Magic Teleporting Carpet :
A lightweight metaphor for enabling dynamic group navigation in multi-user VR
In multi-user VR, group navigation techniques help overcome the challenges of navigating to a common location together. Group navigation techniques allow a navigator to move all the group members together in a virtual environment. This thesis presents a lightweight group navigation technique called the ‘Magic teleporting carpet technique’. This technique is used to study the factors influencing the lifecycle and the framework of fast-paced dynamic groups using the available adaptation of Tuckman’s model of small-group development. This study also suggests a new phase to the adaptation of Tuckman’s model in Virtual reality.
Feature video
Prompt
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Lack of group navigation techniques in commercial social VR platforms.
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Framework for grouping in VR has scope for improvement.
Storyboard
Made using google slides
The user creates a carpet and hops onto this and uses it as a vehicle to transport the group to different locations by jumping
Main flow
All users are able to create their own carpets by using the pointer. Users point their ray at the floor and click the button to set the location of the carpet, hold the button, and drag for resizing the carpet.
Creation of carpet
Users can use the return to carpet technique to navigate back to the group if temporarily wants to leave the group and join back without missing out on the locations the group has visited.
Return to carpet technique
While on the carpet the navigator can reorganize and reorient the group members to help direct their attention toward subjects the navigator wants them to see.
Formations
Framework for group development in Multi-user VR
The four phases in the existing model mainly focus on the process of group navigation and do not consider that the main purpose of forming a group may not only involve group navigation at all times.
We propose a new phase known as the “Temporary Adjourning” phase which allows the group member to be a part of a group without being a part of group navigation. With the Magic teleporting carpet technique we aimed to support this newly proposed model.
Study Design
Methodology
We conducted a gamified exploratory study to understand the usability of the group navigation technique and also if the study supported the new proposed framework for group navigation.
Participants
18 participants with prior experience with VR were invited to the study. Out of the 18 participants 5 were female and 13 were male. The participants were between the age of 25 and 34 years of age.
Data
Tracking data of participants was logged. A discomfort score question was asked in between tasks to check user comfort. A follow-up UEQ and a set of qualitative questions were asked at the end of the study.
Procedure
Participants were given training on all the available features, before being given tasks. Users were asked to choose between 3 tasks for survival and were asked to lead their group to these tasks using the navigation technique. One user during each task was given an additional task which made them stay back while the group navigated to another location. This user was asked to use the 'Return to carpet' technique to navigate back to the group after the task was complete. A flow diagram of the study is illustrated below. Once the tasks were complete the users were provided with the questionnaires to fill out.
Study flow
Participants were asked to perform tasks of navigating the group to task locations and use the RTC technique multiple times during this study to experience the technique in multiple scenarios.
Qualitative questionnaire results
Participants overall enjoyed the study and found the techniques to be useful and efficient.
UEQ Results
There is a small dip in the dependability in these results as a few bugs arouse during the study which made the participants feel that the technique is less dependable.
Conclusion
The Magic Teleporting Carpet technique was admired by all participants for its ease of use due to its lightweight forming and adjourning features. Further research on this navigation technique can be encouraged to adopt different norming mechanisms and also the usage of the technique for a larger group of 10 members. The ‘Return to carpet’ technique proved to be a very rich technique as it reduced the workload of users in finding their group members and also told a story of where the group has been and what all objects and environments they have explored. This technique can be an addition to various existing group navigation systems to allow users to leave a group temporarily for individual exploration without having to lose out on missing what the group might have explored without them. The use case of such a technique can be best used in scenarios such as virtual museums, city tours, virtual tourism, and many more. With further research and development of the Magic teleporting carpet group navigation system and also the Return to carpet technique, it could possibly be seen being used in a commercial VR system in the near future