and the referential mid-air pointing gesture to selecting objects in a distance. While the eye gaze is used for referencing the object, the pointing gesture is used as a trigger. Our technique counteracts the Midas-touch problem.