Come Look at This: Supporting Fluent Transitions Between Tightly and Loosely Coupled Collaboration in Social Virtual...

Area of Science:

• Human-Computer Interaction
• Virtual Reality
• Collaborative Systems

Background:

• Social virtual reality (VR) necessitates flexible collaboration models, blending remote and in-person interactions.
• Current systems lack seamless mediation for transitioning between loosely coupled and tightly coupled collaboration phases.
• High navigation and coordination efforts are required without effective system support.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present an interaction system for seamless switching between different collaboration models in social VR.
• To enable collaborators to work on sub-tasks in separate virtual locations.
• To facilitate consultation via asymmetric interactions and enable face-to-face collaboration.

Main Methods:

• Development of an interaction system with functionalities for individual sub-task work, asymmetric consultations, and joining for face-to-face interaction.
• User study with 32 participants in 2-person teams evaluating the system's effectiveness.
• Quantitative analysis of placement accuracy and task load; qualitative feedback on flexibility and user experience.

Main Results:

• Delegating target selection for long-distance teleports significantly improved placement accuracy.
• Task load within teams was decreased by delegating the target selection process.
• Qualitative feedback indicated the system supports flexible collaboration and received positive evaluations across VR experience levels.

Conclusions:

• The developed interaction system effectively supports flexible collaboration in social virtual reality.
• Seamless transitions between different collaboration models are achievable with appropriate system mediation.
• The system enhances user experience and performance in collaborative VR environments.