Gestural Communication in Collaborative Physical Tasks

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This project investigates gestural communication in collaborative physical tasks, tasks in which two or more individuals work together to perform actions on concrete objects in the three-dimensional world. For example, an expert might guide a worker's performance of emergency repairs to an aircraft, students might collaborate to build a science project, or a medical team might work together to save a patient's life. Observations of physical collaborations in face-to-face settings have suggested that gesture plays an important role in communication and task performance. To date, however, video systems for remote collaboration on physical tasks have rarely incorporated technologies to support gesture. The project has three aims: (a) to increase our understanding of the types and functions of gestures in collaborative physical tasks in face-to-face settings; (b) to systematically evaluate the impact of alternative methods for implementing gesture in systems for remote collaboration on physical tasks; and (c) to develop and test prototype gesture systems. A closely inter-related series of laboratory experiments, field studies, and technology development efforts will be used to meet these aims. Taken together, these research activities will improve the design of systems for remote collaboration in medical, educational, vehicular repair, and other physical domains.