During the COVID-19 pandemic, many nursing homes had to restrict visitations. This had a major negative impact on the wellbeing of residents and their family members. In response, residents and family members increasingly resorted to mediated communication to maintain social contact. To facilitate high-quality mediated social contact between residents in nursing homes and remote family members, we developed an augmented reality (AR)-based communication tool. In this study, we compared the user experience (UX) of AR-communication with that of video calling, for 10 pairs of residents and family members. We measured enjoyment, spatial presence and social presence, attitudes, behavior and conversation duration. In the AR-communication condition, residents perceived a 3D projection of their remote family member onto a chair placed in front of them. In the video calling condition, the family member was shown using 2D video. In both conditions, the family member perceived the resident in the video calling mode on a 2D screen. While residents reported no differences in their UX between both conditions, family members reported higher spatial presence for the AR-communication condition compared to video-calling. Conversation durations were significantly longer during AR-communication than during video calling. We tentatively suggest that there may be (unconscious) differences in UX during AR-based communication compared to video calling. CCS CONCEPTS• Human-centered computing → Human computer interaction (HCI); Interaction paradigms; Mixed / augmented reality.
Family visiting restrictions in nursing homes due to COVID-19-related measures have a major impact on elderly and their families. As an alternative communication means, TNO is developing an augmented reality (AR)-based solution to realize high-quality virtual social contact. To investigate its suitability for remote family visits in nursing homes, the AR-based solution will be compared to regular video calling in a user study involving elderly and their family members. Based on focus groups with elderly, family and caretakers, user experience (UX) indicators have been established to evaluate these virtual family visits, of which social presence was the most prominent. Remote family visits via AR-based and regular video calling are expected to result in different UX. It is hypothesized that participants will report the highest levels of social presence in the AR condition. If AR-based video calling is indeed preferred, TNO will continue and upscale the development of this technology.
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