Four Papers & Best Paper Award at CHI 2024
We are very happy to announce that four papers, in which UMTL researchers have been involved, will be published at ACM CHI 2024 in Honolulu, Hawai'i, USA - and one of them was awarded the Best Paper Award!
Check out the research projects that range from sports technology, over VR illusions, to the preparation of human spaceflight missions to the Moon:
Beyond the Blink: Investigating Combined Saccadic & Blink-Suppressed Hand Redirection in Virtual Reality
André Zenner, Chiara Karr, Martin Feick, Oscar Ariza, Antonio Krüger
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1145/3613904.3642073
Abstract:
In pursuit of hand redirection techniques that are ever more tailored to human perception, we propose the first algorithm for hand redirection in virtual reality that makes use of saccades, i.e., fast ballistic eye movements that are accompanied by the perceptual phenomenon of change blindness. Our technique combines the previously proposed approaches of gradual hand warping and blink-suppressed hand redirection with the novel approach of saccadic redirection in one unified yet simple algorithm. We compare three variants of the proposed Saccadic & Blink-Suppressed Hand Redirection (SBHR) technique with the conventional approach to redirection in a psychophysical study (N=25). Our results highlight the great potential of our proposed technique for comfortable redirection by showing that SBHR allows for significantly greater magnitudes of unnoticeable redirection while being perceived as significantly less intrusive and less noticeable than commonly employed techniques that only use gradual hand warping.
The Impact of Avatar Completeness on Embodiment and the Detectability of Hand Redirection in Virtual Reality
Martin Feick, André Zenner, Simon Seibert, Anthony Tang (Singapore Management University), Antonio Krüger
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1145/3613904.3641933
Abstract:
To enhance interactions in VR, many techniques introduce offsets between the virtual and real-world position of users’ hands. Nevertheless, such hand redirection (HR) techniques are only effective as long as they go unnoticed by users—not disrupting the VR experience. While several studies consider how much unnoticeable redirection can be applied, these focus on mid-air floating hands that are disconnected from users’ bodies. Increasingly, VR avatars are embodied as being directly connected with the user’s body, which provide more visual cue anchoring, and may therefore reduce the unnoticeable redirection threshold. In this work, we studied more complete avatars and their effect on the sense of embodiment and the detectability of HR. We found that higher avatar completeness increases embodiment, and we provide evidence for the absence of practically relevant effects on the detectability of HR.
Best Paper Award:
Touching the Moon: Leveraging Passive Haptics, Embodiment and Presence for Operational Assessments in Virtual Reality
Florian Dufresne (Arts et Métiers Institute of Technology), Tommy Nilsson (European Space Agency), Geoffrey Gorisse (Arts et Métiers Institute of Technology), Enrico Guerra (University Duisburg-Essen), André Zenner, Olivier Christmann (Arts et Métiers Institute of Technology), Leonie Bensch (German Aerospace Center), Nikolai Anton Callus (European Space Agency), Aidan Cowley (European Space Agency)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1145/3613904.3642292
VIDEO COMING SOON
Abstract:
Space agencies are in the process of drawing up carefully thought-out Concepts of Operations (ConOps) for future human missions on the Moon. These are typically assessed and validated through costly and logistically demanding analogue field studies. While interactive simulations in Virtual Reality (VR) offer a comparatively cost-effective alternative, they have faced criticism for lacking the fidelity of real-world deployments. This paper explores the applicability of passive haptic interfaces in bridging the gap between simulated and real-world ConOps assessments. Leveraging passive haptic props (equipment mockup and astronaut gloves), we virtually recreated the Apollo 12 mission procedure and assessed it with experienced astronauts and other space experts. Quantitative and qualitative findings indicate that haptics increased presence and embodiment, thus improving perceived simulation fidelity and validity of user reflections. We conclude by discussing the potential role of passive haptic modalities in facilitating early-stage ConOps assessments for human endeavours on the Moon and beyond.
Grand Challenges in SportsHCI
Don Samitha Elvitigala (Monash University, Melbourne), Armağan Karahanoğlu (University of Twente, Enschede), Andrii Matviienko (KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm), Laia Turmo Vidal (Universidad Carlos III de Madrid), Dees Postma (University of Twente, Enschede), Michael D Jones (Brigham Young University, Provo), Maria F. Montoya (Monash University, Melbourne), Daniel Harrison (Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne), Lars Elbæk (University of Southern Denmark, Odense), Florian Daiber (DFKI, Saarland Informatics Campus, Saarbrücken), Lisa Anneke Burr (University of Salzburg), Rakesh Patibanda (Monash University, Melbourne), Paolo Buono (University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari), Perttu Hämäläinen (Aalto University, Espoo), Robby van Delden (University of Twente, Enschede), Professor Regina Bernhaupt (Eindhoven University of Technology), Dr. Xipei Ren (Beijing Institute of Technology), Vincent van Rheden (University of Salzburg), Fabio Zambetta (RMIT University, Melbourne), Elise van den Hoven (University of Technology Sydney, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven), Carine Lallemand (Eindhoven University of Technology, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette), Dennis Reidsma (University of Twente, Enschede), Florian ‘Floyd’ Mueller (Monash University, Melbourne)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1145/3613904.3642050
Abstract:
The field of Sports Human-Computer Interaction (SportsHCI) investigates interaction design to support a physically active human being. Despite growing interest and dissemination of SportsHCI literature over the past years, many publications still focus on solving specific problems in a given sport. We believe in the benefit of generating fundamental knowledge for SportsHCI more broadly to advance the field as a whole. To achieve this, we aim to identify the grand challenges in SportsHCI, which can help researchers and practitioners in developing a future research agenda. Hence, this paper presents a set of grand challenges identified in a five-day workshop with 22 experts who have previously researched, designed, and deployed SportsHCI systems. Addressing these challenges will drive transformative advancements in SportsHCI, fostering better athlete performance, athlete-coach relationships, spectator engagement, but also immersive experiences for recreational sports or exercise motivation, and ultimately, improve human well-being.