Optimal visualization and control of the remote expert’s avatar gaze

Determine how to best visualize and control the remote expert’s avatar gaze in an asymmetric Mixed Reality–Virtual Reality collaboration system while preserving both the expert’s egocentric view and the exocentric tabletop overview.

Background

The paper investigates asymmetric MR–VR collaboration in a remote-expert scenario in which an MR-based expert uses a tabletop World-in-Miniature plant and a tangible prop to position and orient an avatar, while a VR-based operator works inside the full-scale virtual plant. The expert requires both a global exocentric overview for navigation and coordination and an egocentric view aligned with the operator’s perspective for close inspection and effective guidance.

The paper evaluates three bundled gaze-control and visualization configurations—fully immersive VR with direct head control, a floating preview with direct head control, and an on-avatar preview with touchpad control. Because these configurations trade off immersion, tabletop visibility, control precision, and attentional demands, the broader design space for determining the most effective way to present and manipulate the avatar’s viewpoint remains unresolved.