Improving collaboration in augmented video conference using mutually shared gaze

To improve remote collaboration in video conferencing systems, researchers have been investigating augmenting visual cues onto a shared live video stream. In such systems, a person wearing a head-mounted display (HMD) and camera can share her view of the surrounding real-world with a remote collaborator to receive assistance on a real-world task. While this concept of augmented video conferencing (AVC) has been actively investigated, there has been little research on how sharing gaze cues might affect the collaboration in video conferencing. This paper investigates how sharing gaze in both directions between a local worker and remote helper in an AVC system affects the collaboration and communication. Using a prototype AVC system that shares the eye gaze of both users, we conducted a user study that compares four conditions with different combinations of eye gaze sharing between the two users. The results showed that sharing each other's gaze significantly improved collaboration and communication