While collaborative virtual environments have been investigated for working in different spaces at the same time, few have investigated the best practices for collaborating in those spaces at different times. We designed a system that allows experts to create engaging tours inside a virtual inspection space, preserving knowledge and insights while requiring observer interaction to follow the tour’s playback. A user study evaluating the influence of these interactions on an observing user’s information recall and user experience indicated that additional interactivity can improve auditory and spatial recall of key information conveyed during the tour and enhance the user experience.
While collaborative virtual environments have been investigated for working in different spaces at the same time, few have investigated the best practices for collaborating in those spaces at different times. We designed a system that allows experts to create engaging tours inside a virtual inspection space, preserving knowledge and insights while requiring observer interaction to follow the tour’s playback. A user study evaluating the influence of these interactions on an observing user’s information recall and user experience indicated that additional interactivity can improve auditory and spatial recall of key information conveyed during the tour and enhance the user experience.