Presence, Telepresence and Usability

Abstract

This chapter introduces the concept of presence and telepresence, as commonly used in different research areas and applications, noting the subtle differences in meaning when referred to a different media. The ambiguity of such terms stems from the contexts onto which they are applied, on one hand, and on the different discipline which is observing the effects (on humans, on programs, on robots); in fact many areas are involved in explaining, applying and evaluating how humans feel in a different place from the one they are really living. Psychologists and cognitive scientists refer to the consequences of “being elsewhere” through a variety of media (television, the web, and other technologies) whilst computer scientists try to provide “transportation”, generally through visual cues, so as to enable humans to perceive objects even if they are remotely placed. Finally, the chapter ends by recalling the recent concept of usability of information systems and showing its relevance for an effective implementation of telepresence in a recent project devoted to teleoperation.