Remote VR Studies -- A Framework for Running Virtual Reality Studies Remotely Via Participant-Owned HMDs
This work addresses the challenge for HCI researchers to reach diverse populations and conduct studies outside labs, though it is incremental as it builds on existing remote study concepts.
The paper tackles the problem of conducting virtual reality studies remotely using participants' own head-mounted displays, resulting in a framework and best practices derived from a survey and case studies.
We investigate the opportunities and challenges of running virtual reality (VR) studies remotely. Today, many consumers own head-mounted displays (HMDs), allowing them to participate in scientific studies from their homes using their own equipment. Researchers can benefit from this approach by being able to reach a more diverse study population and to conduct research at times when it is difficult to get people into the lab (cf. the COVID pandemic). We first conducted an online survey (N=227), assessing HMD owners' demographics, their VR setups, and their attitudes towards remote participation. We then identified different approaches to running remote studies and conducted two case studies for an in-depth understanding. We synthesize our findings into a framework for remote VR studies, discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the different approaches, and derive best practices. Our work is valuable for HCI researchers conducting VR studies outside labs.