Towards the Next Generation of Extended Reality Wearables

Abstract

Extended reality (XR) systems are among the most prominent interactive environments of today’s entertainment. These systems are often complemented by supportive wearables such as haptic gloves or full–body suits. However, applications are usually limited to tactile feedback and gestural controls while other strong parts of wearables such as the performative, social and interactive features are neglected. To investigate the ways of designing wearables for playful XR environments by drawing upon these strong parts, we conducted five participatory design workshops with 25 participants. Our study resulted in 14 design concepts that were synthesized into three design themes that include 9 sub-themes, namely Virtual Costumes, Modification of Bodily Perception and Social Bioadaptivity. The knowledge created extends the design space of XR wearables and opens new paths for designers and researchers to explore.