Using physical objects to enable enriched video communication

This paper describes an exploratory concept for how video communication can address the potential collaboration opportunities (and challenges) that arise with an emerging networked society in which the "material" to be used in the collaboration no longer is restrained to simple presentations, but can include services, Internet enabled objects, and many other types of systems and features. The concept illustrates how tangible objects can be utilized as props for the interaction and collaboration, and as access points to services, functionality and information. The findings from a qualitative user study suggest that this contributes to creating a form of collaboration in which technology is less visible and the actual meeting between humans becomes more significant. The user study also showed the importance of security and trust for such a system to work.