Space Echo 2.0: Exploring Social Interaction Through Communication Barriers in VR

Space Echo 2.0 is an experimental media art project that introduces deliberate disruptions into avatar interactions within a multiplayer virtual reality (VR) environment (see Figure 1).These interruptions are designed to prompt reflection on the nature of genuine communication while offering novel, paradoxical conversational experiences.Drawing on a range of influences-from social VR platforms [Maloney et al. 2020] and experimental game design [Soderman 2021] to psychological research [Eisenberger et al. 2003], mythological narratives, and Bertolt Brecht's theatrical theory [Brecht 1960]-the project uses intentional communicative disruption as a lens through which to reconsider connection.Set within a dreamlike, symbolic virtual stage shared by two participants, the experience centers on the Reverse Jetpack, a core mechanic that moves an avatar in the opposite direction of their gaze each time they speak.The more participants attempt to communicate verbally, the more physical distance is created between them.This enforced separation paradoxically fosters emotional intimacy, highlighting the tension between the desire for connection and its inevitable distortion.Scattered throughout the environment are AI-generated images and audio fragments.As users approach these elements, whispered, looped narratives are triggered, offering a sensory encounter with miscommunication, repetition, and distortion themes.