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I. Podkosova, H. Kaufmann:
"Preventing Imminent Collisions between Co-Located Users in HMD-Based VR in Non-Shared Scenarios";
Talk: CASA 2017, Seoul, South Korea; 2017-05-22 - 2017-05-24; in: "Proceedings of the 30 th International Conference on Computer Animation and Social Agents", CASA 2017, (2017), ISBN: 978-89-89453-82-6; 37 - 46.

This paper presents two experiments set in a
multi-user HMD-based VR system where users
navigate by real walking in a large real and vir-
tual area. We investigate a case that could be
used in a multi-user VR game or a training ap-
plication: several users are walking in the same
physical space without seeing each other in the
virtual environment. Such a scenario involves
the risk of collisions between users. In the first
experiment, we investigate the strategy of stop-
ping a walking user in a dangerous situation. In
particular, we compare the effectiveness and the
perceived difficulty of two visual and two audi-
tory stopping signals. The results of this com-
parison show that the tested visual and auditory
signals are equally effective in stopping users.
With both visual and auditory signals, partici-
pants prefer the signal to contain a "stop" com-
mand. In the second experiment, avatars are
displayed at users´ positions if the distance be-
tween users is dangerously small. The method
is tested with four avatars of various degrees of
anthropomorphism and in two different appli-
cation scenarios. Our results suggest that the
type of scenario influences users´ preference of
a notification avatar. It is sufficient to display
an area occupied by other users in scenarios
with specific goals and interactive content. If
users are exploring a virtual world without hav-
ing any other goal, they prefer to see human-
like avatars as a possible collision notification.

This paper presents two experiments set in a
multi-user HMD-based VR system where users
navigate by real walking in a large real and vir-
tual area. We investigate a case that could be
used in a multi-user VR game or a training ap-
plication: several users are walking in the same
physical space without seeing each other in the
virtual environment. Such a scenario involves
the risk of collisions between users. In the first
experiment, we investigate the strategy of stop-
ping a walking user in a dangerous situation. In
particular, we compare the effectiveness and the
perceived difficulty of two visual and two audi-
tory stopping signals. The results of this com-
parison show that the tested visual and auditory
signals are equally effective in stopping users.
With both visual and auditory signals, partici-
pants prefer the signal to contain a "stop" com-
mand. In the second experiment, avatars are
displayed at users´ positions if the distance be-
tween users is dangerously small. The method
is tested with four avatars of various degrees of
anthropomorphism and in two different appli-
cation scenarios. Our results suggest that the
type of scenario influences users´ preference of
a notification avatar. It is sufficient to display
an area occupied by other users in scenarios
with specific goals and interactive content. If
users are exploring a virtual world without hav-
ing any other goal, they prefer to see human-
like avatars as a possible collision notification.

muti-user virtual reality, immersive virtual environments, collision prevention

http://publik.tuwien.ac.at/files/publik_265833.pdf