DualStream: Spatially Sharing Selves and Surroundings using Mobile Devices and Augmented Reality

In-person human interaction relies on our spatial perception of each other and our surroundings. Current remote communication tools partially address each of these aspects. Video calls convey real user representations but without spatial interactions. Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR) experiences are immersive and spatial but often use virtual environments and characters instead of real-life representations. Bridging these gaps, we introduce DualStream, a system for synchronous mobile AR remote communication that captures, streams, and displays spatial representations of users and their surroundings. DualStream supports transitions between user and environment representations with different levels of visuospatial fidelity, as well as the creation of persistent shared spaces using environment snapshots. We demonstrate how DualStream can enable spatial communication in real-world contexts, and support the creation of blended spaces for collaboration. A formative evaluation of DualStream revealed that users valued the ability to interact spatially and move between representations, and could see DualStream fitting into their own remote communication practices in the near future. Drawing from these findings, we discuss new opportunities for designing more widely accessible spatial communication tools, centered around the mobile phone.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, 1 table; To appear in the proceedings of the IEEE International Symposium on Mixed and Augmented Reality (ISMAR) 202

Studying the effect of symmetry in team structures on collaborative tasks in virtual reality

Studies involving collaboration in groups are frequently carried out under symmetrical conditions, meaning that all team members have the same role at the same time. In Virtual Reality, symmetrical collaboration often seems attractive as it allows all participants to be included in the VR environment, but it is not clear whether this provides any benefits over asymmetric forms of collaboration, such as when some team members are in VR while others are working on laptops. We conducted a study to compare the conditions of symmetric configurations (both team members use VR) and asymmetric configurations (one member in VR, and the other uses a laptop) when two participants performed a creativity task together. We found that there were differences in participant behavior and the ideas generated. We conclude by proposing guidelines for future work in the area, particularly related to the use of Virtual Reality for creativity workshops

CRUX : A CReativity and User eXperience Model

The field of Virtual Reality has been developing at a steady pace, and VR is finding new uses as a support for creative tasks. The objective of this study is to propose a theoretical model describing the links between user experience and creativity. Pre-existing theoretical links have been identified in relevant scientific literature. Two experiments were then conducted in order to identify new links and replicate results. These experiments involved respectively 76 and 42 participants who individually performed a task requiring divergent creativity using virtual reality drawing tools. The results indicate that cybersickness leads to a decrease in fluency, i.e. the number of ideas generated, but also shades the links between flow and the relevance of the ideas generated. On the basis of this result, we propose the CRUX model to lead to recommendations for the design of tools and simulations to support divergent creativity

Studying the Effects of Visual Movement on Creativity

Many studies have shown that physical activity, especially walking, tends to stimulate certain cognitive functions, including divergent creativity. The objective of this study was to understand whether some of this gain comes from the perception of movement, and not merely physical activity itself. 32 participants carried out divergent and convergent creativity tasks in a virtual reality environment consisting of a train inside a tunnel, while wearing a HeadMounted-Display (HMD). For half of the participants, the virtual train was running, and they could therefore see tunnel lamps passing by through the windows. For the other half, the train was stationary. The results of this study indicate that participants perform better at tasks that require divergent creativity when the virtual environment is moving than when it is at a standstill. These results lead to recommendations for the design of tools and environments for meetings and creativity workshops