VIRTUES: A Virtual Reality Multimodal Sensing Platform for Quantifying and Supporting Cross-Neurotype Collaboration

Area of Science:

• Human-Computer Interaction
• Neurodiversity Studies
• Virtual Reality Applications

Background:

• Workplace collaboration is vital for productivity and innovation.
• Achieving mutual understanding between neurotypes (e.g., autistic and neurotypical individuals) presents unique challenges.
• Existing methods for assessing and supporting collaboration may not adequately address neurodiversity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate VIRTUES, a Virtual Reality (VR) platform designed to enhance mutual understanding and collaboration between autistic and neurotypical individuals.
• To objectively quantify collaboration dimensions using multimodal sensing.
• To provide real-time, context-aware support for collaborative efforts.

Main Methods:

• Development of the VIRTUES VR platform integrating eye tracking, interaction logs, and transcribed speech.
• Implementation of a rule-based feedback mechanism for real-time support.
• User study with 12 autistic-neurotypical pairs to assess platform effectiveness.

Main Results:

• VIRTUES successfully assessed and supported collaborative efforts across different neurotypes.
• Synchronized sensing data revealed Information Pooling as a key factor in successful collaboration.
• The platform demonstrated potential in quantifying collaboration dynamics.

Conclusions:

• VIRTUES offers a novel approach to fostering inclusive teamwork between neurodiverse individuals.
• The platform can provide objective insights into collaborative behaviors.
• Findings suggest VIRTUES can inform the design of future interventions for neurodiverse social-technical skill development.