PanoVC: Pervasive telepresence using mobile phones

Abstract

We are presenting PanoVC - a mobile telepresence system based on continuously updated panoramic images. We are showing that the experience of telepresence, i.e. the sense of "being there together" at a distant location can be achieved with standard state-of-the-art mobile phones. Because mobile phones are always on hand users can share their environments with others in a pervasive way. Our approach is opening up the pathway for applications in a variety of domains such as the exploration of remote environments or novel forms of videoconferencing. We present implementation details, technical evaluation results, and the findings of a user study of an indoor-outdoor environments sharing task as proof of concept.