Parallel Ping-Pong: Demonstrating Parallel Interaction through Multiple Bodies by a Single User

Abstract

We explore a “Parallel Interaction”, where a user controls several bodies concurrently. To demonstrate this type of interaction we developed “Parallel Ping-Pong”. The user plays ping-pong by controlling 2 robot arms with a Virtual Reality (VR) controller, and while looking from the viewpoint of one of the 2 robot arms with a Head Mounted Display (HMD). The HMD view switches between the 2 robot arms’ viewpoints according to the ping-pong ball position and direction. To keep the sense of agency over the robot arms (hindered by the system latency), the robot arms calculate the balls’ paths and position themselves to hit the balls back; all while integrating the controller motion. Throughout this demonstration, we investigate a real-life design of Parallel Interaction with multiple bodies by a single user.