Double Shellf: What Psychological Effects can be Caused through Interaction with a Doppelganger?

Abstract

Advances in 3D capture technology have made it easier to generate a realistic avatar, which can represent a person in virtual environments. Because avatars can be easily duplicated in the virtual environments, there can be an unrealistic situation where a person sees her/his own doppelgangers. Doppelganger is a double of a person and sometimes portrayed as a sinister existence. To investigate how people feel and react when they face their doppelgangers, we developed "Double Shellf", a virtual reality experience in which people can interact with their virtual doppelgangers in various situations. In this paper, we introduce the design of Double Shellf and discuss the reactions of 86 users. The user study revealed that most people felt intense eeriness when they see their doppelgangers which acts autonomously and when they were touched by their doppelgangers. We also found that there is a gender difference in reactions to their doppelgangers. We explore the effective way of utilizing doppelgangers.