Co-designing Immersive Virtual and Extended Reality Systems for Remote and Unsupervised Interaction, Intervention, Training and Research

Abstract

We propose a one-day transdisciplinary workshop in the broad area of HCI focused on co-designing immersive virtual reality (IVR) for remote and unsupervised interaction, intervention, training and research. The development and deployment of such systems is a significant and important challenge. While remote and unsupervised systems are more accessible to a wider user-base, their design, implementation and deployment poses unique challenges, related to the need to involve truly transdisciplinary design teams, co-designing solutions with users, providing step-by-step interaction scenarios, and retaining user motivation and engagement over longer periods of time. Moreover, there are multiple ethical considerations related to both the inclusivity and accessibility of such systems and the security of data collected. Therefore, to facilitate the use of IVR systems in various contexts, ranging from unique interactions and research, through psychological interventions, to education and training, we propose to formulate a set of best practices. Taking into account the diverse aspects involved, we will formulate actionable guidelines for co-designing such solutions with users based on review of extant literature, expert knowledge, case studies and insights from the workshop.