Jan Gugenheimer

ShareVR: Enabling Co-Located Experiences for Virtual Reality between HMD and Non-HMD Users

Virtual reality (VR) head-mounted displays (HMD) allow for a highly immersive experience and are currently becoming part of the living room entertainment. Current VR systems focus mainly on increasing the immersion and enjoyment for the user wearing the HMD (HMD user), resulting in all the bystanders (Non-HMD users) being excluded from the experience. We propose ShareVR, a proof-of-concept prototype using floor projection and mobile displays in combination with positional tracking to visualize the virtual world for the Non-HMD user, enabling them to interact with the HMD user and become part of the VR experience. We designed and implemented ShareVR based on the insights of an initial online survey (n=48) with early adopters of VR HMDs. We ran a user study (n=16) comparing ShareVRto a baseline condition showing how the interaction using ShareVR led to an increase of enjoyment, presence and social interaction. In a last step we implemented several experiences for ShareVR, exploring its design space and giving insights for designers of co-located asymmetric VR experiences.

FaceTouch: Enabling Touch Interaction in Display Fixed UIs for Mobile Virtual Reality

We present FaceTouch, a novel interaction concept for mobile Virtual Reality (VR) head-mounted displays (HMDs) that leverages the backside as a touch-sensitive surface. With FaceTouch, the user can point at and select virtual content inside their field-of-view by touching the corresponding location at the backside of the HMD utilizing their sense of proprioception. This allows for rich interaction (e.g. gestures) in mobile and nomadic scenarios without having to carry additional accessories (e.g. a gamepad). We built a prototype of FaceTouch and conducted two user studies. In the first study we measured the precision of FaceTouch in a display-fixed target selection task using three different selection techniques showing a low error rate of 2% indicate the viability for everyday usage. To asses the impact of different mounting positions on the user performance we conducted a second study. We compared three mounting positions of the touchpad (face, hand and side) showing that mounting the touchpad at the back of the HMD resulted in a significantly lower error rate, lower selection time and higher usability. Finally, we present interaction techniques and three example applications that explore the FaceTouch design space.

GyroVR: Simulating Inertia in Virtual Reality using Head Worn Flywheels

We present GyroVR, head worn flywheels designed to render inertia in Virtual Reality (VR. Motions such as flying, diving or floating in outer space generate kinesthetic forces onto our body which impede movement and are currently not represented in VR. We simulate those kinesthetic forces by attaching flywheels to the users head, leveraging the gyroscopic effect of resistance when changing the spinning axis of rotation. GyroVR is an ungrounded, wireless and self contained device allowing the user to freely move inside the virtual environment. The generic shape allows to attach it to different positions on the users body. We evaluated the impact of GyroVR onto different mounting positions on the head (back and front) in terms of immersion, enjoyment and simulator sickness. Our results show, that attaching GyroVR onto the users head (front of the Head Mounted Display (HMD)) resulted in the highest level of immersion and enjoyment and therefore can be built into future VR HMDs, enabling kinesthetic forces in VR.

Glass Unlock: Enhancing Security of Smartphone Unlocking through Leveraging a Private Near-eye Display

This paper presents Glass Unlock, a novel concept using smart glasses for smartphone unlocking, which is theoretically secure against smudge attacks, shoulder-surfing, and camera attacks. By introducing an additional temporary secret like the layout of digits that is only shown on the private near-eye display, attackers cannot make sense of the observed input on the almost empty phone screen. We report a user study with three alternative input methods and compare them to current state-of-the-art systems. Our findings show that Glass Unlock only moderately increases authentication times and that users favor the input method yielding the slowest input times as it avoids focus switches between displays.

P.I.A.N.O.: enhancing instrument learning via interactive projected augmentation

P.I.A.N.O. aims to support learning to play piano with a steep learning curve. In order to achieve this, traditional, hard-to-learn music notation is substituted for an alternative representation of a composition, which is projected directly onto the piano. Furthermore, we propose three different learning modes which support the natural learning process, incorporate live feedback and performance evaluation, as well as the augmentation of the system with aspects of gamification to achieve early experiences of success and prolonged motivation.

