A Virtual Window On Media Space

The Virtual Window system uses head movements in a local office to control camera movement in a remote office. The result is like a window allowing exploration of remote scenes rather than a flat screen showing moving pictures. Our analysis of the system, experience implementing a prototype, and observations of people using it, combine to suggest that it may help overcome the limitations of typical media space configurations. In particular, it seems useful in offering an expanded field of view, reducing visual discontinuities, allowing mutual negotiation of orientation, providing depth information, and supporting camera awareness. The prototype we built is too large, noisy, slow and inaccurate for extended use, but it is valuable in opening a space of possibilities for the design of systems that allow richer access to remote colleagues.