Latency Effects on Multi-Dimensional QoE in Networked VR Whiteboards

TL;DR

This paper systematically investigates how latency affects multi-dimensional QoE in networked VR whiteboards, considering different collaboration modes and platform types to guide system optimization.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive framework for evaluating latency's impact on QoE across various collaboration modes and VR whiteboard types, with experimental validation.

Findings

Latency significantly degrades pragmatic and hedonic QoE aspects.

Impact varies between sequential and free collaboration modes.

VR whiteboards with avatars are more sensitive to latency effects.

Abstract

Networked virtual reality (NVR) whiteboards are increasingly important for enabling geographically dispersed users to engage in real-time idea sharing, collaborative design, and discussion. However, latency caused by network limitations, rendering delays, or synchronization issues can significantly degrade the Quality of Experience (QoE) in whiteboard collaboration. To systematically investigate the impact of latency, this study classified QoE into pragmatic and hedonic aspects, each comprising multiple sub-dimensions. Controlled experiments were conducted to identify the sub-dimensions most affected by latency, which were then adopted as the primary QoE indicators, with the aim of uncovering the processes and mechanisms through which latency shapes QoE. Building on this, we further examined how these impacts vary across different collaboration modes, namely sequential collaboration (SC) for structured design workflows and free collaboration (FC) for open discussion. We also compared two VR whiteboard types, one with avatars (VR+) and the other without avatars (VR), and included a traditional PC-based whiteboard as a baseline. This multi-dimensional design enables a comprehensive evaluation of latency's impact on QoE across collaboration modes and platforms, providing practical guidance for optimizing NVR whiteboard systems under real-world network and system constraints.