Improving Quality of Interaction in Distributed Real-Time Groupware

提高分布式实时群件中的交互质量

• 批准号: 203255-2012
• 负责人: Gutwin, Carl
• 金额: $ 3.79万
• 依托单位: University of Saskatchewan
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2015-01-01 至 2016-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=569915
• 关键词: Improving; Quality; Interaction; Distributed; Real

Real-time distributed groupware systems are becoming common, but the types of collaboration supported in groupware are still limited. In particular, real-time interaction is poorly supported, even though in the real world, people are experts at this kind of shared work: in face-to-face settings, people can coordinate fast turn-taking actions smoothly and efficiently. In distributed groupware, which lacks the rich information of a face-to-face setting, this 'interactional expertise' becomes difficult to maintain, and groupware still traps users in a 'beginner mode' of interaction where shared activity is stilted, awkward, and slow. The problem addressed in this proposal is that current groupware systems do not provide adequate support for true real-time interaction. Without this support, distributed groupware systems cannot provide the rich and subtle environments that are needed for expert performance in many tasks. The long-term goal of this research is to make distributed collaboration as expressive and flexible as it is in face-to-face settings. To achieve this aim, two areas of research are needed: first, groupware must support faster interaction that happens at a smaller time scale; second, groupware must support more expressive interaction to provide the rich set of cues and signals that people use to coordinate real-time interaction in the real world. The proposal contains eight separate projects in these two themes, and includes work on determining the effects of delay, toolkits and protocols for improved network performance, new techniques for expressive gesturing and movement, and better support for prediction and awareness. There is considerable potential for economic and social benefit in this research. We will produce several enabling technologies that make new kinds of interaction possible at a distance; as groupware systems become more common, systems that are able to support true real-time interaction will clearly differentiate themselves from competitors. In addition, reducing frustration, effort, and errors in real-time collaboration will have a substantial impact on the quality of everyday work life for those who collaborate at a distance.

实时分布式群件系统正在变得普遍，但群件支持的协作类型仍然有限。特别是，实时互动的支持程度很低，即使在现实世界中，人们也是这种共享工作的专家：在面对面的环境中，人们可以流畅而高效地协调快速的话轮转换动作。在缺乏面对面设置的丰富信息的分布式群件中，这种“交互专业知识”变得难以维护，并且群件仍然将用户困在交互的“初学者模式”中，在这种交互模式中，共享活动是生硬的、笨拙的和缓慢的。 这一建议中解决的问题是，当前的群件系统不能为真正的实时交互提供足够的支持。如果没有这种支持，分布式群件系统就无法提供在许多任务中执行专家所需的丰富而微妙的环境。这项研究的长期目标是使分布式协作像在面对面的环境中一样具有表现力和灵活性。为了实现这一目标，需要进行两个方面的研究：第一，群件必须支持在较小时间尺度上发生的更快的交互；第二，群件必须支持更具表现力的交互，以提供人们用来协调现实世界中实时交互的丰富提示和信号集。该提案包含这两个主题的八个不同项目，包括确定延迟的影响、改进网络性能的工具包和协议、表情手势和移动的新技术以及对预测和意识的更好支持。 这项研究具有相当大的经济效益和社会效益。我们将生产几种使新型远程交互成为可能的使能技术；随着群件系统变得越来越普遍，能够支持真正实时交互的系统将明显地从竞争对手中脱颖而出。此外，减少实时协作中的挫败感、努力和错误将对远程协作人员的日常工作质量产生重大影响。