Augmented Reality-Based Remote Family Visits in Nursing Homes

Abstract

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.

Augmented Reality (AR) Brand Storytelling: The Role of Flow in Attitude Formation and Associative Learning

“…Third, AR is believed to drive curiosity due to its cognitively and sensory stimulating and immersive nature (Xue et al, 2021). Like other XR technologies, AR allows for sensory immersion into the mediated environment and can offer users the illusion of 'being there' in (or interacting with) the virtual world (Sundar et al, 2015;Abels et al, 2021). This sensory illusion is in the XR literature generally referred to as presence (Hartmann et al, 2015;Van Berlo et al, 2020).…”

Saving species in a snap: On the feasibility and efficacy of augmented reality-based wildlife interactions for conservation

“…However, for users interacting with virtual characters in AR, the sense of being mutually aware of the shared space is imperative. For example, previous work on AR-based interactions among people suggests that interactions are more engaging when interactants appear to share the same physical space (Toet et al, 2021). Broadly, social presence mediates user responses to virtual content (Miller & Bailenson, 2020), contributing to affective (Jin, 2011) and behavioral responses (Yoo & Drumwright, 2018).…”

A Study on Immersion and Intention to Pay in AR Broadcasting: Validating and Expanding the Hedonic Motivation System Adoption Mode

“…Additionally, the use of AR filters on social media has been found to have a positive impact on user experiences, particularly in terms of curiosity and playfulness [43]. However, the theoretical perspective on the influence of AR on social interaction is still uncertain [44]. Therefore, by introducing aesthetic appeal as an independent variable alongside perceived usefulness, ease of use and intrinsic motivation, this study extends HMSAM to develop a more comprehensive understanding.…”