I performed a user study that compared the efficiency and accuracy of different input methods (mouse, hand-tracking, and trackpad) for 3D positioning tasks with the HTC Vive. The results showed that the mouse outperformed hand-tracking and the trackpad, in terms of efficiency and accuracy. For situations where the user is seated in immersive VR, the mouse is thus still the best input device for precise 3D positioning.

I performed both quantitative and qualitative studies. I recruited 12 (8 female) undergrad and graduate students from the local university population. I did not screen participants for 3D/VR experience. All the participants were informed about the potential risk of motion sickness.

Results showed that the mouse performed the best in terms of completion time for 3D positioning tasks in the HTC Vive, which supports my first hypothesis in terms of time. In terms of error measure, the mouse was significantly more accurate than the touchpad (but not the hand-tracking condition).