Asymmetric Reality

Project: pAsymmetricReality

20240214 There is an interest in creating an environment where multiple individuals can share reality through computers and engage in communication and collaboration. This concept involves exploring the idea of sharing reality with a partial “shift” or discrepancy, removing the constraint of objectivity where everyone sees exactly the same thing (Asymmetric Reality).

This “shift” or asymmetry can be considered in various domains such as space, time, and language.

Examples of such environments could include:

• VR Restaurant: where the interior design and cuisine are individually optimized based on each user’s preferences, while still allowing for a shared dining experience with others.
• Online Meetings: creating an environment where others’ speech is automatically translated into one’s native language.
• VR Collaboration: distorting the virtual space’s coordinate system based on the constraints of each user’s actual room.
  • Previous studies like Placement Retargeting of Virtual Avatars to Dissimilar Indoor Environments have explored similar concepts.
• Remote Teleoperation: adjusting the temporal and spatial aspects when presenting the environment where a robot is placed to suit the user’s situation. (Presented by applicants at IEEE VR 2024)
• Online Lectures: providing lecture videos optimized for each student’s pace while enabling communication among students beyond time differences. (Developed by applicants at the 2020 “未踏” program)
  • kineto

These approaches are based on the idea of allowing asymmetry for things that do not need to be shared while still sharing what is essential. For instance, in a VR Restaurant, the shared experience of dining with others is maintained while the interior design and cuisine are individually optimized.

By researching such asymmetric environments and exploring applications, the aim is to discover general design principles regarding reality’s asymmetry.

Summary as of 20231207 Exploring Partially “Shifted” VR

• Feeling stuck on how to proceed with the research topic of partially shifted VR, seeking feedback and reactions here (blu3mo)

  • Any feedback or reactions would be appreciated.

• In typical reality and VR settings, it is common for multiple individuals in the same space to see the same world.

  • However, it is also conceivable for multiple individuals in the same VR space to experience slightly different realities.

• For example, considering a scenario where multiple people collaborate in a VR space.

  • The room contains building blocks and monitors.
  • 
    • The topmost image represents the original reality.
      • However, individuals in red/blue/green are each seeing a slightly customized reality different from the original.
      • Reality seen by the person in red (bottom left):
        • Avatars and monitors of others are placed in different positions from the original.
        • Customization intent: wanted to rearrange the monitor for better visibility.
      • Reality seen by the person in blue (bottom center):
        • Objects on the table are larger than the original.
        • Customization intent: wanted to see details of the objects.
      • Reality seen by the person in green (bottom right):
        • Avatars and monitors of others are transparent.
        • Customization intent: wanted to focus on the objects on the table.
    • Thus, even in a collaborative workspace, in VR, individuals can customize and experience different realities.

• However, such individual customization of reality can lead to communication discrepancies due to the “shift” in reality.

  • Issues like “objects visible to oneself are not visible to others” or “objects pointed at appear in a different position to others” may arise.- In order to solve that, two approaches can be taken:

  • For instance, if the object being pointed at appears in a different position to the other person, displaying the position of the pointing finger in a different location for them would suffice.

  • When someone is talking about a specific object, ensure that the object is displayed in the same position for everyone.

  • Symmetry-by-need Asymmetric Reality

• 

• To successfully implement the optimization of subjective reality and the absorption of “deviations” caused by individual optimization, like the examples above,

  • If achieved, this could create a VR space different from the traditional paradigm of an objective reality where everyone experiences the exact same reality.

• The above discussed the “deviations” in terms of object and avatar size, position, and visibility.

• However, apart from that, various other variables for individual optimization and absorption of deviations can be considered.

• For example:

  • Individual optimization of “time”
    • Asynchronous Reality: Filling “Time Differences” in XR, Realizing Past Experiences - Mogura VR News
  • Individual optimization of room brightness
  • Individual optimization of spatial coordinate systems
  • Individual optimization of individuals
    • Removing disliked individuals from view (?)
  • Diminished Reality
    • Towards Understanding Diminished Reality
  • Deviations in verbal language
    • Translation
  • Filling the gaps in non-verbal language
    • Real-time Gesture Translation in Intercultural Communication