Performance Measurement of Hand Manipulation of Virtual Objects in 3D Space

This study investigated the effects of gender, handedness, and index of difficulty (ID) on hand movements when interacting with virtual objects in a three-dimensional virtual environment. The results showed that males had significantly longer total movement time (MT) and phase 1 movement time (MT1) compared to those of females, despite both genders reporting similar subjective difficulty ratings. While females moved the virtual object faster, they had a higher error rate than males in positioning the object. Handedness significantly affected both MT and MT1, but had no significant impact on the phase 2 movement time (MT2). The ID significantly influenced both MT and MT1, with movement time increasing as target distance and task difficulty increased. The results were consistent with the theory of Fitts’ law. The findings of this study highlight the importance of considering gender, handedness, and ID when designing augmented reality (AR) systems to improve operational efficiency and accuracy.