Exploring Usability of Web-based Virtual Reality Technology

Revision with unchanged content. As Web-based interactive 3D graphics, popularly referred to as Virtual Reality (VR), continue to become more affordable, research and development groups in various fields have been adopting Web-based VR technology. Despite sub­stan­tial adoption, how and how much the technology benefits target users and the providers who choose to adapt the technology is not well un­der­stood. Previous research has established that VR provides users with unique human-computer interaction. However, little is known about how users ex­pe­rience the Web-based VR technology and how user-system interaction con­tri­bu­tes to system usability. This book investigates user perception of Web-based VR comparing to conventional 2D graphics and system usability affec­ted by the user-system interaction process. The impact of Web-based VR on sy­stem usability was empirically examined from an integrated view of tech­no­lo­gy acceptance in information systems and human-computer interaction. In addition, the impact of user characteristics on user-system interaction while using a VR system was examined. This book provides new knowledge about usability, sense of presence and tech­nology acceptance in VR and provides insights for future research, which should be important to anyone designing, developing and evaluating a VR system in general and to an electronic commerce or market research system in particular.