Collaboration in a Mediated Haptic Environment

Abstract

This paper examines an experiment in which pairs of people interact directly via a haptic interface over a network path that has significant physical distance and number of network hops. The aim of the experiment is to evaluate the use of haptics in a collaborative situation mediated by a networked virtual environment. The task of the experimental subjects was to cooperate in lifting a box together under one of four conditions in a between-groups design. Questionnaires were used to report about the ease with which they could perform the task, and the subjective levels of presence and co-presence experienced. This extends the work reported in to consider the possibility of haptic collaboration under real network conditions, and in the addition of the use of haptics.