A Wearable Spatial Conferencing Space

Abstract

Wearable computers provide constant access to computing and communications resources. In this paper we describe how the computing power of wearables can be used to provide spatialized 3D graphics and audio cues to aid communication. The result is a wearable augmented reality communication space with audio enabled avatars of the remote collaborators surrounding the user. The user can use natural head motions to attend to the remote collaborators, can communicate freely while being aware of other side conversations and can move through the communication space. In this way the conferencing space can support dozens of simultaneous users. Informal user studies suggest that wearable communication spaces may offer several advantages, both through the increase in the amount of information it is possible to access and the naturalness of the interface