Judith Amores

Social Textiles: Social Affordances and Icebreaking Interactions Through Wearable Social Messaging

Wearable commodities are able to extend beyond the temporal span of a particular community event, offering omnipresent vehicles for producing icebreaking interaction opportunities. We introduce a novel platform, which generates social affordances to facilitate community organizers in aggregating social interaction among unacquainted, collocated members beyond initial hosted gatherings. To support these efforts, we present functional work-in-progress prototypes for Social Textiles, wearable computing textiles which enable social messaging and peripheral social awareness on non-emissive digitally linked shirts. The shirts serve as catalysts for different social depths as they reveal common interests (mediated by community organizers), based on the physical proximity of users. We provide 3 key scenarios, which demonstrate the user experience envisioned with our system. We present a conceptual framework, which shows how different community organizers across domains such as universities, brand communities and digital self-organized communities can benefit from our technology.

ShowMe: A Remote Collaboration System that Supports Immersive Gestural Communication

ShowMe is an immersive mobile collaboration system that allows a remote user to communicate with a peer using video, audio and hand gestures. We explore the use of a Head Mounted Display and depth camera to create a system that (1) enables a remote user to be immersed in another users first-persons point of view and (2) offers a new way for the remote expert to provide guidance through three dimensional hand gestures and voice. Using ShowMe both users are present in the same physical environment and can perceive real-time communication from one another in the form of 2-handed gestures and voice.

Essence: Olfactory Interfaces for Unconscious Influence of Mood and Cognitive Performance

The sense of smell is perhaps the most pervasive of all senses, but it is also one of the least understood and least exploited in HCI. We present Essence, the first olfactory computational necklace that can be remotely controlled through a smartphone and can vary the intensity and frequency of the released scent based on biometric or contextual data. This paper discusses the role of smell in designing pervasive systems that affect ones mood and cognitive performance while being asleep or awake. We present a set of applications for this type of technology as well as the implementation of the olfactory display and the supporting software. We also discuss the results of an initial test of the prototype that show the robustness and usability of Essence while wearing it for long periods of time in multiple environments.

AutoEmotive: bringing empathy to the driving experience to manage stress

With recent developments in sensing technologies, its becoming feasible to comfortably measure several aspects of emotions during challenging daily life situations. This work describes how the stress of drivers can be measured through different types of interactions, and how the information can enable several interactions in the car with the goal of helping to manage stress. These new interactions could help not only to bring empathy to the driving experience but also to improve driver safety and increase social awareness.

PsychicVR: Increasing mindfulness by using Virtual Reality and Brain Computer Interfaces

We present PsychicVR, a proof-of-concept system that integrates a brain-computer interface device and Virtual Reality headset to improve mindfulness while enjoying a playful immersive experience. The fantasy that any of us could have superhero powers has always inspired people around the world. By using Virtual Reality and real-time brain activity sensing we are moving one step closer to making this dream real. We non-invasively monitor and record electrical activity of the brain and incorporate this data in the VR experience using an Oculus Rift and the MUSE headband. By sensing brain waves using a series of EEG sensors, the level of activity is fed back to the user via 3D content in the virtual environment. When the user is focused they are able to make changes in the 3D environment and control their powers. Our system increases mindfulness and helps achieve higher levels of concentration while entertaining the user.

clayodor: Retrieving Scents through the Manipulation of Malleable Material

clayodor (\klei-o-dor\) is a clay-like malleable material that changes smell based on user manipulation of its shape. This work explores the tangibility of shape changing materials to capture smell, an ephemeral and intangible sensory input. We present the design of a proof-of-concept prototype, and discussions on the challenges of navigating smell though form.

Exploring the Design of a Wearable Device to Turn Everyday Objects into Playful Experiences

In this paper we present a wearable device in the form of a bracelet that turns everyday objects into interactive physical gameplay. We combine physical exploration and interactive entertainment by providing real-time audio and light feedback without the need to be in front of a screen. In contrast with todays computer, video and smartphone games, our system has the potential to enhance childrens physical, social and outdoor play. We designed a set of playful applications that seamlessly integrate technology with outdoor game play, music, sports and social interactions.

Remot-IO: a System for Reaching into the Environment of a Remote Collaborator

In this paper we present Remot-IO, a system for mobile collaboration and remote assistance around Internet connected devices. The system uses two Head Mounted Displays, cameras and depth sensors to enable a remote expert to be immersed in a local users point of view and control devices in that user?s environment. The remote expert can provide guidance through the use of hand gestures that appear in real-time in the local user?s field of view as superimposed 3D hands. In addition, the remote expert is able to operate devices in the novice?s environment and bring about physical changes by using the same hand gestures the novice would use. We describe a smart radio where the knobs of the radio can be controlled by local and remote user alike. Moreover, the user can visualize, interact and modify properties of sound waves in real time by using intuitive hand gestures.

HoloARt: Painting with Holograms in Mixed Reality

We propose HoloARt, a new media art that explores the use of holograms in mixed reality for creative self expression. We designed a system that allows the user to turn their physical environment into a canvas where digital holograms and physical objects co-exist in the real and virtual world. Users are able to virtually spray and splatter hologram paint on top of physical objects and surfaces as well as painting in the air by only using their hands. The content grows dynamically, following the natural movements of the user. The system is self-contained and does not require hand controllers nor positional tracking sensors on the space.

Influencing Human Behavior by Means of Subliminal Stimuli using Scent, Light and Brain Computer Interfaces

We present a proof-of-concept system that integrates ambient lights with a custom made olfactory display that releases subtle burst of scent triggered by brain signals and micro face-gestures such as blinks or jaw clenches. We non-invasively monitor real-time brain activity data using EEG and reflect this information using scent and subtle changes in the ambient light of the environment. This paper discusses different applications for this type of system as well as the implementation of the olfactory display and the supporting software that connects the ambient lights and the EEG sensor. We also discuss the use of subliminal cues like tuning the lighting setup and varying the scent for different kind of behavior changes.