Cubes in the cube: A comparison of a puzzle-solving task in a virtual and a real environment

In this study we compared collaboration on a puzzle-solving task carried ou t by two persons in a virtual and a real environment. The task, putting tog ether a cube consisting of different colored blocks in a "Rubiks" cube-type puzzle, was performed both in a shared virtual environment (VE) setting, u sing a Cave-type virtual reality (VR) system networked with a desktop VR sy stem, and with cardboard colored blocks in an equivalent real setting. The aims of the study were to investigate presence, co-presence, collaboration, leadership, and performance in the two settings. We found that the partici pants contributed unequally to the task in the VE, and also found differenc es in collaboration between the virtual and the real setting.