Why and how to act through multiple avatars in virtual reality

IF 6 2区计算机科学 Q1 COMPUTER SCIENCE, CYBERNETICS

International Journal of Human-Computer Studies Pub Date : 2026-01-01 Epub Date: 2025-11-29 DOI:10.1016/j.ijhcs.2025.103676

Andreea Muresan, Kasper Hornbæk, Teresa Hirzle

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

In virtual reality (VR), users typically control one virtual body — their avatar. Previous works enable users to act through multiple avatars simultaneously. These works, though, lack a systematic account of why users want to interact with multiple avatars and do not explain how users can manipulate and generate avatars. To address this, we run six workshops with 12 VR experts and develop a design space that captures four fundamental dimensions for acting through multiple avatars in VR: Appearance, Context, User-Avatar Mapping, and Motion Control. Researchers can use the design space to generate novel interaction opportunities involving multiple avatars or analyze existing work. We then run a usability study with 17 participants to understand the practicalities of an interface that integrates parts of the design space, which reveals conceptual and technical challenges that we address through design recommendations.

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为什么以及如何在虚拟现实中通过多个化身行动

在虚拟现实（VR）中，用户通常控制一个虚拟身体——他们的化身。以前的作品允许用户同时通过多个化身进行操作。然而，这些作品缺乏对用户为什么想要与多个虚拟形象互动的系统解释，也没有解释用户如何操纵和生成虚拟形象。为了解决这个问题，我们与12位VR专家一起举办了六个研讨会，并开发了一个设计空间，该空间捕获了通过VR中的多个化身进行行动的四个基本维度：外观，上下文，用户-化身映射和运动控制。研究人员可以使用设计空间来产生涉及多个角色的新颖交互机会或分析现有工作。然后，我们与17名参与者一起进行可用性研究，以了解集成设计空间部分的界面的实用性，这揭示了我们通过设计建议解决的概念和技术挑战。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

International Journal of Human-Computer Studies 工程技术-计算机：控制论

CiteScore

11.50

自引率

5.60%

发文量

108

审稿时长

3 months

期刊介绍： The International Journal of Human-Computer Studies publishes original research over the whole spectrum of work relevant to the theory and practice of innovative interactive systems. The journal is inherently interdisciplinary, covering research in computing, artificial intelligence, psychology, linguistics, communication, design, engineering, and social organization, which is relevant to the design, analysis, evaluation and application of innovative interactive systems. Papers at the boundaries of these disciplines are especially welcome, as it is our view that interdisciplinary approaches are needed for producing theoretical insights in this complex area and for effective deployment of innovative technologies in concrete user communities. Research areas relevant to the journal include, but are not limited to: • Innovative interaction techniques • Multimodal interaction • Speech interaction • Graphic interaction • Natural language interaction • Interaction in mobile and embedded systems • Interface design and evaluation methodologies • Design and evaluation of innovative interactive systems • User interface prototyping and management systems • Ubiquitous computing • Wearable computers • Pervasive computing • Affective computing • Empirical studies of user behaviour • Empirical studies of programming and software engineering • Computer supported cooperative work • Computer mediated communication • Virtual reality • Mixed and augmented Reality • Intelligent user interfaces • Presence ...