From Brick to Click: Comparing LEGO Building in Virtual Reality and the Physical World

2025-02-06

AI Summary

This study investigates the feasibility and educational value of migrating traditional physical LEGO construction activities into virtual reality (VR) environments. Method: We systematically compare three conditions—physical construction, basic VR, and enhanced VR incorporating “superpowers” (e.g., mid-air grasping, automatic alignment)—assessing performance, engagement, and creativity. Guided by the principle of *controllable automation*, we design a VR system integrating hand-tracking, physics simulation, and modular, configurable superpowers. Contribution/Results: A user study with 22 participants demonstrates that enhanced VR significantly improves creative output quality, user preference, and presence compared to both physical and basic VR conditions. This work provides the first empirical validation that VR-enabled superpowers positively enhance open-ended constructive learning. It contributes theoretical insights and an implementable design paradigm for VR-based education, cognitive rehabilitation, and creative human–computer interaction.

Technology Category

• Humans and AI: Game Design — Virtual Humans, NPCs and Autonomous Characters
• Computer Vision: Low Level & Physics-based Vision
• Intelligent Robots: Manipulation

Application Category

• Responsible Web: Machine-in-the-loop, human agency and autonomy
• Systems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Virtualization and resource management in Web systems and infrastructures
• User Modeling, Personalization and Recommendation: Practical large-scale studies of user experience

Abstract

We present a comparative study of building with LEGO in three environments: the physical world, a Virtual Reality (VR) counterpart, and a VR setting enhanced with"superpowers". The study aims to understand how traditional creative hands-on activities translate to virtual environments, with potential benefits for educational, training, entertainment, and therapeutic uses. 22 participants engaged in both structured assembly and creative free-building tasks across these environments. We investigated differences in user performance, engagement, and creativity, with a focus on how the additional VR functionalities influenced the building experience. The findings reveal that while the physical environment offers a familiar tactile experience, VR, particularly with added superpowers, was clearly favoured by participants in the creative free-building scenario. Our recommendations for VR design include balancing automation with user control to enhance task efficiency while maintaining engagement, and implementing intuitive systems that manage complexity to prevent user overwhelm and support creative freedom.

Problem

• Comparing LEGO building in physical and VR environments.
• Exploring VR's impact on user performance and creativity.
• Designing VR systems to balance automation and user control.

Innovation

• VR enhanced with superpowers
• Comparative study of LEGO environments
• Balancing automation and user control