Abstract
It has been shown that an illusion of ownership over an artificial limb or even an entire body can be induced in people through multisensory stimulation providing evidence that the surrogate body is the person’s actual body. Such body ownership illusions have been shown to occur with virtual bodies, mannequins, as well as humanoid robots. In this study, we show the possibility of eliciting a full body ownership illusion over not one, but multiple artificial bodies concurrently. We demonstrate this by describing a system that allowed a participant to inhabit and fully control two different humanoid robots located in two distinct places and a virtual body in immersive virtual reality, using real-time full-body tracking and two-way audio communication, thereby giving them the illusion of ownership over each of them. We implemented this by allowing the participant be embodied in any one surrogate body at a given moment, and letting them instantaneously switch between them. While the participant was embodied in one of the bodies, a proxy system would track the locations currently unoccupied, and would control their remote representation in order to continue performing the tasks in those locations in a logical fashion. To test the efficacy of this system, an exploratory study was carried out with a fully functioning setup with three destinations and a simplified version of the proxy for use in a social interaction. The results indicate that the system was physically and psychologically comfortable, and was rated highly by participants in terms of usability. Additionally, feelings of body ownership illusion and agency were reported, which were not influenced by the robot type. The results provide us with clues regarding body ownership illusion with humanoid robots of different dimensions, along with insight about self-localization and multilocation.
Highlights
Is it possible to be in more than one place at the same time? According to second century philosopher Iamblichus, Pythagoras was reported to be in two different places separated by a large distance, seen having a discussion with his disciples in both places simultaneously (Iamblichus and Taylor, 1926)
Based on the responses to the question CopeTasks, the system was effective in giving participants the feeling that they could cope with the tasks regardless of the destination, and that they could accomplish the tasks (AccomplishTasks)
How much did you feel you were physically with the other people? How much did you feel you were in the places that were displayed? How much did you feel you were able to cope with the tasks? How much did you feel you were able to accomplish the tasks? Could you rate how physically comfortable you felt while inside the system? Could you rate how psychologically comfortable you felt while inside the system? How much would you use this system if you really had to be at 3 different places at the same time?
Summary
Is it possible to be in more than one place at the same time? According to second century philosopher Iamblichus, Pythagoras was reported to be in two different places separated by a large distance, seen having a discussion with his disciples in both places simultaneously (Iamblichus and Taylor, 1926). Multi-Destination Beaming been reported over the centuries as part of folklore, mysticism, and in various religious texts, with most examples considered to be miraculous or divine events. None of these alleged events have any scientific basis, since obviously one person being in multiple places simultaneously is physically impossible. Through the transformation of aspects of reality into the digital domain, it is possible to apparently violate the laws of physics – to be present in two (or more) different places at the same time and be able to interact with people and carry out tasks at all of them. Being in multiple locations simultaneously is physically impossible, it can be simulated partially by leveraging the concept of telepresence
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