Ilona Heldal

Collaborating in networked immersive spaces: as good as being there together?

Abstract In this paper we present the results of a trial in which two participants collaborated on a puzzle-solving task in networked virtual environments. The task was a Rubiks cube type puzzle, and this meant that the two participants had to interact with the space and with each other very intensively—and they did this successfully despite the limitation of the networked situation. We compare collaboration in networked immersive projection technology (IPTs) systems with previous results concerning collaboration in an IPT system linked with a desktop computer, and also with collaboration on the same task in the real world. Our findings show that the task performance in networked IPTs and in the real scenario are very similar to each other—whereas IPT-to-desktop performance is much poorer. Results about participants’ experience of ‘presence’, ‘co-presence’ and collaboration shed further light on these findings.

The usability of collaborative virtual environments and methods for the analysis of interaction

This paper describes two methods for analyzing interactions in collaborative virtual environments (CVEs): one whereby quantitative data are captured, interaction is categorized into a number of activities, and statistical analysis can be performed on frequencies and sequences of events. The other is based on the transcription of individual fragments of interaction, which are analyzed in terms of their key dynamics. The two methods each have their strengths and weaknesses, especially in terms of generalizability and the lessons we can derive from them. Both also point to different problems that need to be addressed in methods for analyzing interactionsuch analysis being, in turn, a precondition for improving the usability of CVEs. The paper concludes with an argument for a combination of the two methods, and some reflections about the relationship between the analysis of interaction and the usability of CVEs.

Supporting participation in planning new roads by using virtual reality systems

A road planning process runs through several phases, takes several years, incorporates many decision-making procedures and includes numerous experts and interest groups from different areas. Today, Virtual Reality (VR) systems can benefit this process. By simulating different future alternatives, together with their possible environmental impact, a common understanding of the consequences of the respective alternatives can be obtained. Furthermore, since many of the models are obtainable from the Internet, a wider public can be reached already in the early phases of the planning process. The goal of the paper is to provide a better understanding of the use of VR models for supporting involvement and collaboration in the road planning process. The background data are from two large road planning projects through cultural heritage areas in Sweden. Observations on using VR models to support public participation, and facilitate communication between different interested parties, are presented. The results argue for the benefits of using VR models during the whole road planning process and shed further light on a range of social issues associated with using this technology.

Strangers and friends in caves: an exploratory study of collaboration in networked IPT systems for extended periods of time

This study examines pairs of subjects who used networked immersive projection technology systems to collaborate on five tasks over an extended period of time (210+ minutes). The aim was to compare zero history and mutual history partners, to examine how their experience changed over time, and compare their experience of different tasks. Analysis yields a number of interesting findings for these comparisons. Overall, the study shows that users could collaborate effectively over an extended period of time, but that understanding the intentions and activities of the other person remained a hindrance.

Factors influencing flow of object focussed collaboration in collaborative virtual environments

Creativity is believed to be helped by an uncluttered state of mind known as flow and as the trend grows towards less immersive displays to produce an uncluttered workplace, we ask the question “Does immersion matter to the flow of distributed group work?”. The aim of this work is to study the impact of level of immersion on workflow and presence during object focussed distributed group work, and to discuss the relevance of these and other factors to supporting flow and creativity. This is approached through a comprehensive literature survey and significant new results. The study attempts to introduce a breadth of factors and relationships as opposed to proving a hypothesis and thus takes a wide qualitative rather than deep quantitative approach to testing and analysis.

Virtual Reality As a New Tool in the City Planning Process

The introduction of virtual reality (VR)-models in the city planning process will cause changes in the traditional roles of the involved parties. In order to better understand some of these changes, the events involving the use of VR-models in an architectural competition concerning rebuilding-proposals for the city library in a Swedish city were analyzed. The study shows that VR was introduced into the competition as an extra add-on and that the VR-presentation was experienced as useful by the jury. The transformation of the architects’ contributions into VR was experienced as problematic by the architects, partly because they lost full control over the presentation. In the future architects are likely to have to produce the VR-models for their proposals themselves. This may make it more difficult for smaller architectural firms to enter the market but their proposals will be more accessible to a wider group of stakeholders.

Perception of color and space in virtual reality: a comparison between a real room and virtual reality models

Virtual Reality has great potential to become a usable design tool for the planning of light and colour in buildings. The technical development has provided us with better computer graphics and faster rendering techniques. However, the reliability and usability is delimited by lack of knowledge about how humans perceive spatial colour phenomena. The setting up of parameters for material properties in light calculation software is done arbitrarily. We present a comparison between a real room and a digital model evaluated on a desktop PC and in an Immersive Projection Technology (IPT) type system. Data were collected from video recorded interviews and questionnaires. The participants assessed the appearance of light, colours and space. They also evaluated their involvement in solving this task, and their presence in each environment. Our results highlight the benefits and disadvantages of the real and virtual models. The participants had difficulties in estimating the size of both the desktop room and the room in the ITP system. The comparison of real and virtual rooms revealed unsatisfying differences in shadowing and colour appearance. We defined the magnitude of perceived colour reflections in the real room, and elaborated with some of the parameters in Lightscape/3dsmax6.

Are two heads better than one?: object-focused work in physical and in virtual environments

Under which conditions has collaboration added value over individual work? How does performance change when using different technologies? These are important questions for industry and for research. This paper addresses them for pairs versus individuals using physical objects and virtual representations for object-focused task-solving. Based upon previous research on pairs performance and experiences for collaboration in a real setting and four different distributed virtual environments (VEs), single-user experimental studies were carried out. The results show that in relation to performance, pairs working in networked CAVE™ technologies are superior compared to individuals, or pairs working in other distributed settings. In general, social interaction works as a facilitator for this type of task solving in networked VEs. Though, best performance was found in the real setting, with no major difference when comparing individuals versus pairs, working in VEs often were appreciated higher than working with physical objects.

Presence, creativity and collaborative work in virtual environments

Research has identified many different concepts and factors, e.g. immersiveness, presence, performance, interaction, and defined a large number of guidelines that contribute to developing advanced virtual environments (VEs). By reviewing research on differences between individual work and group work, and how it is influenced by these factors, this paper aims to improve understanding of networked collaboration. Allowing creativity is considered to promote higher quality of work in general. The paper examines the impact of creativity on work in VEs, with focus on understanding the relationship between presence and creativity in collaborative virtual environments (CVEs). It is found that important prerequisites for successful outcomes are balance between presence and copresence and providing enough time and space for individual contributions.

Collaboration Patterns in Mixed Reality Environments for a New Emergency Training Center

Training actors from public safety agencies (PSA), e.g. emergency medical services, fire departments, police departments involves different technologies and communication and collaboration activities. New technologies promise better support, not only for training, but also for logging relevant information for future analysis and learning. However, choosing the right technologies, defining proper set-ups for the training activities, and identifying premises for long-term use of technical facilities is both difficult and time consuming. Applying earlier lessons from evaluating work in Virtual Environments (VEs) [1], our aim is to develop a better understanding of the impact of new technologies by identifying collaboration patterns influencing training. Collaboration is examined via social, technical, and task related interaction, distinguishable in the different phases of training, from starting an alarm to ending the emergency activities. Our main results illustrate the benefits of (1) building scenarios, and training whole activity chains for certain rescue or other emergency activities, (2) using simulations for better understanding physical places, the task, and (3) distinguishing technical, social and task focused characteristics for factors influencing emergency focused collaboration. Moreover, the results also contribute to understanding the benefits of considering specific simulation technologies when training for emergency and rescue activities.