MemoryPods: Enhancing Asynchronous Communication in Extended Reality

Asynchronous communication has become increasingly essential in the context of extended reality (XR), enabling users to interact and share information immersively without the constraints of simultaneous engagement. However, current XR systems often struggle to support effective asynchronous interactions, mainly due to limitations in contextual replay and navigation. This paper aims to address these limitations by introducing a novel system that enhances asynchronous communication in XR through the concept of MemoryPods, which allow users to record, annotate, and replay interactions with spatial and temporal accuracy. MemoryPods also feature AI-driven summarisation to ease cognitive load. A user evaluation conducted in a remote maintenance scenario demonstrated significant improvements in comprehension, highlighting the system's potential to transform collaboration in XR. The findings suggest broad applicability of the proposed system across various domains, including direct messaging, healthcare, education, remote collaboration, and training, offering a promising solution to the complexities of asynchronous communication in immersive environments.