Proposal for a Remote Communications System Based on Proxemics Theory

Abstract

In recent years, it has become easy for people who are far apart to communicate by telephone or e-mail. However, neither the telephone nor e-mail can create the feeling that two people are sharing the same space. If it were possible to feel physically close to someone far away, our ability to communicate would be significantly enriched. The purpose of this study is to propose a system of communication that would enable two people to feel as if they were in the same place, despite being far apart. The first experiment was conducted using 12 types of visual information to ascertain which types of visual information most effectively created the illusion that two separated people were sharing the same space. This experiment showed that simple visual information was more effective than more complex visual information at creating the illusion of shared space. Based on these results, our research team was able to propose a new system of communication using a table and various projected visual objects. In this system, if a participant put a hot drink (for example, a cup of coffee) on the table, a red circle would appear and blink slowly in the same position on the other person’s table before fading away. Conversely, if the participant put a cold drink on the table, a blue circle would be projected onto the other person’s table in the same position. If the first person moved the cup or glass on his or her own table, the red or blue circle would repeat the move, blink slowly, and then fade away on the other person’s table. The second experiment used 14 participants to ascertain the effectiveness of the proposed communication system. We found that 71 % of participants who used the proposed communication system felt that the person they were communicating with shared the same space. Moreover, participants felt that the proposed communication system enhanced communication, making it feel more proactive. It was clear that participants experienced this sense of a shared space more strongly when the circle moved than when it blinked or faded away. These results suggest that the proposed communication system (using a table and various projected visual objects) did succeed in creating the impression that two people in different locations were sharing the same space.