- So hello everyone.
I'm Chiu-Hsuon Wang from National Chiao Tung University.
I'm glad to be here to present our work,
ShareSpace: Facilitating shared use of the physical space
by both VR HMD and external users.
This work is done with my colleague Keng-Ta
and my advisor Liwei.
So let me introduce the basic idea of
ShareSpace with a short video.
ShareSpace is a system mainly designed for
HMD and external user. By taking a virtual shot of the
external user, the system allows the user to share
the same physical space
or divide the space for different activities
and even improve the safety of the area for the user.
So, let's talk about our motivation.
Currently, workable VR is best achieved with a dedicated
room sized space.
However, conflicts might happen with users
when the space accommodates both HMD
and external users activities. This makes a space lose
the capability to contain mixed activities
which causes a low utilization rate of the space.
We present ShareSpace to promote shared use
of the same physical space.
ShareSpace allows external users to communicate their needs
for space, therefore accommodating both users
in the same space with their own activities.
There are some works related to the asymmetric interaction
between external users and VR users.
Dollhouse VR and face display enables the external user
to join the VR users activities using tabletop
and touch-screen,
while ShareVR and Magic Torch allow external users
to participate in a game through a projection.
In this work, they mainly seek a way to invite
an external user to join and collaborate with the VR user.
On the other hand,
another category of study, such as See What I See,
TransparentHMD and FrontFace,
they display the VR users facial expression
or viewpoint with an additional screen in front of the HMD.
This work narrowed the communication gap
between the external user and VR user.
Similar to this work,
ShareSpace however focuses on enabling external users
to communicate their needs in terms of space.
So, to better understand the design problems
for ShareSpace, we recruit VR experts and gamers
to show the hurdles of all the circumstances
related to the conflicts within the HMD and external users.
Here, we've summarized the results.
According to the external user's role, they are considered
either onlookers or outsiders.
Onlookers reference to those
who are watching the VR gameplay,
standing beside the VR zone who are waiting for their turn.
Outsiders are those who are irrelevant to the VR activity,
that is who are working on their own activities.
The demands for space are categorized
in to two different types.
First, Protective Demands are those who seek to be protected
from the potential conflicts from the actions of the user
who are engaged in their own activities.
Aggressive Demands are those in competition for resources,
such as a space or an access way.
Now we present a conflict with ongoing VR activities.
Also, the station of the furniture and the movement
of the user might lead to conflicts as well.
So, based on the result of the interviews,
we did deliver the design considerations.
From the interview we learned that conflicts
are caused by various reasons
and to fit in this situation,
the virtual shields should be versatile enough
to address various activities.
Also, we know that a virtual shield
should adapt to protective and aggressive demands.
This system is primarily designed for external users,
that is HMD users can only accept the requests
when the external user requires space.
Therefore, we considered an interface
for mutual negotiation should be provided.
Now, let's talk about the ShareSpace system we designed.
Shield Tools are provided defining Virtual Shields.
In order to fit in various places,
we present three attachment materials,
to position the on the shield wall and floor and users body
or on the wall or table.
After having our shield tools,
let's show how the virtual shields can divide.
A shield can be either a circle shield or an edge shield.
The circle shields represent a standing cylinder
in the virtual environment.
Each circle shield can be sensed at normal size,
to protect the personal space,
or at double size for a large object or multiple users.
On the other hand, an edge shield is a wall shield
formed by two shield tools.
It is used for protecting a region or dividing the space.
Here, the edge shield covers the complex
and malleable spaces.
Multiple edge shields can form a complex shape.
A shield tool in edge shield will reset a standard line
in the virtual environment.
A wall shield can be formed by two shield tools
with Proximity Gesture.
According to the external user activity demands,
a shield can be either Protective or Aggressive shield.
Protective Shield is for protecting the external users
and is represented in yellow.
While Aggressive shield is used when external users
strongly need a space to complete their task,
and is represented in red.
So totally, there are seven modes of shield
that can be chosen through the dial control
on the shield tool.
Now, after defining the shield, a Shield Visualizer
is provided for helping the external user
examine the location of the virtual shields.
There are two examination modes:
Overview mode and AR mode.
In the Overview mode, the top view of the entire scene
of the room is displayed and the location of the shield,
shield visualizer and HMD user in the VR zone
are displayed as well.
In AR Mode, the user can examine the virtual shield
with his or her perspective.
Shield tools and shield visualizers allows external users
to address a desirable space for their activities.
However, the conflicts between the HMD user
and the virtual shields should be addressed as well.
Protective shields are meant to protect the external users
from potential stress.
Therefore they are considered as virtual obstacles in VR.
That together will set a static boundary that restricts
the VR activity phase.
So, along with the exisiting design from within VR,
the shield will be invisible until when the HMD users
are going to encounter any of them.
On the other hand, Aggressive shields are active requests
and the HMD users are forced to move immediately.
However, this immediate direct action
may effect the HMD users VR experience.
Therefore, to prevent effecting the interaction
state in the VR world, the virtual world is paused
once a conflict occurs.
Next, all the virtual shields become visible.
A green halo appears to indicate the location
of the safe zone so that the user can move to a safe area.
So, until now, our share tools allowed external users
to claim the space for their activities.
