DocuBits: VR Document Decomposition for Procedural Task Completion

TL;DR

DocuBits tackles the challenge of reading long procedural documents in VR by fragmenting text into interactive, spatially anchored bits that users can create, place, and monitor in a multi-user environment. The approach is instantiated through four interactions (Doc to Bits, Tag Along and Stick, Progress Animation, Assignment) and implemented in Unity with Photon networking for VR collaboration. Two user studies—one with a single user and another with pairs—show that DocuBits reduces cognitive workload, enhances usability and preference, and improves collaborative presence and task sharing, with significant effects in several measures ($p < 0.001$ in key results). The work demonstrates that text-based, spatialized instructions can improve VR procedural training and informs future extensions to MR/AR and automated assessment pipelines.

Abstract

Reading monolithic instructional documents in VR is often challenging, especially when tasks are collaborative. Here we present DocuBits, a novel method for transforming monolithic documents into small, interactive instructional elements. Our approach allows users to:(i) create instructional elements (ii) position them within VR and (iii) use them to monitor and share progress in a multi-user VR learning environment. We describe our design methodology as well as two user studies evaluating how both individual users and pairs of users interact with DocuBits compared to monolithic documents while performing a chemistry lab task. Our analysis shows that, for both studies, DocuBits had substantially higher usability, while decreasing perceived workload (p < 0.001$. Our collaborative study showed that participants perceived higher social presence, collaborator awareness as well as immersion and presence (p < 0.001). We discuss our insights for using text-based instructions to support enhanced collaboration in VR environments.

Figures (6)

• Figure 1: Our method for creating Doc to Bits. (a) The initial monolithic document appears, and users can either (b) create DocuBits with pre-defined numbered steps or (c) customize DocuBits by highlighting and releasing words.
• Figure 2: DocuBits are interactive text elements that maintain and display the status: (a) Users can select a status such as: (b) task attempted but not successfully completed, (c) task in progress, or (d) task successfully completed. When a DocuBit is still in progress, a clone of a DocuBit will tag along with the user as in (c). Depicted in (d) is the animation of a complete DocuBit floating upwards.
• Figure 3: Users can allocate ownership of the DocuBits between multiple users by either (a) selecting pre-defined steps or (b) highlighting words.
• Figure 4: Users can change the ownership of an incomplete DocuBit by (a) selecting them and (b) the DocuBit will be stacked to the new owner's DocuBits.
• Figure 5: A top-down view of the virtual chemistry lab, with task locations color-coded: Lab 1 in yellow and Lab 2 in blue.