Shanyang Zhao identifies copresence as ´consisting of two dimensions: copresence as mode of being with others, and copresence as sense of being with others.´ (Zhao, 2003: 45) Whereas copresence as a mode of being is a social concept (that also applies for theatre), the sense of copresence displays the ´sense of being together with others in a mediated - either remote or virtual - environment.´ (ibid.: 445). In relation to notions of presence in computer science this means, that ´whereas presence primarily deals with human-object relations, copresence pertains only to human-human relations.´ (ibid.: 445, emphasis added)

The researcher characterises ´human copresence as consisting of both the physical conditions in which human individuals interact and the perceptions and feelings they have of one another. Whereas the physical conditions constitute the mode of copresence, perceptions and feelings constitute the sense of copresence.´ (ibid.: 446). Therefore, it is the ´knowledge of how the mode of copresence affects the sense of copresence (that) will be particularly useful for copresence design´ (ibid.: 446) in computer science.

Zhao develops a taxonomy of copresence. Here, corporeal copresence means the human-human interaction happens ´in each other´s physical proximity´ (ibid.: 447), whereas in corporeal telecopresence the interactors ´are present in person at their local sites, but (…) in each other’s electronic proximity rather than physical proximity.´ (ibid.: 447) Furthermore, virtual copresence means ´physical proximity, but one is present in person at the site and the other is present through a physical representation. (…) Interactive physical representations of human individuals are also called social robots, which can be divided into instrumental and communicative subtypes.´ (ibid.: 448) An example for an instrumental social robot could be a Bank ATM, in contrast to communicative subtype, such as Aibo, a robotic dog, (see ibid.: 448) that is ´designed to trigger human emotions with facial expressions, gaze direction, and voice´ (ibid.: 448). Hypervirtual copresence requires both participants being ´virtually present at the site through physical representations that are positioned in each other’s physical proximity. Serving as the surrogates for humans, robotic devices interact with each other in close range on behalf of the individuals they represent.´ (ibid.: 449). Finally, hypervirtual telecopresence is the idea of both individuals ´virtually present (…) through digital representations (…). These digital robots or software bots interact with each other in cyberspace on behalf of the individuals they represent.´ (ibid.: 449)

JULIA GLESNER

`The physical copresence between performers and spectators is still credited to be the defining criteria for all historically and culturally contingent forms of theatre.´ (Glesner, 2002)

References