Comparative Study of Handheld and Head-Mounted Displays in Early Phases of Design Using Spatial Computing Environment for Mass Study

Leman Figen Gül; Süheyla Müge Halıcı; Sema Alaçam

doi:10.57019/jmv.1703771

Comparative Study of Handheld and Head-Mounted Displays in Early Phases of Design Using Spatial Computing Environment for Mass Study

Abstract

This research investigates the ergonomics and effectiveness of spatial computing (SC) systems in the early stages of architectural design. SC encompasses advanced digital tools such as augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), and extended reality (XR), facilitating interaction with both physical and digital environments. We developed an SC application serving as a spatial interface, enabling designers to access and manipulate virtual and physical design models simultaneously. Our study involved twelve experiments comparing two types of SC systems: handheld interfaces (Samsung tablet) and head-mounted displays (Magic Leap). The findings revealed that architects using head-mounted displays and controllers experienced greater control and more precise perception of their designs compared to those using handheld devices. Additionally, architects reported higher engagement levels with head-mounted displays. The study highlights the potential of SC technologies to enhance architectural design processes, emphasizing the advantages of head-mounted displays in improving interaction, control, and engagement in hybrid design environments. This research fills a gap in the literature by providing a comparative analysis of handheld and head-mounted SC technologies, offering insights into their impact on designer behavior and the efficacy of spatial interfaces during the early design phases. The results underscore the importance of integrating advanced SC technologies to bridge the gap between abstract concepts and tangible architectural solutions, ultimately enhancing the design process and stakeholder communication.

Keywords

Supporting Institution

This study was funded by İstanbul Technical University. The project number is MGA-2019-42289. The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose.

Project Number

MGA-2019-42289

Ethical Statement

Regarding the data collection process, the ethics committee approval was taken from ITU, Social and Human Sciences Research Ethics Committee (Decision number: İTU SB-INAREK PN:134).

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Virtual and Mixed Reality , Information Technology in Design

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Leman Figen Gül
0000-0001-9374-4620
Türkiye

Süheyla Müge Halıcı ^*
0000-0002-3202-0562
Türkiye

Sema Alaçam
0000-0002-5979-3282
Türkiye

Early Pub Date

December 16, 2025

Publication Date

January 8, 2026

Submission Date

May 22, 2025

Acceptance Date

November 12, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Number: 6

DOI

https://doi.org/10.57019/jmv.1703771

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA68EG85JF

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

APA

Gül, L. F., Halıcı, S. M., & Alaçam, S. (2026). Comparative Study of Handheld and Head-Mounted Displays in Early Phases of Design Using Spatial Computing Environment for Mass Study. Journal of Metaverse, 6, 41-56. https://doi.org/10.57019/jmv.1703771