HandsOn : a portable system for collaboration on virtual 3D objects using binocular optical head-mounted display

Abstract

In this increasingly globalized and technological world, professionals often have to collaborate remotely on 3D content, especially in fields such as urban planning or architectural design. We propose HandOn, a portable system for collaboration on virtual 3D objects. HandsOn leverages the recent advances in optical head-mounted display and finger tracking technology, allowing users to view digital content as if it were merged with the physical reality, while being able to manipulate the objects using simple hand gestures. Supporting both co-located and remote collaboration, this proof-of-concept system is designed to be portable and easy-to-setup, in contrast with many previous systems that require elaborate setup. Our findings suggests that HandsOn greatly increases awareness of remote collaborators and their actions by displaying the remote user'-s hands while interacting with the virtual objects, and that gestural hand-based interactions felt natural to the users. We also found that the illusion of the physical and the virtual being merged improved the overall experience, even though this aspect could be further improved by using better hardware.