Exploring the Front Touch Interface for Virtual Reality Headsets.

In this paper, we propose the front touch interface: a new HMD-embedded interface where users interact with the virtual world via a touchpad placed in front of the VR headset. To demonstrate the feasibility of the interface, we built a prototype device, and performed a user study on a selection task using a simple menu layout. Two new selection techniques, Two-Finger and Drag-n-Tap, were also explored to find the appropriate input method for the front touch interface. As a low-cost, light-weight, and low power-budget technology, a touch sensor can make an ideal interface for a mobile VR headset. With this novel front touch interface, we have devised a new design space of VR interactions.