Collaboard: a remote collaboration groupware device featuring an embodiment-enriched shared workspace

  • Authors:
  • Martin Kuechler;Andreas M. Kunz

  • Affiliations:
  • ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland;ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

  • Venue:
  • Proceedings of the 16th ACM international conference on Supporting group work
  • Year:
  • 2010

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Abstract

In this paper we present a mixed presence groupware device called "CollaBoard". The device improves collaboration between co-located and remote partners by providing a high level of workspace awareness. This is achieved by superimposing a life-size video showing the entire upper body of remote collaborators atop the displayed shared workspace. By doing so, the CollaBoard enriches the shared workspace with embodiments of remote collaborators. It shows pose, gaze and gestures of collaborators to their remote partners, and preserves the meaning of deictic gestures when pointing at displayed shared artifacts. The separate transmission of video and data allows the shared artifacts to remain editable at both conference sites. The functionality of two interconnected CollaBoard prototypes was verified in a public demonstration, a usability test, and a comparative user study.