Intergenerational Interaction with Avatars in VR: An Exploratory Study Towards an XR Research Framework

Abstract

The dynamic development of solutions in the field of virtual and augmented reality poses challenges to designers. These challenges relate to both technical conditions, including hardware capabilities and software solutions, as well as psychophysical constructs conditioning the end users’ reception of the generated multimedia message. One of the key elements of the virtual and augmented reality experience is the interaction with the system through a virtual agent represented by an avatar, i.e. a reflection of the image of a participant in the virtual world, carrying on a conversation with the user. This paper presents a proposed software and hardware solution for conducting multifaceted research and comparative analysis of diverse interfaces and human-computer interaction in virtual and augmented reality. In the course of this research, statistically significant results were obtained indicating differences in perception between three types of virtual agents. Each of them represented by different avatars in a specially created research environment that allowed to conduct usability tests under reproducible conditions to study user interaction in virtual reality.