Human-Computer Interaction – INTERACT 2021

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1. Augmented Reality

   1. Frontmatter

   2. Acceptance of an AR-Based In-Store Shopping Advisor - the Impact of Psychological User Characteristics

      Jesús Omar Álvarez Márquez, Jürgen Ziegler

      Abstract

      We present a study on the acceptance of augmented reality-based product comparison and recommending in a physical store context. An online study was performed, in which a working prototype for head-mounted displays, developed in previous research, was used to showcase the concept. The survey included questionnaires to assess shopping behaviour, decision styles and propensity to adopt new technologies of the participants. A cluster analysis of these psychological traits reveals the existence of different types of customers, who also differ on their assessment of the system. While the technology adoption propensity index is the better predictor of the acceptance of an augmented reality shopping advisor, the results suggest that factors such as the user’s previous experience, a high experiential chronic shopping orientation, or an intuitive decision style have a significant impact on it as well. Thus, predicting user acceptance solely based on one of the investigated psychological traits may be unreliable, and studying them in conjunction can provide a more accurate estimation.

   3. Character Input in Augmented Reality: An Evaluation of Keyboard Position and Interaction Visualisation for Head-Mounted Displays

      Maite Frutos-Pascual, Clara Gale, Jake M. Harrison, Chris Creed, Ian Williams

      Abstract

      Character input in immersive environments is a non trivial task that has attracted much attention in recent years. This paper presents an evaluation of keyboard position, orientation and interaction together with the influence of visual interaction feedback in a controlled character input task with 27 participants in Augmented Reality (AR). It presents 5 different keyboard locations (3 bounded to the headset and 2 bounded to the non-dominant hand of the user) and 3 visual interaction feedback methods (finger raycast, fingertip glow and both combined). Objective (completion time, accuracy, Key per Minute (KPM)) and subjective (After Scenario Questionnaire (ASQ)) metrics are presented. Results showed that keyboard placement had an effect on accuracy, KPM metrics and subjective preference, with keyboard visualisation parallel and bounded to the headset position and orientation outperforming other keyboard locations.

   4. Co-watching 360-Films in Nursing Homes

      Anders Lundström, Sharon Ghebremikael, Ylva Fernaeus

      Abstract

      This work investigates experiences and practical aspects of co-located and co-watched 360-videos in head mounted displays by groups of older people at nursing homes. In a study involving 19 residents at two different nursing homes, co-watching screenings were arranged with 360-videos produced in the local area by filmmakers. Data was collected through non-participant observation and semi-structured interviews with the participants. Input from nurses and facilitators were also collected. We found this to be a much appreciated, feasible, and enjoyable immersive experience improving short-term well-being, expressed through (e.g.) new conversations, pride in participation, and spontaneous movements. However, the value of co-watching was mainly captured for residents who already knew each other, and we found limited indications of virtual co-presence. We further recognized the value of the videos themselves and the desire for new 360-video experiences. But also, a need for better headsets suitable for older people and shared use at nursing homes to avoid social isolation due to the introduction of VR technology.

   5. Exploring the Visual Space to Improve Depth Perception in Robot Teleoperation Using Augmented Reality: The Role of Distance and Target’s Pose in Time, Success, and Certainty

      Stephanie Arévalo Arboleda, Tim Dierks, Franziska Rücker, Jens Gerken

      Abstract

      Accurate depth perception in co-located teleoperation has the potential to improve task performance in manipulation and grasping tasks. We thus explore the operator’s visual space and design visual cues using augmented reality. Our goal is to facilitate the positioning of the gripper above a target object before attempting to grasp it. The designs we propose include a virtual circle (Circle), virtual extensions (Extensions) from the gripper’s fingers, and a color matching design using a real colormap with matching colored virtual circles (Colors). We conducted an experiment to evaluate these designs and the influence of distance from the operator to the workspace and the target object’s pose. We report on time, success, and perceived certainty in a grasping task. Our results show that a shorter distance leads to higher success, faster grasping time, and higher certainty. Concerning the target object’s pose, a clear pose leads to higher success and certainty but interestingly slower task times. Regarding the design of cues, our results reveal that the simplicity of the Circle cue leads to the highest success and outperforms the most complex cue Colors also for task time, while the level of certainty seems to be depending more on the distance than the type of cue. We consider that our results can serve as an initial analysis to further explore these factors both when designing to improve depth perception and within the context of co-located teleoperation.

   6. Looking for Info: Evaluation of Gaze Based Information Retrieval in Augmented Reality

      Robin Piening, Ken Pfeuffer, Augusto Esteves, Tim Mittermeier, Sarah Prange, Philippe Schröder, Florian Alt

      Abstract

      This paper presents the results of an empirical study and a real-world deployment of a gaze-adaptive UI for Augmented Reality (AR). AR introduces an attention dilemma between focusing on the reality vs. on AR content. Past work suggested eye gaze as a technique to open information interfaces, however there is only little empirical work. We present an empirical study comparing gaze-adaptive to an always-on interface in tasks that vary focus between reality and virtual content. Across tasks, we find most participants prefer the gaze-adaptive UI and find it less distracting. When focusing on reality, the gaze UI is faster, perceived as easier and more intuitive. When focusing on virtual content, always-on is faster but user preferences are split. We conclude with the design and deployment of an interactive application in a public museum, demonstrating the promising potential in the real world.

