Groupnect: Integrating group interaction into large display system

Large display systems have been successfully applied in virtual reality domains because they can provide full sense of immersion through large visual space and high display resolution. However, only a few users can interact with these systems by using pen-like or marker-based devices. In addition, user experience and application mode are constrained in many areas. In this paper, we propose a novel application framework called “Groupnect”, which gives users unique experience of group interaction in a large display system. By using optical tracking and 3D gesture recognition technologies, our approach can automatically recognize gesture-based control signals for 12 users simultaneously, and the backend system can trigger corresponding actions in real time. We conduct a user study and compare the results with a standard interaction mode. The results demonstrate that our approach greatly increases recorded objective activities and subjective efforts. Moreover, the physical and mental participation of users can be promoted by Groupnect. It indicates great potential to design novel applications in entertainment, education and training areas.