However, this places the HMD users in a passive position
that they can only accept the request
from the external user which might cause severe experience
wars for the external user occupying a large space.
We provide the way for mutual negotiation,
when HMD users are unwilling to accept the change
the AR function on HMD allows them
to see the real world and talk with the external user
face to face.
We conducted a user study to understand
how external users deployed the shield tools
to manage the interaction space
and how shields space improves the communication.
In this study, both participants were recruited in pairs.
We designed the users tasks to include both
deploying the shield walls in the environment
and experiencing the shield space system
with the provided scenario.
The user tasks mainly consist of two phases,
the setup phase and the activity phase.
After a brief introduction to the shield space system
and to the study, the participants enter the setup phase.
In this phase, we explore how participants manage the space
with the shield tools.
Participants were asked to place the shield tools
on three pieces of dynamic furniture in the environment,
including a swinging door, a foldable table
and a cabinet drawer.
After the set-up phase,
participants enter the activity phase.
In this phase, we're looking at how shield space
improves the communication.
Here, we prepare respective tasks for HMD
and external users.
For the HMD user,
he or she will play a first-person shooting game
that leads to conflicts in the use of space.
For the external user, four tasks were prepared
to stimulate the potential conflicts between the HMD
and external users, including the participants playing
as onlooker and joining an onlooker group.
Next, open the foldable table
and take photos of the VR user.
Third, the participant will play as outsider
who acts irrelevant to the VR activity.
They assemble the LEGO bricks.
Again, participants are outsiders
and do some poster discussion on the table.
This study follows within-subject design
with two independent variables: user and system.
The two users condition the HMD user and external user
so participants will experience the tasks and the two rules.
And the two system conditions are ShareSpace and Baseline
in which participants follow the user tasks
with or without the ShareSpace system.
So, in the activity phase,
participants play all possible permutations
of our independent variable, resulting in forced action
upon the balance.
And after each session, the participants completed
a corresponding questionnaire about the experience
regarding safety, engagement, interruption
in seven points, like a scale.
Finally, after all the sections,
an interview was conducted to gather further feedback.
A usability questionnaire was completed by the participants
during the interview as well.
So, here's the result!
For time issues, I will show the results briefly.
Please refer to our paper for more details.
Regarding safety and engagement,
a viewing of our test indicates
that ShareSpace significantly improves the perception
of safety and engagement for both external and HMD users.
Regarding interruption,
the external users felt less interruption
when using ShareSpace than in Baseline condition.
However, the difference was not found in the HMD users.
According to our observations,
we've found that the HMD users
encountered various interruptions from external users.
In the Baseline condition,
the external user alerted the HMD user about interference
by voice or physical nudge to the HMD user.
On the other hand, in the ShareSpace conditions,
external interference was replaced by the visual protection
provided by the system
which caused the internal interference to the HMD user.
So, regarding the usability question,
the results are overall positive.
All participants found that our system improved safety
and engagement for the activities.
Their remarks include that ShareSpace enables HMD users
being more engaged since they not afraid of hitting
the external users and by accommodating both users
our system saves space,
which increased their willingness to install VR at home.
So finally, our conclusion.
So to accommodate both HMD and external user activity
in the same physical space,
we have presented our ShareSpace system,
a mix to enable external users the capability
to negotiate space with HMD users.
For this purpose, we presented shield tools,
shield visualizers and related interaction technique
in our system.
We conducted a user study,
and the research shows that ShareSpace enhanced the safety,
engagement for respective activities
through our elementary exploration study.
We believe that ShareSpace in an effective way to facilitate
mixed activities in the VR room.
So thank you for your attention
and I'm happy to take any questions.
[Applause]
- [Man] Thanks a lot, Chiu-Hsuon
so we actually have time for a couple of questions
if anyone, uh... you do know there is a microphone there
and another one over there and-
Ok, so I think
we have a question.
- [Question Asker] Thank you, nice work.
I have one question.
Did you also somehow measure the immersion,
maybe I missed that?
- Sorry, I didn't catch your question,
could you speak louder?
- [Question Asker] Did you measure immersion?
- Immersion?
So we have measured the engagement for both HMD
and external users, I don't know, is that what you mean?
- [Question Asker] Yeah, there is other meanings
of immersion but thanks.
- Thank you!
- [Second Asker] I also wanted to ask,
it feels a bit unfair for the VR user in a way
cause it's like the VR user becomes aware
that there is this table,
that these guys are standing there,
that they're doing something else and that space is relevant
in the real kind of world
while he doesn't have a way of doing the same in VR.
The space is really important for me because
that's the table where I'm interacting,
somebody can come in reality and totally break your thing.
Would there be a way of also having those kind of shields
in VR so the people in the real world are aware of what
the virtual user needs because it feels like, a bit unfair?
- Hm, yeah, that's a good question.
So, uh... so can I like-- a little bit simple question?
[Audience Laughs]
I don't really get the question, sorry!
- [Second Asker] Could we have just the opposite?
Have the virtual user be able to claim a space in VR
and have the people in reality be aware
that that space is important in VR?
- Oooh, that's--
So, that's actually a good suggestion.
So actually in this one we didn't think about it actually,
but that's really a good point.
So in this one I actually just talk about safety issues
for both of the users.
So we focus on the safety issue.
But thank you for your suggestion!
- [Second Asker] Thanks a lot.