Nudging the Somas: Exploring How Live-Configurable Mixed Reality Objects Shape Open-Ended Intercorporeal Movements

Abstract: Mixed Reality (MR) experiences increasingly explore how virtual elements can shape physical behaviour, yet how MR objects guide group movement remains underexplored. We address this gap by examining how virtual objects can nudge collective, co-located movement without relying on explicit instructions or choreography. We developed GravField, a co-located MR performance system where an "object jockey" live-configures virtual objects, springs, ropes, magnets, with real-time, parameterised "digital physics" (e.g., weight, elasticity, force) to influence the movement of headset-wearing participants. These properties were made perceptible through augmented visual and audio feedback, creating dynamic cognitive-somatic cues. Our analysis of the performances, based on video, interviews, soma trajectories, and field notes, indicates that these live nudges support emergent intercorporeal coordination and that ambiguity and real-time configuration sustain open-ended, exploratory engagement. Ultimately, our work offers empirical insights and design principles for MR systems that can guide group movement through embodied, felt dynamics.