Mixing and Matching: Instruction Conveyance for Collaborative Tasks Using Asymmetric Augmented Reality Setups

Augmented Reality (AR) applications can provide support to users with task instructions in-situ. Among different AR display types used for these applications, head-mounted displays (HMDs) and handheld displays (HHDs) are popular solutions. Previous research has examined asymmetrical setups, i.e., two or more people using different types of devices at the same time. However, asymmetrical setups for physical tasks that require collaboration have been little investigated. Our work implements dyadic assembly and sorting tasks supported by simultaneously using an HHD and an HMD. We conducted a user study (N=20) to evaluate this setup. Participants rated both displays’ usability similarly but showed a preference for HMD during both sorting and assembly tasks. While most participants agreed that they collaborated with their partners and the task was easier done in a team, less than half of HMD users in the sorting task agreed with the statement.