P.I.A.N.O.: Faster Piano Learning with Interactive Projection

Learning to play the piano is a prolonged challenge for novices. It requires them to learn sheet music notation and its mapping to respective piano keys, together with articulation details. Smooth playing further requires correct finger postures. The result is a slow learning progress, often causing frustration and strain. To overcome these issues, we propose P.I.A.N.O., a piano learning system with interactive projection that facilitates a fast learning process. Note information in form of an enhanced piano roll notation is directly projected onto the instrument and allows mapping of notes to piano keys without prior sight-reading skills. Three learning modes support the natural learning process with live feedback and performance evaluation. We report the results of two user studies, which show that P.I.A.N.O. supports faster learning, requires significantly less cognitive load, provides better user experience, and increases perceived musical quality compared to sheet music notation and non-projected piano roll notation.

UbiBeam: An Interactive Projector-Camera System for Domestic Deployment

Previous research on projector-camera systems has focused for a long time on interaction inside a lab environment. Currently they are no insight on how people would interact and use such a device in their everyday lives. We conducted an in-situ user study by visiting 22 households and exploring specific use cases and ideas of portable projector-camera systems in a domestic environment. Using a grounded theory approach, we identified several categories such as interaction techniques, presentation space, placement and use cases. Based on our observations, we designed and implement UbiBeam, a domestically deployable projector-camera system. The system comprises a projector, a depth camera and two servomotors to transform every ordinary surface into a touch-sensitive information display.

ColorSnakes: Using Colored Decoys to Secure Authentication in Sensitive Contexts

In this paper we present ColorSnakes, a PIN-based authentication mechanism for smartphones which uses fake paths on a grid of numbers to disguise user input. In a lab study (n=24),we evaluated variations of ColorSnakes in terms of usability and security. In comparison to direct input, indirect input significantly reduced the risk of shoulder surfing (10.5%) without increasing the input time. In a follow up real-world study (n=12), we compared ColorSnakes with PIN entry and Androids Pattern Unlock over the course of three weeks. Although authentication time for ColorSnakes was higher than for the other two mechanisms, participants valued the security benefit over its slightly higher error rate and increased authentication time. We argue that ColorSnakes could be used as an additional authentication mechanism alongside current mechanisms, thus providing the user with the choice of changing to ColorSnakes for certain applications or when there is an observer.

CarVR: Enabling In-Car Virtual Reality Entertainment

Mobile virtual reality (VR) head-mounted displays (HMDs) allow users to experience highly immersive entertainment whilst being in a mobile scenario. Long commute times make casual gaming in public transports and cars a common occupation. However, VR HMDs can currently not be used in moving vehicles since the cars rotation affects the HMDs sensors and simulator sickness occurs when the visual and vestibular system are stimulated with incongruent information. We present CarVR, a solution to enable VR in moving vehicles by subtracting the cars rotation and mapping vehicular movements with the visual information. This allows the user to actually feel correct kinesthetic forces during the VR experience. In a user study (n = 21), we compared CarVR inside a moving vehicle with the baseline of using VR without vehicle movements. We show that the perceived kinesthetic forces caused by CarVR increase enjoyment and immersion significantly while simulator sickness is reduced compared to a stationary VR experience. Finally, we explore the design space of in-car VR entertainment applications using real kinesthetic forces and derive design considerations for practitioners.

Nomadic Virtual Reality: Exploring New Interaction Concepts for Mobile Virtual Reality Head-Mounted Displays

Technical progress and miniaturization enables virtual reality (VR) head-mounted displays (HMDs) now to be solely operated using a smartphone as a display, processing unit and sensor unit. These mobile VR HMDs (e.g. Samsung GearVR) allow for a whole new interaction scenario, where users can bring their HMD with them wherever they want and immerse themselves anytime at any place (nomadic VR). However, most of the early research on interaction with VR HMDs focused around stationary setups. My research revolves around enabling new forms of interaction for these nomadic VR scenarios. In my research I choose a user-centered design approach where I build research prototypes to solve potential problems of nomadic VR and evaluate those prototypes in user studies. I am going to present three prototypes revolving around current challenges of nomadic VR (input and feedback).