Mixed Reality-based Collaborative Virtual Environments

The book "Mixed Reality-based Collaborative Virtual Environments" offers a comprehensive examination of the application of Mixed Reality (MR) in the fields of Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC). Despite extensive research in the area of Virtual Reality, the emerging technology of Mixed Reality, which combines virtual and real objects in a shared display, is rarely addressed in these disciplines. The work highlights the need for a structured methodology to address the suitability and usability of MR technologies. It covers the three essential development steps: specification, prototyping, and evaluation. The scientific contribution of the book lies in the development of a comprehensive multidimensional taxonomy for specifying MR technologies and their characteristics. Additionally, the concepts of Mixed Reality-based Collaborative Virtual Environments (MRCVE) are presented, including the successful development of prototypes in two identified application scenarios: the face-to-face scenario and the virtual space scenario. The evaluation of the prototypes focuses on validating benefits and usability.