RippleVision: Unobtrusive Gaze-Dependent Guidance via Directed Wave Motion in Virtual Reality
Published in IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics (TVCG, Proc. IEEE VR), 2026
Presented at IEEE Virtual Reality (VR), March 2026
Abstract
The inherent freedom of exploration in virtual reality poses a challenge for directing user attention toward relevant points or objects of interest, which are potentially located outside the user’s field of view or are temporarily obscured. Accordingly, guidance must sustain users' perceptual focus while preserving the sense of presence. This paper presents RippleVision, a subtle gaze guidance technique using wave-like ripples that modulate brightness with inverted polarity between the eyes and appear only within a cone from the point of interest to the gaze location. A calibration study defined detectability and acceptability thresholds for the cues, followed by a comparative user study against four state-of-the-art techniques. Results show RippleVision achieves similar search times to clearly visible techniques while significantly reducing visual dominance. Moreover, its effectiveness scales with cue visibility, improving search performance with minimal impact on perceived visual obstruction and presence.
BibTeX Citation
@article{kudnick2026rippleVision,
title = {RippleVision: Unobtrusive Gaze-Dependent Guidance via Directed Wave Motion in Virtual Reality},
author = {Jérôme Kudnick and Daniel T. Mayer and Colin Groth and Bipul Mohanto and Ralf Dörner and Martin Weier},
journal = {{IEEE} Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics ({TVCG}, Proc. {IEEE} {VR})},
year = {2026}
}