The Effects of Physical Context on Collaborator Placement in Augmented Reality Meetings

Everyday Augmented Reality (AR) holds great potential for transforming collaborative practices, but many aspects remain under-explored, particularly how local users position remote collaborators within their real, often cluttered, environments. We conducted two studies to explore collaborator avatar placement preferences in AR, examining the effects of various physical objects (chairs, box, tree). Participants preferred avatar placements that were more frontal due to their ergonomics and superior collaborator visibility, corresponding to locations where a real person would sit in a similar physical environment. Chairs invited placement, while the tree was avoided. Notably, the large and visually simple box elicited mixed reactions, being viewed alternately as an obstacle or a physical anchor for the avatars. These findings underscore the need for AR collaboration platform designs that balance realism with user-driven flexibility, ensuring that social layouts align with both physical contexts and user preferences.