Designing Effective User Interfaces for VR-Based Remote Camera Operation

Abstract

Remote camera operation is used in various fields, including film production, where
controlling camera parameters and movement from a distance is often necessary. While
teleoperation and surveillance have established methods, film and creative applications
require more extensive user interfaces. Virtual Reality (VR) offers new possibilities for
camera control by combining spatial input, hand tracking, and immersive environments.
However, it is not yet clear which VR interaction methods are most effective for remote
camera operation.
This thesis explores the design and evaluation of VR user interfaces for remote camera operation. Three prototypes were developed. One using direct hand tracking with a
virtual camera model, one mapping camera alignment to head movement (telepresence),
and one using standard controller input similar to traditional games. All prototypes
were implemented on the Meta Quest 3 and tested in a user study with 12 participants.
The study measured learning time, task performance, tracking accuracy, workload, user
experience, and cybersickness. Results show that head-tracking based control is most
efficient for camera alignment, while controller input is preferred for parameter adjustments like zoom and recording. The findings provide practical guidance for designing
VR interfaces for remote camera operation and suggest directions for future work, such
as adding more camera parameters or secondary camera views.

Date of Award	2025
Original language	English (American)
Supervisor	Christoph Anthes (Supervisor) & Carmelo Macri (Supervisor)