Towards a Flexible VR-Based Product Evaluation System: A Customizable Approach for Designers
摘要
In recent years, Virtual Reality (VR) has become a powerful tool for product evaluation, driven by technological advancements that have reduced costs and improved device quality. This technology enables the visualization of high-fidelity virtual prototypes within controlled virtual environments, offering flexibility and optimizing time and costs in the design process. Additionally, recent advancements in VR devices have introduced more sophisticated features, such as Eye-Tracking (ET), which allow for precise tracking of the user's gaze during a virtual experience. On the other hand, these devices also allow us to track the user's position in the virtual space, providing insight into the trajectory followed during the product observation. Hence, by combining ET data with user trajectories, a more comprehensive understanding of user interaction is achieved, improving the accuracy of virtual prototype evaluations. In fact, these techniques are being used to complement self-report questionnaires, which have often proven inadequate for obtaining comprehensive user feedback during product evaluations, but despite its potential, integrating these advanced techniques into the design workflow remains challenging. This paper proposes an accessible methodology for implementing VR-based product evaluations, providing a structured approach to data collection and analysis. This framework aims to improve the efficiency and reliability of prototype testing while bridging the gap between industrial design and emerging virtual evaluation techniques.