Computer Supported Collaboration: Theory and Practice

In Computer Supported Collaboration: Theory and Practice, an expert team of researchers and professionals delivers the latest instruction in using augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mobile or wearable technology to support remote guidance on physical tasks. The authors offer an overview of the field before moving on to discuss state-of-the-art research developments in everything from shared visual spaces to the use of hand gestures and gaze information for better collaboration.

The book also describes the hardware devices, software tools, and libraries that can be used to help build remote guidance systems, as well as the industrial systems and applications that have been used in real world settings. Finally, Computer Supported Collaboration includes a discussion of the current challenges faced by practitioners in the field and likely future directions for new research and development.

Readers will also discover:

• A thorough introduction and review of the art of remote guidance research and engineering
• Comprehensive explorations of the shared visual space used to support common grounding and the remote guidance of physical tasks, as well as mobility support for local workers
• Practical discussions of mobility support of workers and helpers in remote guidance, including systems that support hands-free interaction
• In-depth explorations of communication cues in remote guidance, including systems that support gesturing and sketching on a touch-based display

Perfect for researchers and professionals working in human-computer interaction or computer supported collaborative work, Computer Supported Collaboration: Theory and Practice is also an ideal resource for educators and graduate students teaching or studying in these fields.

Weidong Huang, PhD, is Senior Lecturer in the School of Software and Electrical Engineering at Swinburne University of Technology, Australia. He is also Deputy Director of the Master of Information Technology Program and Program Leader for the Swinburne Data Science Research Institute.

Mark Billinghurst, PhD, is Professor at the University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia. Dr. Billinghurst is also Professor (part time) at the University of Auckland, Auckland NZ, as well as an Amazon Scholar.

Leila Alem, PhD, is Co-founder and Chief Design Strategy and Innovation at ArcSense, a technology startup helping people improve their quality of life as they age. Dr. Alem is also Adjunct Professor in Human Computer Interaction at the University of Technology Sydney.