Design and Assessment of a Collaborative 3D Interaction Technique for Handheld Augmented Reality

Authors: Jerônimo G. Grandi, Henrique G. Debarba, Iago Berndt, Luciana Nedel and Anderson Maciel

Graphics, Visualization and Interaction Lab
Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul - UFRGS

Honorable Mention for Best Paper in IEEE VR 2018

Abstract:
We present the design of a handheld-based interface for collaborative manipulations of 3D objects in mobile augmented reality. Our approach combines touch gestures and device movements for fast and precise control of 7-DOF transformations. Moreover, the interface creates a shared medium where several users can interact through their point-of-view and simultaneously manipulate 3D virtual augmentations. We evaluated our collaborative solution in two parts. First, we assessed our interface in single user mode, comparing the user task performance in three conditions: touch gestures, device movements and hybrid. Then, we conducted a study with 30 participants to understand and classify the strategies that arise while working in pairs, when partners are free to make their task organization. Furthermore, we investigated the effectiveness of simultaneous manipulations compared with the individual approach.