Original title: Point&Spawn: Mid-Air Reference-Free Object Instantiation Using Gaze and Hand Gestures in Extended Reality
Jihyeon Lee, Ken Pfeuffer, Jinwook Kim, Jeongmi Lee · September 2026
Placing a new virtual object into empty mid-air is tricky in extended reality because there are no physical surfaces or nearby targets to guide your aim. Researchers created Point&Spawn to solve this. It is a system that lets you choose a spot using your eyes and hands in one smooth motion. The process works in three steps: choosing a direction, setting the depth, and fine-tuning the final spot. The team tested different ways to combine looking or pointing with three depth-setting methods. They found that two techniques, Relative GainA depth-setting technique that scales the distance based on your input movement to adjust how far an object is placed. and Drag&HoldA method where you drag your hand or pointer to set and hold the depth of the object being placed., were faster, more accurate, easier to use, and preferred over Ray IntersectionA method where you point like a laser beam from your direction to determine position by hitting a virtual target.. Pointing with your non-dominant hand boosted speed, while using your gaze cut down on hand movement.
Imagine deciding where to hang a picture on a wall across the room while you stand still. You have to aim at the right spot and judge the distance to throw the picture, but if you only guess the direction without adjusting for how far it is, you'll miss. In this paper, the system splits the task into two parts: first aiming where to place, then setting how far, which makes it more accurate than doing both at once.
This matters for people using virtual or augmented reality, like designers or gamers. It makes placing objects in empty space quicker and easier without needing physical surfaces or handheld devices.
The abstract does not explicitly state limitations, but the study was conducted with 24 participants and focused on specific depths and techniques, which may not cover all XR scenarios.
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Point&Spawn: Mid-Air Reference-Free Object Instantiation Using Gaze and Hand Gestures in Extended Reality — Jihyeon Lee, Ken Pfeuffer, Jinwook Kim et al.
Abstract licence: CC0
Explanation generated by Synthesis from the abstract — it is not the original paper. This is a preprint, so it hasn't necessarily been peer reviewed.