MRMAC is a Mixed Reality Multi-user Asymmetric Collaboration system that allows remote users to teleport virtually into
a real-world collaboration space to communicate and collaborate with local users. Our system enables telepresence for remote users
by live-streaming the physical environment of local users using a 360 degree camera while blending 3D virtual assets into the mixed-reality collaboration space. Our novel client-server architecture enables asymmetric collaboration for multiple AR and VR users and incorporates avatars, view controls, as well as synchronized low-latency audio, video, and asset streaming. We evaluated our implementation with two baseline conditions: conventional 2D and standard 360 degree videoconferencing. Results show that MRMAC outperformed both baselines in inducing a sense of presence, improving task performance, usability, and overall user preference, demonstrating its potential for immersive multi-user telecollaboration.
Faisal Zaman, Craig Anslow, Andrew Chalmers, and Taehyun Rhee. MRMAC: Mixed Reality Multi-user Asymmetric Collaboration. In Proceedings of the IEEE International Symposium on Mixed and Augmented Reality (ISMAR), Sydney, Australia, 2023.
