"Like I was There:" A User Evaluation of an Interpersonal Telepresence System Developed through Value Sensitive Design

Abstract

We developed and deployed an interpersonal telepresence prototype aimed at providing a positive one-to-one interaction between a Streamer and a Viewer. Our prototype uses four distributed, wearable cameras hidden from the public eye. It was designed to reduce the risk of Streamer self-consciousness while providing the Viewer with a greater sense of autonomy. We deployed our prototype with sixteen participants in dyads, who worked together to complete a scavenger hunt, and compared it the baseline of Skype. We found how our prototype better supported Streamer social well-being and physical comfort, and it also better supported Viewer autonomy. However, almost all participants desired a change to the design of the prototype, hinting that we need to provide better customization for future iterations of interpersonal telepresence devices.