One Body, Four Minds: Virtual multi-person co-embodiment in a shared 3D body

<p xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" class="first" dir="auto" id="d4045990e58">Motion capture technology has become a powerful tool for exploring how people experience embodiment, offering unique ways to connect physical actions with real-time feedback of virtual representations. This paper introduces a novel approach: “Virtual Multi-Person Co-Embodiment”, where multiple individuals share control of a single 3D body or avatar. The proof of concept expands on previous research about collaboration within a shared virtual reality system and recent research on “virtual co-embodiment”. The experimental method used an inertial motion capture system, including a bodysuit, gloves, and facial capture gear. By distributing motion capture equipment among up to four people, in educational and creative settings, the study investigates how shared control of body parts affects embodiment, agency, and collaboration. A total of 138 people attended the methodology, 105 observers and 33 active participants. Preliminary observation shows a positive response as a collective experience enhancing social interaction and introducing challenges in reconciling partial control with a natural sense of agency. Future development will focus on different tasks, avatars, and non-human bodies to better understand and optimize this co-embodiment system. By studying how people experience virtual multi-person co-embodiment, this research provides insights into how collaborative control frameworks have great potential to leverage performance arts, education, team building, and applications in robotics.