CoBranchMR lets users branch an object into editable virtual copies, customize them independently, and then merge their work back into a shared object.
Abstract
We present CoBranchMR, a mixed reality (MR) system that enables distributed collaborators to work in parallel from different locations on the same digital representation of a physical object. CoBranchMR lets users branch an object into editable virtual copies, customize them independently, and then merge their work back into a shared object. When merging copies, the system displays potential conflicts on the object's surface and provides several resolution options. By adopting branch-and-merge workflows for embodied spatial collaboration, CoBranchMR introduces a new collaborative interaction model that supports parallel design, conflict resolution, and negotiation in remote creative work.
In this paper, the authors unpack one of the key promises of mixed reality (MR) – enabling distributed users to collaborate as if they were face-to-face, while each user’s interactions remain grounded in their physical reality. Decades of research have highlighted the expressive capabilities of MR, but the authors have...
Jens Emil Sloth Grønbæk, Adélaïde Genay, Andrew Irlitti et al.· Foundations and Trends® in H...· 0 citations
In today’s digital society, remote collaboration is increasingly desirable but also challenging. Virtual Reality (VR) offers a promising complement to traditional videoconferencing by presenting embodied avatars and shared 3D workspaces that can enhance social presence and spatial coordination. This paper investiga...
Virtual reality (VR) applications are often designed as episodic experiences, with limited support for persistence, longitudinal revisitation, and structured integration of interaction data across sessions. This paper presents a persistent multi-user VR garden architecture that combines snapshot-based state restoration...
Giovanni Giuliodori, Erica Santaguida, C. Evangelista et al.· Multimodal Technologies and...· 0 citations
Problem solving in complex domains requires approaches that encourage systems thinking, collaboration, and recognize multiple simultaneous solutions. Building from principles of General Systems Theory and existing problem structuring methods, we present a new method for supporting system partners working to address c...
Annika Voltan, K. Kells· Systems research and behavio...· 0 citations
Verbal communication emerged as an effective strategy for coordination among participants and the shared and dynamic visual representation supported spatial orientation and made collaborative actions, such as synchronizing movements or following gestures, more apparent.
Students in MIT’s Concourse program delve deeply into the human condition, debate challenging questions, and learn to develop judgment about issues that can’t be quantified.
Jennifer Neville did not want to go into computer science—but that’s exactly where she landed. Neville discusses the starts and stops that led to her professional sweet spot and her work identifying “surprising failures” making it hard for AI to handle complexity. The post What AI gets wrong and what failure teaches us appeared first on Microsoft Research.
MIT News · Artificial Intelligence· news.mit.eduSep 30, 2026
Able to defeat top-ranked human players and more efficient than other models, the new system could help decision-makers in military maneuvers or business negotiations.
