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This Ericsson project investigates avatar interactions in Augmented Reality (AR) and allows users to interact with a full-sized 3D avatar that is aware of the user’s local environment. This project aimed to evaluate the system's usability and identify potential use cases where users might want to interact with an avatar. The tests were conducted with the main objectives to find out issues in usability and how factors affect the user experience when interacting with an avatar. The prototype for this was adapted for NReal glasses and the testing method used combined quantitative and qualitative approaches. 21 Ericsson employees tested the application and used augmented reality glasses to interact with the avatar. The participants were not guided and instead asked to interact intuitively with the avatar – some even tried to shake hands or talk to the avatar. The data was collected by transcribing notes from each session, noting observations and the responses to the questionnaire. The results from this usability study helped to understand usability issues such as restrictive avatar movements and lack of facial expressions and distinct features when interacting with the avatar. It also highlighted the problems with the current chosen device which has a restrictive Field of View that obstructed the experience for over 60% of the participants. The future scope of this project would focus on making the user experience more realistic by adding expressions, audio, etc., and allowing users to imagine the potential of interacting through a holographic communication application. Overall, the study provides user insights and analysis that could help to develop this application further and make it more engaging, thus bringing the possibility of holographic communication and avatar interaction closer to reality. / Detta Ericsson-projekt undersöker avatarinteraktioner i Augmented Reality (AR) och låter användare interagera med en 3Davatar i full storlek som är medveten om användarens lokala miljö. Detta projekt syftade till att utvärdera systemets användbarhet och identifiera potentiella användningsfall där användare kanske vill interagera med en avatar. Testerna genomfördes med huvudmålen att ta reda på problem med användbarhet och hur faktorer påverkar användarupplevelsen när man interagerar med en avatar. Prototypen för detta var anpassad för NReal-glasögon och testmetoden använde kombinerade kvantitativa och kvalitativa tillvägagångssätt. 21 Ericsson-anställda testade applikationen och använde augmented reality-glasögon för att interagera med avataren. Deltagarna vägleddes inte utan ombads istället att interagera intuitivt med avataren – några försökte till och med skaka hand eller prata med avataren. Data samlades in genom att transkribera anteckningar från varje session, notera observationer och svaren på frågeformuläret. Resultaten från denna användbarhetsstudie hjälpte till att förstå användbarhetsproblem som restriktiva avatarrörelser och avsaknad av ansiktsuttryck och distinkta egenskaper när man interagerar med avatarn. Den belyste också problemen med den nuvarande valda enheten som har ett begränsat synfält som hindrade upplevelsen för över 60 % av deltagarna. Den framtida omfattningen av detta projekt skulle fokusera på att göra användarupplevelsen mer realistisk genom att lägga till uttryck, ljud etc., och tillåta användare att föreställa sig potentialen i att interagera genom en holografisk kommunikationsapplikation. Sammantaget ger studien användarinsikter och analyser som kan hjälpa till att utveckla denna applikation ytterligare och göra den mer engagerande, och på så sätt föra möjligheten till holografisk kommunikation och avatarinteraktion närmare verkligheten.

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) nowadays is constantly evolving and drastically impacting different fields of human activity, such as higher education. University education, due to ICT, was able to move from the traditional teaching and learning practices to e-Learning. That is, delivering education to the learner regardless of place and time via leveraging technology, such as computer-mediated platforms, based on synchronous video conferencing. The next generation of computer-mediated communication tools is ready to facilitate synchronous holographic communication among users. However, such tools have not been designed specifically for the field of university education and have not been taken into consideration the design requirements and needs of users to be successfully integrated to the e-Learning model.     Hence, this master’s thesis study explores the perceptions of higher education teachers and students about the potential use of holographic ICT tools in the context of e-Learning, as well as their desired characteristics in regard to the design of such tools. For this, an interpretive qualitative ethnographic research was conducted. Data was collected through passive observations and focus group discussions with purposively selected university teachers and students, and by leveraging the method of Thinking Aloud. The collected data was subjected to thematic analysis to conclude to seven themes, which represent the findings of this study. These research findings were discussed in relation to the research aim, research questions and the theoretical framework including the approach of User-Centered Design.     The research findings showed that university teachers and students acknowledge the potential of the holographic ICT tools and have an interest to try them out in the context of e-Learning activities. The potential use of holographic ICT tools was described as improving the quality of communication between teachers and students when on distance; delivering education globally and making it more accessible; lifting the current technological limitations and enriching the e-Learning practices. Some concerns, though, in regard to the use of such tools were expressed in terms of complexity and disturbances. The research findings also showed the university teachers’ and students’ desired characteristics in regard to the design of such tools, which include interoperability with the other systems used in e-Learning activities; high quality of human and non-human holographic representations; and indicators in holographs of the participants’ status, along with additional interactive features. In addition, the university teachers and students suggested the holographic ICT tools to be designed as a pair of comfortable augmented reality (AR) glasses, which can be easy to control and can be connected to personal devices. Finally, it was suggested to include main tools of teaching and learning activities -such as whiteboard, screensharing, slides presentation-; and multiple modes that can be used depending on the users’ teaching and learning needs.  Thus, the research outcome contributes theoretically to the research field of informatics by providing insights and new knowledge about the potential use of novel holographic ICT tools for e-Learning. The research outcome also contributes practically to designers, developers, technology companies, and other interested stakeholders as it shortens the knowledge gap regarding the design principles of holographic ICT tools and their use cases within the context of education, and provides suggestions regarding their design from a user-centered approach.

Remote communication methods have been changing these years and becoming even more important due to the global pandemic. Holographic communication, often represented by volumetric video, is one of the emerging communication methods. Unfortunately, there are few researches on combining 3D objects with volumetric videos. Based on a review of 3D object manipulation methods, two input modalities including laptop trackpad and mobile touchscreen are selected to combine with the volumetric video production. This study aims to explore human factors in volumetric video production and determines the differences between different 3D object input modalities in volumetric video production. A prototype of a volumetric video production tool is built and refined. NASA-TLX, SUS sub-scale, and semi-structured interview are performed in a pilot study and the main study, in order to measure the perceived workload and learnability of the prototype. Analysis of the subjective data demonstrates that there are no significant differences between those two input modalities. Several implications for the design and research gap of combining 3D object manipulation with volumetric video production have been brought up based on the results of this study. / Metoder för fjärrkommunikation har förändrats under dessa år och blivit ännu viktigare på grund av den globala pandemin. Holografisk kommunikation, ofta representerad av volymetrisk video, är en av de framväxande kommunikationsmetoderna. Tyvärr finns det få undersökningar om att kombinera 3D-objekt med volymetriska videor. Baserat på en genomgång av 3D-objektmanipulationsmetoder, väljs två inmatningsmodaliteter inklusive styrplatta för bärbar dator och mobil pekskärm för att kombineras med den volymetriska videoproduktionen. Denna studie syftar till att utforska mänskliga faktorer i volymetrisk videoproduktion och fastställa skillnaderna mellan olika 3D-objektinmatningsmodaliteter i volymetrisk videoproduktion. En prototyp av ett volymetriskt videoproduktionsverktyg byggs och förfinas. NASA-TLX, SUS sub-scale och semi-strukturerad intervju utförs i en pilotstudie och huvudstudien, för att mäta den upplevda arbetsbelastningen och inlärbarheten av prototypen. Analys av subjektiva data visar att det inte finns några signifikanta skillnader mellan dessa två inmatningsmodaliteter. Flera implikationer för design- och forskningsgapet av att kombinera 3D-objektmanipulation med volymetrisk videoproduktion har tagits upp baserat på resultaten av denna studie.