   7. On the Use of Handheld Augmented Reality for Inventory Tasks: A Study with Magazine Retailers

      Peter Mitts, Henrique Galvan Debarba

      Abstract

      In this paper we investigate if handheld augmented reality, in the form of an application running on a mainstream smartphone, can serve as a practical and effective tool for inventory tasks. Taking magazine retail as an example, we have applied a user-centered design process to research, design, implement and evaluate a handheld AR application prototype. We conducted a qualitative user study at magazine retail stores, where staff responsible for magazines were interviewed (\(n=8\)) and their primary magazine handling tasks observed. After an analysis of the study findings, we selected a key task as the basis for the design, implementation and test of an AR app prototype. The task consisted of collecting and registering a list of magazines for return to the distributor. We evaluated the AR app prototype in a user study (\(n=22\)), where participants used it to perform the selected task. They also performed the task using the paper list currently in use, and a second, simplified app prototype, without AR features. Task performance was measured based on time and error rate. The participant’s subjective experience was also captured in the form of a post-task survey and interview. Our findings suggest that handheld AR can prove effective when used for specific, focused tasks, rather than more open-ended ones.

   8. Placement of Teleported Co-users in AR

      Jens Reinhardt, Marco Kurzweg, Katrin Wolf

      Abstract

      Teleportation and conversations with virtual representations of remote people have been made possible by recent developments in augmented reality (AR) technology. This paper aims at understanding how such AR telecommunication systems should be implemented by asking where to display 3D scans of potential remote users. As the perfect interaction design solution may be different while walking versus while staying in one place, we conducted a user study comparing both. We also varied the placement of the remote user in the co-user’s field of view (FoV) and where the coordinate system in which the 3D scan is visualized has its origin. We found that remote users we talk to should, in general, be visualized in AR in front of us, but in situations in which the physical world requires attention a visualization in the periphery is better. Re-placing the co-user through gestures is not desired, but the ability to look away from them should be supported, which strongly supports placing virtual co-users in AR relatively to the user’s body.

   9. Projection Grid Cues: An Efficient Way to Perceive the Depths of Underground Objects in Augmented Reality

      Cindy Becher, Sébastien Bottecchia, Pascal Desbarats

      Abstract

      Augmented Reality is increasingly used for visualizing underground networks. However, standard visual cues for depth perception have never been thoroughly evaluated via user experiments in a context involving physical occlusions (e.g., ground) of virtual objects (e.g., elements of a buried network). We therefore evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of two techniques based on combinations of two well-known depth cues: grid and shadow anchors. More specifically, we explore how each combination contributes to positioning and depth perception. We demonstrate that when using shadow anchors alone or shadow anchors combined with a grid, users generate 2.7 times fewer errors and have a 2.5 times lower perceived workload than when only a grid or no visual cues are used. Our investigation shows that these two techniques are effective for visualizing underground objects. We also recommend the use of one technique or another depending on the situation.

   10. Simplifying Robot Programming Using Augmented Reality and End-User Development

       Enes Yigitbas, Ivan Jovanovikj, Gregor Engels

       Abstract

       Robots are widespread across diverse application contexts. Teaching robots to perform tasks, in their respective contexts, demands a high domain and programming expertise. However, robot programming faces high entry barriers due to the complexity of robot programming itself. Even for experts robot programming is a cumbersome and error-prone task where faulty robot programs can be created, causing damage when being executed on a real robot. To simplify the process of robot programming, we combine Augmented Reality (AR) with principles of end-user development. By combining them, the real environment is extended with useful virtual artifacts that can enable experts as well as non-professionals to perform complex robot programming tasks. Therefore, Simple Programming Environment in Augmented Reality with Enhanced Debugging (SPEARED) was developed as a prototype for an AR-assisted robot programming environment. SPEARED makes use of AR to project a robot as well as a programming environment onto the target working space. To evaluate our approach, expert interviews with domain experts from the area of industrial automation, robotics, and AR were performed. The experts agreed that SPEARED has the potential to enrich and ease current robot programming processes.

