<aside> 💡 In Project Touch, a probe is the “right-click” in the operating system. A player can use a probe to view metadata about the world and all objects within it or to summon a virtual interface for a selected object.

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Intro

Using probes involves three steps:

Summoning the probe

  1. Placing your hand/controller behind the shoulder
  2. Pushing down the grip button to grab the probe from the back

Access the probe behind the shoulder

Access the probe behind the shoulder

Using a probe to focus on any objects.

Using a probe to focus on any objects.

Selecting an element in the world

  1. Keep pressing down the grip button to hold the probe. Point it in the direction of one or multiple objects.
  2. All interactive elements within the probe's detection range should be marked. The interactive element closest to the center of the detection range would be marked with a yellow circle, indicating that it is the one being focused. The other interactive elements should be marked with white circles.
  3. Gently adjust the angle of the probe to select the target object. Above the probe, the player can see a thumbnail of the element marked with a yellow circle.

Expand Secondary Interface

Pull the trigger button, and the virtual interface will appear in front of the player at a certain distance. Use the knob on the virtual interface to adjust its size or close it.

Using a probe to check the meta-data

Using a probe to check the meta-data

Exit the Probe

The probe will be dropped once the player releases the grip button

Design

We designed the probe in Project Touch based on the concept of direct manipulation, which does not use the laser pointer in most of the existing VR experiences. The probe provides an invisible and flexible "spotlight". When a player points the probe in a direction, objects covered by the spotlight in that direction will be highlighted. When the player presses the triggered button, the metadata or virtual interface of the interactive element closest to the center of the probe detection range will be displayed. This design is more forgiving for selecting objects far away or in motion.