From May 11-16, 2024, our team members Dr. Lennart Nacke, Dr. Eugene Kukshinov, Dr. Sebastian Cmentowski, and PhD candidates Joseph Tu and Hilda Hadan participated in CHI 2024, the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM) Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, held in Hawaii. As a leading international conference on Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), CHI gathers researchers and practitioners from around the world to present cutting-edge work in the field.
Presentations:
Joseph Tu: Casting Connections: A Fishy Approach to Conference Engagement
In a playful and engaging video showcase titled "Casting Connections: A Fishy Approach to Conference Engagement," Joseph Tu presented an innovative method for networking at conferences. Drawing from the metaphor of fishing, he introduced FISH (Fun Interactions through Sketches and Humour), which aims to encourage early-career researchers to navigate the vast intellectual waters of conferences and build meaningful professional relationships. The lighthearted approach emphasizes how engagement and collaboration can flow naturally through creative, informal interactions, turning every conference into an opportunity for intellectual discovery and connection.
You can view the showcase here: Casting Connections: A Fishy Approach to Conference Engagement.
Dr. Eugene Kukshinov: “Never The Same”: Systematic Analysis of Methodological Issues in Presence Studies
Dr. Eugene Kukshinov presented a poster session on the challenges of measuring presence in virtual environments. His work, titled "Never The Same: Systematic Analysis of the Methodological Issues in the Presence Studies That Employ Questionnaires," examines the variability in results across different studies due to the reliance on questionnaires. This systematic analysis identifies key methodological concerns and offers insights on how to improve the reliability and validity of future presence studies.
For more details, you can access the abstract here: Systematic Analysis of Methodological Issues in Presence Studies.
Dr. Sebastian Cmentowski: Born to Run, Programmed to Play: Mapping the Extended Reality Exergames Landscape
In his talk, Dr. Sebastian Cmentowski presented a scoping review of the current research on XR exergames—games that combine physical exercise with immersive gameplay. His review, titled "Born to Run, Programmed to Play: Mapping the Extended Reality Exergames Landscape," provided a structured overview of 186 studies from 1,318 identified papers. The presentation highlighted trends in XR exergame research, knowledge gaps, and a proposed taxonomy for better understanding and designing future exergames. The talk emphasized the potential of XR exergames to address challenges related to maintaining regular exercise routines and improving health outcomes.
See details here: https://doi.org/10.1145/3613904.3642124
Hilda Hadan: "Privacy in Immersive Extended Reality: Exploring User Perceptions, Concerns, and Coping Strategies."
This study investigates the implications of Extended Reality (XR) technology on user privacy, given its invasive data collection methods compared to traditional web, mobile, and IoT technologies. While there has been a focus on developers’ concerns about XR privacy, user perceptions have largely been overlooked. To address this gap, Hilda surveyed 464 XR users to assess their awareness, concerns, and coping strategies across 18 scenarios. Findings revealed that factors such as the type of data collected and its sensitivity significantly influence users' privacy perceptions, with many being unaware of XR sensors' capabilities, including the collection of involuntary emotional signals, which limited their protective strategies. The research highlights the urgent need to enhance user awareness of data privacy threats in XR, recommending the design of tailored privacy-choice interfaces and transparent data practices.
Please see details here: https://doi.org/10.1145/3613904.3642104