Looking Beyond the Screen

Non-verbal cues are essential in communication, and eye contact and gaze awareness are crucial components of these cues. However, video-based communication lacks many of these non-verbal cues. To address this issue, we have developed a low-cost prototype allowing natural eye contact during one-to-one video calls. In a study focused on telepresence in remote psychotherapy, we demonstrate that our prototype enhances the perception of genuine and realistic communication with higher physical and social presence compared to classical video meeting setups with the camera placed on the screen.