The final proof of concept prototype is a simulated colcha embroidery experience in VR. A user creates embroidery stitches using a tool that resembles a pen. With the tool the user is able to point at where they would like to form the next stitch and by pressing the spacebar, they are able to create that stitch.
In addition to the tool, there is a visual feedback given to the user that indicates how straight every last two stitches are – i.e. how parallel to each other the last two stitches are. This is done in the form of a sphere that follows the user’s gaze and appears in the bottom right corner of the screen. If the sphere is bright teal green, that means the stitches are straight.
This particular prototype was mostly an implementation prototype (60%), with minimal thought went into look and feel (10%) and more into role testing (30%). The main feedback I received was on how fun the experience felt for the testers and how realistic the object manipulation felt in their hands. Although there was no physical hand controller used, users commented that they almost felt the tactile feedback from the objects they were moving. Additionally, one comment that rang very true and highlighted the importance of look and feel was that because the embroidery scene was set up as an open scene with skybox, it gave the impression that users had a lot of creative freedom and thus could create the stitches anywhere in the scene. This resulted in many users creating large 3D structures in the middle of the scene, and not necessarily on the embroidery hoop. This is something to both embrace and be cautious about in future iterations.