A Classification for User Embodiment in Collaborative Virtual Environments

The general goal of Collaborative Virtual Environments (CVEs) is to provide a space within which people may interact. CVEs are increasingly being used to support collaborative work between geographically separated participants. User embodiment is concerned with the provision of users with a representation of their choice so as to make others (and themselves) aware of their presence in a virtual space. The taxonomy presented in this paper details many of the existing networked virtual environments and examines the fundamental interaction interfaces which these systems provide. By initially discussing the features of communication which should be supported regardless of the medium available, the following investigation reveals an incomplete support for non-verbal communication cues over the range of the environments examined.