Using a Fully Expressive Avatar to Collaborate in Virtual Reality: Evaluation of Task Performance, Presence, and Attraction

Abstract

Avatar-mediated collaboration in virtual environments is becoming more and more prevalent. However, current consumer systems are not suited to fully replicate real-world nonverbal communication. We present a novel avatar system for collaboration in virtual reality, which supports high levels of nonverbal expression by tracking behavior such as body movement, hand gesture, and facial expression. The system was built using camera tracking technology only. Therefore, in contrast to many other high-level tracking systems, it does not require users to wear additional trackers on their bodies. We compared our highly expressive system with a consumer setup extended with two body-worn trackers in a dyadic study. We investigated users’ performance, such as completion time and accuracy, as well as the presence and interpersonal attraction in a virtual charades game using an asymmetric control scheme. The results show that participants interacting with highly expressive avatars felt more social presence and attraction and exhibited better task performance than those interacting with partners represented using low-expressive avatars. Hence, we conclude that virtual reality avatar systems benefit from a higher level of nonverbal expressiveness, which can be achieved without additional body-worn trackers.

Realistic Motion Avatars are the Future for Social Interaction in Virtual Reality

“…The findings of the current study are consistent with recent research reporting that interactions with motion captured avatars are generally rated positively by participants (Higgins et al, 2021;Seymour et al, 2021;Wu et al, 2021). However, when asking participants to indicate a preference for either face-to-face or VR we found that face-to-face interaction is preferred by most.…”

“…Researchers have begun to analyze participant experiences interacting in HMD-based virtual reality with motion-captured avatars in real-time (Latoschik et al, 2017;Pettersson & Sundstedt, 2017;Smith & Neff, 2018;Wu et al, 2019;Seymour et al, 2021;Wu et al, 2021). However, to date no studies have examined experience interacting with a full face and body motion captured avatar.…”

“…Online video chat platforms can be experienced as awkward as this type of computer-mediated communication produces an experience of excessive eye contact and diminished body language that can negatively impact upon turn-taking dynamics and disrupt the flow of conversation, especially in group chat (Bailenson, 2021). Therefore, VR meetings with realistic avatars with full face and body motion tracking has potential to facilitate the productivity of such interactions (Wu et al, 2021). Enhanced communication via realistic motion avatars can potentially enhance socially shared joint activities in virtual worlds.…”

Expressiveness of real-time motion captured avatars influences perceived animation realism and perceived quality of social interaction in virtual reality

“…Qi Sun, New York University, United States Michael-Grigoriou, 2022;Rogers et al, 2022;Roth et al, 2016;Seymour et al, 2021;Thomas et al, 2022;Wu et al, 2021).…”

Popularity of the metaverse: Embodied social presence theory perspective

“…Interaction and co-presence are also related. Co-presence can be measured by user engagement with the environment ( Wu et al, 2021 ). When interacting with others, co-presence refers to how one perceives his or her own participation and the participation of others in the interaction ( Tang and Bradshaw, 2020 ).…”