Investigating presence in remote meetings; a case study testing extended reality (XR) technology

• Main Author: Almgren, Olivia
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: KTH, Skolan för elektroteknik och datavetenskap (EECS) 2020
• Subjects: Computer and Information Sciences; Data- och informationsvetenskap
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-290870

During times with global pandemics and climate change, the need for companies to be able to conduct their business without travelling is essential. Upholding social distancing and complying to restrictions on travel both globally and nationally have not only forced everyone to conduct their business from home but to do so regardless of technological maturity. While also doing so for an unforeseeable future. In times of change, resilience is key. Having more durable and resilient teams and workers are essential now, tomorrow, and most likely in the future too. Improving the usability of remote collaboration has never been as important. Disregarding the fact that this has been a forced act of measure from the government, the aftermath of this for many companies will surely include reduced costs for travel, improved efficiency and reduced environmental impact. Undoubtedly, there is incentive from a business perspective, but what are the effects from the user's perspective? Derived from previous literature on presence, video communication, quality of experience (QoE) and interaction, this case study set out to examine the following research questions; What current factors influence the remote meetings of employees in a telecommunication company? In what way can extended reality (XR) technology potentially improve their experience? Extended reality (XR) technology refers to all real-and-virtual combined environments including augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR) and virtual reality (VR) and other areas that exist among them.With obtained data from interviews and a series of tests, the results indicate that factors from every category; human, system and context factors influence the QoE. Additionally, in its current state, XR technology does not provide enough, especially in terms of quality, to significantly improve anything for these employees. The XR technology has potential to heighten the experience in respects such as mobility, but for presence and social context it did not gain much attraction. === Under tider med en global pandemi och klimatfo ra ndringar a r behovet att fo retag ska kunna bedriva sin verksamhetutan att resa stort. Att uppra ttha lla social distansering och fo lja restriktioner pa resor ba de globalt och nationellt harinte bara tvingat alla att bedriva sin verksamhet hemifra n utan att go ra det oavsett teknisk mognad. Det go rs ocksa fo ren ofo rutsebar framtid. I tider av fo ra ndring a r det viktigt att vara anpassningsbar. Att ha mer ha llbara ochmotsta ndskraftiga team och arbetare a r viktigt nu, imorgon och troligtvis a ven i framtiden. Att fo rba ttraanva ndbarheten av samarbete pa distans har aldrig varit lika viktigt.Om man bortser fra n det faktum att detta har varit en pa tvingad a tga rd fra n regeringen, sa kommer konsekvensernafo r ma nga fo retag sa kert att inkludera la gre kostnader fo r resor, fo rba ttrad effektivitet och minskad miljo pa verkan.Utan tvekan finns det incitament ur ett affa rsperspektiv, men vilka a r effekterna ur anva ndarnas perspektiv?Uppbyggt fra n tidigare litteratur om na rvaro, videokommunikation, kvalitet av upplevelsen (QoE) och interaktion,syftar denna fallstudie till att underso ka fo ljande forskningsfra gor; Vilka aktuella faktorer pa verkar distansmo ten fo ransta llda i ett telekommunikationsfo retag? Pa vilket sa tt kan XR-teknik (Extended Reality) potentiellt fo rba ttra derasupplevelse? Med Extended reality (XR) -teknologi menas alla reala-och-virtuella kombinerade miljo er inklusiveAugumented Reality (AR), Mixed Reality (MR) och Virtual Reality (VR) och andra omra den som finns mellan dem.Insamlade data fra n intervjuer och en serie tester visar att faktorer fra n varje kategori; ma nskliga, system- ochkontextuella faktorer pa verkar QoE. I sitt nuvarande tillsta nd, ger XR-tekniken inte tillra ckligt, sa rskilt inte na r detga ller kvalitet, fo r att avseva rt fo rba ttra na got fo r de ansta llda. XR-tekniken har potential att fo rba ttra upplevelsen na rdet ga ller exempelvis ro rlighet, men fo r na rvaro och social kontext har den a n sa la nge inte mycket att bidra med.