Abstract Traditional telepresence systems are comprised of a person remotely controlling a robot in a hostile environment while receiving visual feedback from a camera mounted on the robot. While useful for a number of applications, this model is not particularly useful for everyday work applications. The size of the robot is intrusive, the robot needs to be designed for specific interactions and only one person can use the robot at any one time. This work seeks to address this problem by replacing the physical proxy with a virtual proxy. The purpose of this virtual proxy is to enhance the system by providing improved support for multiple users, interaction and navigation in the remote environment. This enhanced, or improved, version of telepresence is termed TeleReality as it combines elements of virtual reality with traditional telepresence technologies. To achieve this goal, the basic building blocks, or constructs, of traditional telepresence systems need to be changed. This thesis identifies and evaluates the base constructs needed to build any TeleReality system. These constructs include the need to support navigation of the remote environment and this is achieved by using a network of cameras and image processing software to calculate the various perspective viewpoints of the users. These constructs govern the means in which this collection of cameras are organised and connected. Each user receives a common set of video images from which they calculate their own perspective viewpoints, and consequently supporting a multi-user system. Interaction within the remote environment is promoted using ad-hoc networks and augmented reality technologies. Constructs also cover security and privacy issues that arise from using multiple cameras by adopting both an organisational and technological viewpoint. The focus is on establishing trust within the system by divesting control to the user. An example of these constructs is given by the implementation of a TeleReality model called a 'Visual Cell' system. The conclusion of this work identifies the constructs that are needed to support a telepresence system using a virtual proxy where the primary interaction framework is informational exchange, although physical interaction can also be supported depending upon the environmental support. This work also identifies the technical issues that require additional research for the implementation of a TeleReality system, from the need for improved image processing, video codec's, broadcast and ad-hoc security protocols, software architecture, registration and the availability of suitable head mounted displays.

This work explores the design of domestic Media Spaces by introducing and studying FamilySong (FS), a system that allows the synchronous playback of music between two remote households. FS does not share live audio or video, yet our studies show that FS provides a context for increasing serendipity as families integrate it into their ecology of communication practices and devices. Through three design iterations involving Autobiographical Design, Research-Through-Design, and qualitative research methods, we study six Latin American migrant families (with parents and children in the United States, and grandparents in Ecuador and Mexico), and one from the U.S., interact with FamilySong. We have found that, individually, family members have differing motivations and reactions to using the system. However, participants felt that the shared experience was meaningful to them and that they could use FamilySong to communicate important intentions, values and emotions as well as musical experiences. In the most recent iteration, the main interactions empowered very young children's participation in music selection. This has been met with joy and excitement by all but also with occasional behavioral dilemmas.This work explores and expands the design space of Media Spaces to include a set of artifacts that forgo its central definition yet provide similar emergent qualities including enhanced mutual awareness, connection, and communication. FS design explores the intersection of family practices and values---of togetherness and longing, parent-child dynamics at all ages, kinship, identity and culture---, and divided versus focused attention in the home. It also enriches our understanding of designing technology for meaningful interaction that supports loved ones and their values. / Doctor of Philosophy / Telecommunication technologies have improved the lives of migrants by allowing them to maintain connections with far-away loved ones. Although the opportunities to have a conversation have increased drastically with inexpensive video-chat systems, the quality of these connections leave families wanting for more meaningful experiences. FamilySong was designed to help far-away loved ones sustain significant interactions over time by playing music at the same time between two connected homes. The music acts as a medium for a shared-experience between parent and children's homes, and their grandparents' home. As participants went about their daily lives, music would begin playing making them feel together. Music also allows for a range of interactions that our participant families have come to describe as communication. People choose to play songs in the system that could be interpreted as "I love you," "I am thinking of you," "good morning," "this is my/your favorite song," "we are home," "are you available to talk," "we are dancing," "happy birthday!" These messages have the potential for being more influential to a developing relationship than merely asking for a "hi" or a "smile" on a video-call. Such calls are typical when interacting with very young, pre-verbal children. Other researchers have promoted focused activities that would capture a young child's attention, in order to provide a moment of connection at a distance with them. Some of these approaches include playing games and reading books. Our proposed method of sharing music is aimed at a similar objective, developing participants shared interests, but also facilitating an opportunity for a long sustained experience through the day with music as the background for everyday home activities. FamilySong is a design for the home and for the family, we build upon the family's communication and cultural practices in order to augment their experience through the day, and the video-calls they typically hold where they might now have found new reasons to connect (talk about music or sing together). In this dissertation we have used design to extend our understanding of what constitutes a significant interaction between family. Three large steps were taken, culminating in the design and creation of a high-fidelity prototype for a system to facilitate synchronous-playback of music between homes. A total of twelve copies of the final prototype were created and deployed at the homes of participants, for a total of six families using the system for over six months at the time of publishing. An additional three devices were created to begin exploring future work opportunities. In exploring these interactions between people we have found that family members have differing motivations and approaches to enjoying the system communicating. However, the opportunities for increased connection was received with joy by most of our participants who expressed to us deep feelings of longing for togetherness, identity, and culture. These significant aspects of enduring human and family values provide meaningful motivations for designing for the home.

In this thesis computer-mediated human interaction and human computer interaction in responsive spaces are discussed. Can such spaces be de-signed to create an affective response from the players? What are the de-sign heuristics for a space that allows for the establishment of affective dy-namics? I research the user experience of players of existing spaces built by the Topological Media Lab. In addition to that I review other relevant ex-perimental interfaces, e.g. works by Myron Krueger and my own earlier piece Riviera in order to analyze their affective dynamics. Also, I review the different applications and programming paradigms involved in authoring such spaces (e.g. Real-time systems like Max/MSP/Jitter and EyeCon) and how to apply them in compliance with the design heuristics.