Exploring Bi-Directional Pinpointing Techniques for Cross-Reality Collaboration

Virtual Reality (VR) technology enables users to immerse themselves in artificial worlds. However, it isolates users from the outside world and impedes them from collaborating with other users who might be outside of the VR experience and vice-versa. We implemented two systems where we explore how such an external user in the real world can interact across realities with a user immersed in virtual reality, either locally or remotely, in order to to share pinpoint locations. In the first we investigate three cross-reality techniques for the external user to draw the attention of their VR counterpart on specific objects present in the virtual environment (Voice, Highlight, and Arrow). Participants performed better overall and preferred the Arrow technique, followed by the Highlight technique. In the second system we expand on these two techniques to explore an even starker cross-reality interaction between users in VR and users interacting via a tablet computer to direct each other to pinpoint objects in the scene. We adapted the previous two techniques and implemented two others (Vision cone, Pointing) that support bi-directional communication between users. When it comes to bi-directional pinpointing, VR users still showed preference for the Arrow technique (now described as Pointing in Giant mode), while mobile users were split between the Vision cone and the Highlight techniques.