Dollhouse VR: A multi-view, multi-user collaborative design workspace with VR technology

This research addresses architecture-scale problem-solving involving the design of living or working spaces, such as architecture and floor plans. Such design systems require two different viewpoints: A small-scale internal view, i.e., a first-person view of the space to see local details as an occupant of the space, and a large-scale external view, i.e., a top-down view of the entire space to make global decisions when designing the space. Architects or designers need to switch between these two viewpoints to make various decisions, but this can be inefficient and time-consuming. We present a system to address the problem, which facilitates asymmetric collaboration between users requiring these different viewpoints. One group of users comprises the designers of the space, who observe and manipulate the space from a top-down view using a large tabletop interface. The other group of users represents occupants of the space, who observe and manipulate the space based on internal views using head-mounted displays (HMDs). The system also supports a set of interaction techniques to facilitate communication between these two user groups. Our system can be used for the design of various spaces, such as offices, restaurants, operating rooms, parks, and kindergartens.