A Multidimensional Assessment of Embodied Interaction in Large-Scale Full-Body Interactive Environments

As Mixed Reality (MR) systems evolve toward richer, full-body interactive experiences, understanding how spatial configurations shape user behavior becomes essential for designing usable, engaging, and cognitively coherent environments. This paper presents the design and evaluation of three MR mini-games developed to investigate key embodied interaction properties: (1) territoriality and social distance, (2) proprioception and kinaesthesia, and (3) navigation and wayfinding. Implemented across four differently scaled MR footprints, the games were tested with participants from three age groups, children, adolescents, and young adults, to assess how interaction space size influences bodily coordination, spatial negotiation, and social behavior. Using a multimodal analysis approach, we analyze behavioral patterns that emerge at different scales, revealing how users' interaction strategies change based on space. Our findings contribute to the human-centered design of MR systems by offering a behavioral lens on how scale influences user experience, embodiment, and interaction quality. The study informs future applications in education, social interaction, and rehabilitation, where adaptive MR design is critical for inclusive and effective engagement.