Exploring communication and collaboration via the use Extended Reality for social interaction

随着技术的发展和工作变得更加混合，对新型通信系统的需求也在增加，以确保团队和个人保持联系和有效沟通。因此，有必要使用技术来帮助支持分布式通信，包括计算机支持的协同工作（CSCW）系统和扩展现实（XR）领域，虚拟现实（VR），增强现实（AR）和混合现实（MR）是该研究领域的关键技术。需要进行研究，以了解社会行为以及个人如何跨XR边界进行交流和协作，其中一个具体用例涉及一种称为“元通用节点”的新型MR系统，作为通过虚拟和物理空间连接个人的技术和方法。这将调查诸如新兴的社会规范，合作类型，共享空间的概念以及通过语言和非语言方式的沟通等领域。潜在的实施领域包括开放式办公室、工程专业学生的教学、私人办公室和公共区域。探索“本地化虚拟世界”概念的潜力也很突出，因为这些节点可以设置在各种位置，并有可能连接到无限数量的虚拟环境。其他XR技术的使用，如AR和VR头戴式显示器（hmd），也将作为CSCW的单独技术和“节点”的扩展进行探索，以确定它们如何影响用户体验（UX）以及存在感和沉浸感等因素。

As technology develops and working becomes more hybrid, the requirement for novel communication systems has increased to ensure teams and individuals remain in contact and communicate effectively. Therefore, there is a need to use technology to help support distributed communication, encompassing areas of Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) systems and Extended Reality (XR), with Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and Mixed Reality (MR) being key technologies within this research area. Research is required to understand social behaviours and how individuals communicate and collaborate across XR boundaries with one specific use case involving a novel MR system called "Metaversal Nodes" as a technology and method for connecting individuals through virtual and physical spaces. This will investigate areas such as emerging social norms, types of collaboration, the concept of shared spaces as well as communication via verbal and non-verbal modalities. Potential areas of implementation include open offices, teaching and learning for engineering students, private offices, and communal areas. The potential to explore the concept of a "localised Metaverse" is also prominent as these Nodes can be setup in a variety of locations with the potential to connect to an infinite number of virtual environments.The use of other XR technologies such as AR and VR head-mounted displays (HMDs) will also be explored as individual technologies for CSCW and extensions of the "Nodes" to determine how they could influence user experience (UX) and factors such as presence and immersion.