Remote Collaboration With Augmented and Virtual Reality Interfaces.

Some applications require a person in a remote location (the trainer), to instruct another person (the trainee) on how to put together a number of objects according to a precise set of spatial relationships. In this paper we report the results of using a collaborative Mixed Reality application that allows the trainer to manipulate the virtual objects in a virtual environment. At the same time, the trainee observes the virtual object manipulation as means to move the real objects accordingly. The trainer uses a Virtual Reality interface and the trainee uses an Augmented Reality one. The results show that, even though the time to complete the task using the application is longer, users perceive that collaboration using a similar application in the real world could make collaboration easier.