Using a game controller for relaying deictic gestures in computer-mediated communication

  • Authors:

  • Swen Walkowski;Ralf Dörner;Mirja Lievonen;Duska Rosenberg

  • Affiliations:

  • RheinMain University of Applied Sciences, Department of Design, Computer Science, Media, Kurt-Schumacher-Ring 18, D-65197 Wiesbaden, Germany;RheinMain University of Applied Sciences, Department of Design, Computer Science, Media, Kurt-Schumacher-Ring 18, D-65197 Wiesbaden, Germany;Royal Holloway University of London, London, UK;Royal Holloway University of London, London, UK

  • Venue:
  • International Journal of Human-Computer Studies
  • Year:
  • 2011

Quantified Score

Hi-index 0.00

Visualization

Abstract

In computer-mediated communication, participants often experience a loss of information that would have been conveyed by non-verbal means in a face-to-face communication. They need to compensate for this loss by being more verbose which may have a negative impact on the efficiency of communication or give rise to misunderstandings. In this paper, we present a computer system that augments the imagery perceived from the remote site with additional visual information and that can be controlled by using a Nintendo Wiimote game controller. Our prototype illustrates our approach how a system might be able to partially compensate for the information typically lost in conventional video conferencing where deictic gestures cannot be relayed properly to the remote site. Concerning user acceptance, our user tests also show that the visualization technique is crucial which is used for highlighting the objects or persons that are being pointed at. Adequate visualization techniques based on non-photorealistic rendering are proposed.