The Missing Link of XR: Empathy-Driven Reality for XR and Beyond
Yun Suen Pai, Tamil Selvan Gunasekaran, Jiashuo Cao, Kunal Gupta, Andreia Valente, Ken Jen Lee, Giulia Barbareschi, Kai Lukoff, Lingyuan Li, Ruofei Du, Fannie Liu, Jennifer Day, Tanner Person, Johann Wentzel, Misha Sra, Yuhang Zhao, Theophilus Teo, Elisabeth Andre, Mark Armstrong, Mark Billinghurst, Danielle Lottridge, Kinga Skiers, Anish Kundu, Erica Principe Cruz, Takuji Narumi, Kouta Minamizawa
Abstract
Extended reality (XR) for socialising is becoming increasingly popular. However, unlike conventional social platforms, XR prioritises embodiment and immersion, factors that strongly impact one's physical and mental states. We envision a future for XR where all users, regardless of abilities and backgrounds, can understand one another, participate, and find safe socialisation spaces. An Empathy-Driven Reality (EDR) is a space where understanding each other's emotional, physical, and cognitive states takes centre stage. It has the potential to enhance empathy beyond how we normally perceive it. To explore this concept, we conducted a hybrid-style workshop over two months with 27 industry and academic researchers in XR, emotion, physiology, assistive technology, and social science. This paper reports on the findings and aims to establish a structure and reference for the 1) design guidelines, 2) research challenges, and 3) potential applications for the future of XR as an EDR. We frame EDR as a conceptual design framework rather than a validated system: a structured design space that links requirements to design mechanisms, together with a research agenda for empathy-centred XR.
Create a lesson
Related papers
Calmables: Demonstrating Closed-Loop Infrared Earables for Thermal Biofeedback and Relaxation Support
Valeria Zitz, Michael Küttner, Jonas Hummel et al.
"Okay, I've Actually Softened My Take on This": How People in Decentralized Social Media Reason about the Appropriateness of Generative AI
Romina Mahinpei, Manoel Horta Ribeiro, Andrés Monroy-Hernández et al.
Integrating Flipped Learning and Generative AI for Practice-Based Design Education: Evidence from a Knit Yarn Design Course
Hong Qu, Zichao Ling, Yadie Yang
EasyFashion: A Human-AI Co-Creation System for Personalized Fashion Design and Sewing Pattern Generation
Hong Qu, Zhaoxiang Xu, Jinbo Luo et al.
Verify, Offload, Extend & Recommend: Selective Complementarity in AI Support for Physical Activity Planning with Longitudinal Patient Data
Pavithren V S Pakianathan, Rania Islambouli, Diogo Branco et al.
Building a Cultural Perspective on Doctor-Patient Conversations
Krithi Shailya, Siddharth D Jaiswal, Ashish Makani et al.