SpatialViewer: A Remote Work Sharing Tool that Considers Intimacy Among Workers

TL;DR

SpatialViewer is a remote work tool using augmented reality that allows users to adjust spatial distances based on intimacy, improving comfort during teleworking by integrating spatial and audio cues.

Contribution

It introduces a spatial augmented reality system that dynamically adjusts video projection positions and audio based on user intimacy levels, enhancing remote work experience.

Findings

Users can adjust spatial distance to match intimacy levels.

The system improves user comfort during remote interactions.

Audio synchronization enhances spatial perception.

Abstract

Due to the influence of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19), teleworking has been expanding rapidly. Although existing interactive remote working systems are convenient, they do not allow users to adjust their spatial distance to team members at will, %"Arbitrarily" is probably not the best word here. It means without apparent reason. A better expression might be "at will." and they ignore the discomfort caused by different levels of intimacy. To solve this issue, we propose a telework support system using spatial augmented reality technology. This system calibrates the space in which videos are projected with real space and adjusts the spatial distance between users by changing the position of projections. Users can switch the projection position of the video using hand-wave gestures. We also synchronize audio according to distance to further emphasize the sense of space within the remote interaction: the distance between projection position and user is inversely proportional to the audio volume. We conducted a telework experiment and a questionnaire survey to evaluate our system. The results show that the system enables users to adjust distance according to intimacy and thus improve the users' comfort.