2. Computer Supported Cooperative Work

   1. Frontmatter

   2. “WhatsApp in Politics?!”: Collaborative Tools Shifting Boundaries

      • Open Access

      Himanshu Verma, Jakub Mlynář, Camille Pellaton, Matteo Theler, Antoine Widmer, Florian Evéquoz

      Abstract

      We examine the technological aspects of political collaborative practices in one of the first studies of participatory constitution writing in the course of its progression. In particular, we examine how digital collaborative and communicative tools can facilitate (or inhibit) the permeation of boundaries, which manifest through the differences in political ideologies and partisan beliefs. Our study is grounded in interviews with 15 members of the Constituent Assembly in the canton of Valais, Switzerland, and its primary contribution is in constructing a fine-grained contextualized understanding of political collaborations, their evolution, and their relationship with collaborative tools. Our findings demonstrate the centrality of versatile and widely available digital tools (such as WhatsApp and Google Docs) in political work. In addition, elected lawmakers prefer tools that allow them to organize their collaborative and communicative actions based on dynamic social boundaries, and their need for asynchronous work practices. We observed a tendency of simultaneously using multiple digital tools to accomplish specific political objectives, and leveraging them in plenary sessions for strategic advantages. On the one hand, collaborative tools enabled strategic advantages by selective permeation of boundaries across political ideologies. On the other hand, lack of awareness about boundaries between ‘private’ and ‘public’ on social networks were considered as privacy blind spots. By focusing on boundaries of different kinds, our paper elucidates how the introduction of digital technologies into political process transforms the long-established categories, distinctions and divisions that are often taken for granted.

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   3. Designing Cyber-Physical Production Systems for Industrial Set-Up: A Practice-Centred Approach

      Aparecido Fabiano Pinatti de Carvalho, Sven Hoffmann, Darwin Abele, Marcus Schweitzer, Volker Wulf

      Abstract

      Industrial set-up has long been a focus of scientific research, largely because it entails substantial cost overhead for manufacturing companies. Whilst various efforts have been made to optimise this process, mainly in terms of time and other resources needed to accomplish it, to date little can be found in the HCI literature about how digital technologies can support workers who engage in it. This article sets out to addresses this gap in the literature by introducing a design case study carried out for the conception of a CPPS (Cyber-physical Production System) to support machine operators with industrial set-up. Our contribution is therefore threefold: first, we describe and discuss the results of an in-depth ethnographic study, carried out under the premises of the grounded design research paradigm, to uncover practices of machine operators to inform design. Second, we introduce a series of design implications drawn from those results. Finally, we demonstrate how those design implications have informed the participatory design activities pursued for the conception of the CPPS in question. In so doing, we advance the state of the art on the design of digital technologies to support people working with industrial set-up and open new research directions on the subject.

   4. Me-to-We Design: How Can a Makerspace Nurture the Building of a Collaborative Community?

      Árni Már Einarsson, Morten Hertzum

      Abstract

      Makerspaces provide communal access to resources such as 3D printers, laser cutters, electronics equipment, and sewing machines. This way, makerspaces aspire to facilitate their users – the so-called makers – in acquiring craft skills, creating products, learning about technology, and meeting other makers. The collaborative qualities of the makerspace community are key to this aspiration. Yet, just like many non-makerspace initiatives, makerspaces often struggle to foster and sustain a collaborative community. In this study, we use the model of me-to-we design to analyze a makerspace that has succeeded in nurturing a collaborative community. We disentangle the makerspace activities into the five stages of the model and, on that basis, arrive at six principles for nurturing collaborative makerspace communities: (1) accept diverse entry and end points, (2) plan for transitions, (3) help makers devise meaningful projects, (4) encourage sharing and lightweight documentation, (5) collaborate toward communal goals, and (6) attend to the social.

   5. Study Marbles: A Wearable Light for Online Collaborative Learning in Video Meetings

      Yanhong Li, Bill Bapisch, Jenny Phu, Thomas Weber, Heinrich Hußmann

      Abstract

      Video meetings gained popularity for remote communication, both for work and education. As a result, collaborative online learning has become increasingly widespread. However, it is a challenge to make students feel engaged and connected during video meetings. In this study, we addressed this problem with a prototype for a wearable user interface called Study Marbles. It aimed to create a more social and active sense of remote, collaborative learning in video conferences. Our device is a tangible necklace with attachable, illuminated marbles that can be worn during video meetings. It could visualize students’ learning status, moderate group discussions, and enable voting. The user study showed that participants perceived our prototype as a good way to create a more active and connected environment and to improve the interaction between group members in video conferences.

   6. Supporting Interaction in a Virtual Chorus: Results from a Focus Group

      Rita Francese, Patrizia Bruno, Genoveffa Tortora

      Abstract

      To get effective participation in a virtual chorus is particularly difficult because there is the need of artificially creating that common sense of union among all the group members. This paper aims at understanding how technology may enhance virtual chorus members’ interaction through a focus group involving three chorus masters with experience in conducting virtual chorus. We used the Thematic Analysis Template (TAT) for planning and analyzing the results. Results revealed that three types of interaction modalities have been employed: asynchronous audio/Video multi tracking recording grouping the participant single tracks, synchronous teleconferencing with one participant speaking, and social gaming. These activities are surrogates of F2F choir rehearsals because present technology is not adequate for real synchronous interaction. While waiting for connection empowerment, participants expressed their needs for enhancing present videoconferencing tools, including simultaneous recording of participants in an individual way and integration of the various environments.

3. Backmatter