Bridging Virtual and Reality in Mobile Augmented Reality Applications to Promote Immersive Experience

Immersion is a powerful and important interactive experience. However, little is known about how we can facilitate immersion in Mobile Augmented Reality (MAR) applications. Establishing the relationship between the virtual and the real is considered a promising way to promote immersion. To enhance immersion in MAR, we present BRIDGE, an interaction design model which builds a bridge between virtual and reality through the following three kinds of relationships: The virtual object has a close relationship with the real environment where the user is (contextual relationship) ; the virtual object has the same physical properties as the real world (physical relationship) ; the user imitates real-world interactions by directly interacting with the virtual world with their hands (interactive relationship). To evaluate the effect of the BRIDGE model, we implement it into the application design and conduct a comparative study of 32 users, and explore the immersive user experience of contextual and non-contextual, physical and non-physical, natural-interaction and screen-touch. The quantitative and qualitative results show that virtual objects have a stronger presence and users are more immersed in the environment when there is a contextual and physical relationship and users can interact naturally. This study is the first step to having a better understanding of the characteristics that contribute to an immersive experience and how they affect human perception and the presence of virtual objects. We hope to provide design insights for MAR applications based on these results.