Investigating the Main Characteristics of 3D Real Time Tele-Immersive Environments through the Example of a Computer Augmented Golf Platform Benjamin Poussard, Guillaume Loup, Olivier Christmann, Rémy Eynard, Marc Pallot, Simon Richir Arts et Métiers ParisTech, LAMPA 2 boulevard du Ronceray Angers, France +33 2 43 67 05 76 {firstname.lastname}@ensam.e u; marc.pallot@9online.fr Franck Hernoux Arts et Métiers ParisTech, LSIS- Equipe INSM 8 Boulevard Louis XIV Lille, France +33 2 20 62 22 10 franck.hernoux@ensam.eu Emilie Loup-Escande Université Rennes 2, CRPCC 1 Place du Recteur Henri Le Moal Rennes, France +33 2 23 22 58 79 emilie.loup-escande@uhb.fr ABSTRACT This paper aims to identify and define the characteristics of 3D Real Time Tele-Immersive Environments (RT-TIE), which is central to the 3D-LIVE European Research Project. A RT-TIE allows a “twilight space” which is a space where users can be physically and virtually present. The main characteristics of these kinds of environments are: the use of real time interactions and immersive technologies, high costs (in most of the cases), a design process oriented on end-users and a disruptive user experience. Finally, a list of guidelines based on literature is suggested for the design of an augmented golf platform that is implemented in the context of the 3D-LIVE project. Categories and Subject Descriptors H.5.1 [Information Interfaces and Presentation]: Multimedia Information Systems – artificial, augmented, and virtual realities. H.5.2 [Information Interfaces and Presentation]: User Interfaces – User-centered design, Input devices and strategy, Evaluation/methodology, Graphical user interfaces. H.5.3 [Information Interfaces and Presentation]: Group and Organization Interfaces – Web-based interaction. General Terms Design, Experimentation, Human Factors, Measurement, Performance, Theory, Reliability. Keywords Mixed Reality, Sport, Simulation, Interaction. 1. INTRODUCTION Many publications deal with virtual reality and augmented reality. However, there are other dimensions as outlined in the continuum of Milgram (Figure 1). This paper focuses on the concept of “Mixed Reality” (MR). Designing a MR environment specifically involves Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and Augmented Virtuality (AV) technologies. In other words, one could deduce that MR environments are necessarily in real time and tele- immersive for supporting interactions among users [22]. Figure 1. The reality-virtuality continuum by Milgram[1] The aim of this paper consists to identify the main characteristics of a Real Time Tele-Immersive MR Environment. This is done through the illustration of the 3D- LIVE European Research Project and especially the augmented golf use case. This project investigates and develops a Real- Time Tele-Immersive platform that is co-created with users and evaluated through the assessment of both Quality of Service (QoS) and Quality of Experience (QoE) [16]. This paper is organized as follows. The next section provides a definition of Real Time interaction and Tele-Immersive environment within Mixed Reality. The third section identifies several characteristics for designing systems based on these technologies. The fourth section describes the 3D-LIVE platform example in which the characteristics must be integrated. 2. DEFINITION OF REAL TIME TELE- IMMERSIVE (MR) ENVIRONMENT According to Milgram and colleagues [1], the term “mixed reality” refers to the creation of a space where users can be physically and virtually present while sharing interactions, emotions and experience. When the MR environment is located at the frontier between AV and AR [2], it becomes a “twilight space”, mimicking the frontier of either the dawn or the sunset, between night darkness and daylight and vice versa. A MR platform is composed of technologies capable of bringing virtual objects in the reality and real objects in the virtuality. A VR application is a computer simulation of real or imaginary environments that is interactive, immersive, visual, audible and / or haptic,. Its purpose is to propose to one or more person(s) a sensorimotor and cognitive activity in an artificial world, Permission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. Laval Virtual VRIC ’14, April 9-11, 2014, Laval, France. Copyright 2014 978-1-4503-2626-1...$10.00