Real-world IoT enhanced spaces involve diverse proximity- and gesture-based interactions between users and IoT devices/objects. Prototyping such interactions benefits various applications like the conceptual design of ubicomp space. AR (Augmented Reality) prototyping provides a flexible way to achieve early-stage designs by overlaying digital contents on real objects or environments. However, existing AR prototyping approaches have focused on prototyping AR experiences or context-aware interactions from the first-person view instead of full-body proxemic and gestural (pro-ges for short) interactions of real users in the real world. In this work, we conducted interviews to figure out the challenges of prototyping pro-ges interactions in real-world IoT enhanced spaces. Based on the findings, we present ProGesAR, a mobile AR tool for prototyping pro-ges interactions of a subject in a real environment from a third-person view, and examining the prototyped interactions from both the first- and third- person views. Our interface supports the effects of virtual assets dynamically triggered by a single subject, with the triggering events based on four features: location, orientation, gesture, and distance. We conduct a preliminary study by inviting participants to prototype in a freeform manner using ProGesAR. The early-stage findings show that with ProGesAR, users can easily and quickly prototype their design ideas about pro-ges interactions.
https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/3491102.3517689
There is a growing focus on computational thinking (CT) in terms of supporting children's understanding of everyday technologies. But unlike other technologies, Augmented Reality (AR) has received limited attention. In this paper, we present ExposAR -- a collaborative cross-device AR system enabling children to create, use, and reflect on AR technologies through the co-creation of a simple AR application. With ExposAR, we explore three core design principles: 1) reify computational concepts, 2) support collaborative cross-device authoring, and 3) incorporate the user's own world. These principles were developed through a co-design process with teachers and evaluated with 46 primary school students. We found that the collaborative authoring process with ExposAR supported students in understanding AR concepts and challenged their perspectives on AR. With these results, we bring AR to the CT agenda and contribute novel design principles for exposing the underlying mechanisms and implications of AR.
https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/3491102.3517636
Performing with technology is a complex and challenging task. Artists who use novel technologies, such as Virtual Reality, have to develop strategies of monitoring, maintenance, and recovery from errors with as minimal impact on the ongoing performance as possible. In this paper we draw on two case studies of mixed reality performances and document strategies of Stage Managing VR Performance, Choreographing for Cables, Consistency & Charging, Improvising Interventions, and Priming Participants. We discuss how these practices expose areas ripe with potential for tool development, and how they can also be used to inform the design of interaction with other technologies, such as the Internet of Things.
https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/3491102.3502139
Flying dreams have the potential to evoke a feeling of empowerment (or self-efficacy, confidence in our ability to succeed) and self-transcendent experience (STE), which have been shown to contribute to an individual’s overall well-being. However, these exceptional dreaming experiences remain difficult to induce at will. Inspired by the potential of Virtual Reality (VR) to support profound emotional experiences, we explored if a VR flying interface with more embodied self-motion cues could contribute to the benefits associated with flying dreams (i.e., STE and empowerment). Our results indicated that a flying interface with more self-motion cues indeed better supported STE and empowerment. We derived several design considerations: obscurity, extraordinary light and supportive setting. Our results contribute to the discourse around design guidelines for self-transcendence and empowerment in VR, which may further be applied to the improvement of mental well-being.
https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/3491102.3517677