A natural pointing technique for semi-immersive virtual environments

Several interaction metaphors and techniques have been proposed to allow a natural interaction in virtual environments. Usually all these techniques are designed to be used with input devices such as wands, 3D mice or gloves. However, the availability of a new generation of auto-stereoscopic displays now makes it possible to exploit virtual experiences in new scenarios. In this paper we propose a variation of the ray-casting technique suitable for use with a standard mouse. With this proposed technique, users can move a 3D cursor in the virtual world without worrying about the third dimension and without losing the level of immersion provided by the 3D display.