Towards seamless interaction between physical and virtual locations for asymmetric collaboration

Abstract

Virtual Reality allows rapid prototyping and simulation of physical artefacts, which would be difficult and expensive to perform otherwise. On the other hand, when the design process is complex and involves multiple stakeholders, decisions are taken in meetings hosted in the physical world. In the case of aerospace industrial designs, the process is accelerated by having asymmetric collaboration between the two locations: experts discuss the possibilities in a meeting room while a technician immersed in VR tests the selected alternatives. According to experts, the current approach is not without limitations, and in this work, we present prototypes designed to tackle them. The described artefacts were created to address the main issues: awareness of the remote location, remote interaction and manipulation, and navigation between locations. First feedback from experts regarding the prototypes is also presented. The resulting design considerations can be used in other asymmetric collaborative scenarios.