Embodied coordination based on integration of the body through a collaborative robotic avatar

Abstract

Collaborative action enables individuals to exceed the limits of their abilities, and encourages new creativity. These are promoted by VR, computer-assisted systems, sensory sharing, etc., but the body is independent. In this paper, we propose a Collaborative Avatar, in which two people are integrated into a single robotic avatar, and investigate the possibilities for embodied collaboration through the avatar with others who have different skills and experiences. This system integrates the movements of two people in any ratio, and sharing each other’s senses, to embody them into a single robotic arm. Evaluation test showed that this system induced the equivalent sense of agency, body ownership, and usability as when the robot was operated by alone. We also found that the task performance was improved when the robot was operated by two people, and that the two people’s movements were synchronized. Interestingly, we found a correlation between the sense of agency and usability when the robot was operated by two people, but no correlation when operated by one person. It is expected that the Collaborative Avatar will improve our abilities and induce various embodied coordination between people, which will become a new way of collaboration in the cyber-physical society.