Evaluating Remote Virtual Hands Models on Social Presence in Hand-based 3D Remote Collaboration

This study investigates the effects of a virtual hand representation on the user experience including social presence during hand-based 3D remote collaboration. Although a remote hand appearance is a critical parts of a hand-based telepresence, it has been rarely studied in comparison to studies on the self-embodiment of virtual hands in a 3D environment. Thus, we conducted a user study comparing the three virtual hands models (Skeleton, Low Polygon and Realistic) while performing a remote collaborative task based on the American Sign Language (ASL) using both Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) environments. We found that the realistic type was perceived as the most sense of being together, human-like, and trustable representation. The low polygon model could also convey a clear sign and moderate level of social presence. Although the system was configured asymmetrically in AR and VR, little difference in perception was found except for the participant's mental load and message understanding. We then discuss the results and suggest design implications for future hand-based 3D telepresence systems.