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Exploring Video Streaming in Public Settings: Shared Geocaching Over Distance Using Mobile Video Chat Jason Procyk1, Carman Neustaedter1, Carolyn Pang1, Anthony Tang2, and Tejinder K. Judge3 Simon Fraser University1 University of Calgary2 Google Inc. 3 250-13450 102nd Avenue 2500 University Drive NW 1900 Charleston Rd Surrey, BC, Canada Calgary, AB, Canada Mountain View, CA, USA [first_secondname]@sfu.ca [email protected] [email protected] ABSTRACT to such experiences. We were particularly interested in Our research explores the use of mobile video chat in public parallel experiences: situations where both the local and spaces by people participating in parallel experiences, remote family member or friend were doing the same where both a local and remote person are doing the same activity in parallel together, rather than one person activity together at the same time. We prototyped a passively watching the activity from home. This reflects wearable video chat experience and had pairs of friends and many situations in life where co-located people go out and family members participate in ‘shared geocaching’ over do an activity, in parallel, together (e.g., walking, running, distance. Our results show that video streaming works best playing sports, site-seeing). In these situations, people may for navigation tasks but is more challenging to use for fine- not be actively doing the exact same thing together, but grained searching tasks. Video streaming also creates a very they are in essence participating in the same general activity intimate experience with a remote partner, but this can lead at the same time and in the same location (e.g., similar to to distraction from the ‘real world’ and even safety parallel play amongst children [34]). concerns. Overall, privacy concerns with streaming from a public space were not typically an issue; however, people To explore this scenario, we used commercial software and tended to rely on assumptions of what were acceptable. The hardware along with a wearable component to create a implications are that designers should consider appropriate technology probe [17] that provides two-way video feedback, user disembodiment, and asymmetry when exchange via a smartphone and head-mounted mobile designing for parallel experiences. camera. We then conducted a study of the GPS-based treasure hunt game of geocaching where we augmented the ACM Classification Keywords activity to make it a parallel experience over distance. We H.5.3 [Information interfaces and presentation]: Group and selected geocaching as our focal activity for a number of Organization Interfaces - Computer Supported Cooperative reasons. First, geocaching includes walking or hiking, Work which are activities with relatively low physical thresholds where people often converse during the activity. Thus, it is Author Keywords a social activity. Second, geocaching includes navigation Shared experiences; video communication; Geocaching and looking for specific items. This requires individual INTRODUCTION efforts and can also include tightly coupled collaboration. With the proliferation of smartphones and mobile video Thus, geocaching contains acts that would be found in other streaming technologies (e.g., Google Glass), we will soon outdoor activities like sightseeing or those involving see an increasing amount of usage of mobile video wayfinding. Third, geocaching can be done in a variety of streaming and mobile video chat from public settings. Yet areas. In urban settings, video is being used in a public area this is a largely unchartered territory where we do not yet with the risk of privacy concerns. This generalizes to future know how people will react to and use such technologies. settings where one may be able to easily record or broadcast public scenes through wearable devices. Our overarching research goal was to understand how mobile video communication systems could support the In our study, two people geocached in different locations sharing of everyday outdoor activities between people who where each hunted for his/her own geocaches but could see were geographically separated and how people would react the other person’s view and converse via an audio link. Thus, people could help each other out as needed, or simply ‘be together’ while doing the activity. The goal of our study Permission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed was to understand how the audio and video links supported for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation the activity, the technical or social challenges that existed, on the first page. Copyrights for components of this work owned by others than ACM must be honored. Abstracting with credit is permitted. To copy otherwise, or and the broader implications of using video streaming in republish, to post on servers or to redistribute to lists, requires prior specific public settings. Our results show that video streaming permission and/or a fee. Request permissions from [email protected]. supported navigation tasks in ‘shared geocaching’ but it CHI 2014, April 26–May 1, 2014, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Copyright © 2014 ACM 978-1-4503-2473-1/14/04...$15.00. was challenging to use the video feed for fine-grained Add the DOI string/url from ACM e-form confirmation here. searching activities. We also found our technology probe Mobile Vision Mixer allows film directors to view and created a ‘micro’ shared experience between two people combine multiple mobile video streams [10]. where they were somewhat detached from the rest of the Commercial video chat systems such as Google+ Hangouts environment around them. Most participants saw this as a and Skype are available on mobile devices and can be used positive experience; however, it did create safety concerns. to share the types of outdoor activities that we are Video streaming in public areas was generally seen as being investigating. Yet we have not seen published studies of acceptable, yet this was often based on assumptions of what how people utilize these technologies in an outdoor context. was permitted in an area. Given these results, designers The closest known activity is the online documented use of should consider appropriate feedback mechanisms, remote Google+ Hangouts for “Virtual Photo Walks” [31] where a user disembodiment, and asymmetric participation. person shares video of an experience with people who are RELATED WORK unable to leave their home (e.g., on bed-rest). Again, our Video Chat with Family and Friends research focuses on parallel experiences. Video chat is a technology that has rapidly proliferated in Designing for Shared Physical Activities usage in the home for connecting family and friends over Researchers have also explored how technology can distance and many find it extremely valuable for encourage shared physical activities with others. Consolvo maintaining relationships and feeling close to one another et al. [8] conducted a study of a shared step counting system [1,13,22]. Studies have uncovered varied ways family and found that people valued social support and members use existing video chat systems including sharing encouragement from friends. Mueller et al. [20] designed a conversations as well as more detailed activities and shared shared soccer game over video for distance-separated experiences [4,13]. For example, grandparents and friends. People enjoyed the social atmosphere of playing grandchildren share play times together [13], couples with a remote person. Stanley et al. [29] designed a GPS- connect their homes to virtually “live together” [22], based game where parents created walking routes for their teenagers do homework together, [5] and children share children to follow at a later point; thus, the focus was on playtime together [34]. Most closely related to our study, asynchronous and not synchronous shared experiences. O’Hara et al. [26] conducted a study of mobile video telephony that showed that people used mobile video chat O’Brien and Mueller [24] explored social jogging and in public places (such as while commuting on public found that a key problem was finding a jogging partner with transit) to talk with friends or family. In these situations, the same pace and same start location. They also learned privacy challenges emerged when bystanders could that most people liked to converse while jogging rather than potentially see the video display or when they were being compete with a running partner. People jog with others so captured on video. Mobile devices were also found to be they are motivated to run faster, have more fun, and awkward to hold for long video calls. actually go on a jog. Following this study, they designed the Jogging Over a Distance prototype [18,19] that allows two Video Chat Prototypes joggers who are geographically separated to jog together. We also see new uses of video chat with research The technology transmits spatial audio to provide a sense of prototypes that present ‘always-on’ portals [15], shared the remote jogging partner’s location (same pace, ahead, desktop or table spaces for interaction [33], and video behind). We build on this research by exploring video’s embedded tangible objects like storybooks [27]. More role in parallel experiences, in addition to audio. specific to our focus, there are also video chat prototypes for sharing mobile experiences. For example, Peek-A-Boo Geocaching [21] supported a video link between a smartphone and an Geocaching is a GPS-based treasure hunt where players in-home picture frame with the goal of sharing outdoor search for hidden containers that include a logbook to sign activities (e.g., child soccer games) with a grandparent at one’s initials. Forestry studies have highlighted the home. Experiences2Go [12] also provided a live-video feed motivations people have for geocaching [7] and the need between a mobile device and an in-home display. A study for preserving the environment while still allowing people showed that adults like to converse during shared activities.

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