Embodied interaction in social virtual environments

Abstract

The interaction models found in typical desktop virtual environments designed for social interactions need to be improved in order to provide an adequate sense of embodiment and appropriate levels of abstraction for collaborative tasks. In order to improve the kinds of user interfaces available in social desktop virtual environments, new mechanisms for embodied interaction are needed. Such mechanisms would allow the dynamic generation of user interface displaying currently available high-level actions that can be performed on objects. This paper evaluates the kinds of interactions currently available in social desktop virtual environments, explores how these interactions effect the end-user experience, and suggests possible solutions for improving a user's sense of embodiment and presence in such environments.