MiniMates: Miniature Avatars for AR Remote Meetings within Limited Physical Spaces

Remote meetings using 3D avatars in Augmented Reality (AR) allow effective communication and enable users to retain awareness of their surroundings. However, positioning 3D avatars effectively and consistently for all users in AR is challenging since most spaces, such as offices or living rooms, are not large enough to accommodate multiple life-sized avatars without interference. To address this issue, we contribute MiniMates—a novel approach leveraging miniature avatars, which make it possible to place multiple remote users in a limited physical space. We see MiniMates as complementary to traditional 2D video conferencing and immersive telepresence. Our approach automatically adjusts the formation of avatars and redirects users’ head and body orientation to facilitate communication. Results from our user study (n = 24) show that participants experience a higher sense of co-presence compared to video conferencing, and that MiniMates enabled them to communicate the direction of their interactions non-verbally as well as manage multiple simultaneous conversations.