Second Workshop on Emerging Novel Input Devices and Interaction Techniques. Workshop hosted by IEEE VR 2020. Atlanta, GA. USA. (March 22-26, 2020).

Virtual reality has finally become a mainstream technology. Recent advances in commercial VR hardware have led to high-resolution, ergonomic, – and critically – low cost head-mounted displays. Advances in commercial input devices and interaction techniques have arguably not kept pace with advances in displays. For instance, most HMDs include a tracked input device: “wands” that are not dissimilar to the earliest examples of 3D controllers used in the VR systems of the 1980s. Interaction in commercial VR systems has similarly lagged; despite many advances in 3D interaction in the past three decades of VR research, interaction in commercial systems largely relies on classical techniques like the virtual hand, or ray-casting.

This full-half-day workshop (Sunday, March 22, 2020) will bring together researchers and industry practitioners to discuss and experience the future of input devices for VR, AR, and 3D User Interfaces, and help chart a course for the future of 3D interaction techniques.

We invite participants to submit papers between 4 and 6 pages addressing challenges in the design, development, and evaluation of new VR input devices and interaction techniques. This includes both hardware and software, as well as user studies. The workshop will emphasize the hands-on nature of the research by encouraging submissions that can be demonstrated within the workshop on any of the following topics:

• Form factors and ergonomics of input devices

• Hardware design and prototyping

• Mapping of input to display degrees of freedom

• Haptic/tactile feedback

• Novel input devices

• Repurposing of existing devices (e.g., smartphones, tablets) in VR contexts

• Tracked passive or custom props

• Novel Interaction techniques supported by custom devices

• User studies evaluating the above topics

• Related but unlisted topics are also welcome. In addition to a presentation at the workshop, authors of all accepted submissions will be strongly encouraged to demonstrate their novel input device and interaction techniques in an interactive demo format following presentations.

Keynote Speaker: Prof. Dr. Frank Steinicke

Bio: Frank Steinicke is a professor for Human-Computer Interaction at the Department of Informatics at the University of Hamburg. His research is driven by understanding the human perceptual, cognitive and motor abilities and limitations in order to reform the interaction as well as the experience in computer-mediated realities. Frank Steinicke regularly serves as panelist and speaker at major events in the area of virtual reality and human-computer interaction and is on the IPC of various national and international conferences. He serves as the program chair for IEEE VR 2017/2018, which is the most renowned scientific conference in the area of VR/AR. Furthermore, he is a member of the Steering committee of the ACM SUI Symposium and the GI SIG VR/AR, and currently editor of the IEEE Computer Graphics & Applications Department on Spatial Interfaces.

Title: Virtuality-Reality Interaction in Blended Spaces

Abstract: Paul Milgram’s reality-virtuality (RV) continuum is a continuous scale ranging between the reality and a completely computer-generated immersive environment, the so-called virtuality. This continuum encompasses all possible variations and compositions of real and virtual objects. While the RV continuum helps to classify each immersive technology as an individual stage within this continuum, it lacks more dynamic scenarios with seamless transitions between virtual and real objects. For instance, in the past virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) have often been considered as completely different media using different display technologies, however, nowadays we observe that novel head-mounted-display technologies seem to merge AR and VR capabilities. In the same way, different virtualization and digital fabrication technologies enable individual objects to change their status from reality to virtuality and vice vera.

In my talk, I will discuss such blended spaces and explain novel RV interaction concepts, which allow that virtual and real objects can be explored seamlessly in a consistent space, on which they can interact with each other and change their status from real to virtual and vice versa. Blended spaces allow to bridge the gab between virtuality and reality.

Tentative Program Schedule:

(P stands for Presentation #, ID is the paper ID given by the system -- Note, there is no )

March 22nd, 2020

8:30-9:00 Zoom connection will be open for you to come in. You can also watch this via Twitch or Mozilla Hubs. All presenters will use Zoom.

9:00-9:05 Introduction to NIDIT.

9:05-9:45 Keynote – Frank Steinicke (30 minutes + 10 for Qs)

9:45-10:30 2 papers (15 min per presentation plus 5 minute quesetions)

P1. (ID #6) Anil Ufuk Batmaz, Aunnoy K Mutasim and Wolfgang Stuerzlinger. Precision vs. Power Grip: A Comparison of Pen Grip Styles for Selection in Virtual Reality

P2. (ID # 1) Brook Bowers, Kyle Johnsen and Andrew Rukangu. Making it Simple: Expanding Access and Lowering Barriers to Novel Interaction Devices for Virtual and Augmented Reality

10:30-11:00 break

11:00-12:30 4 papers (15 min total each plus 5 minutes questions)

P4. (ID #4) Bret Jackson. OVR Stylus: Designing Pen-Based 3D Input Devices for Virtual Reality

P5. (ID #5) Adam Williams and Francisco Ortega. Insights on visual aid and study design for gesture interaction in limited sensor range Augmented Reality devices

P6. (ID #8) Amy Banic, Erik Horwitz and Clement Zheng. Kinetic Skin: Feasibility and Implementation of Bare Skin Tracking of Hand and Body Joints for 3D User Interfaces

P7. (ID #7) Leland Wallace, Tony Delaurante, Mara Simon, Rebecca Austin, Timothy Rolich, Rajiv Khadka and Amy Banic. Squishy Volumes: Evaluation of Silicone as Camera-less Pressure-Based Input for 3-Dimensional Interaction

12:30-14:00 Lunch. Go to Mozilla Hubs for fun!

14:00-15:30 4 Papers (15 min total each plus 5 minutes of questions)

P8. (ID #10) Jaime Maldonado, Thorsten Kluss and Christoph Zetzsche. Categorization of Contact Events as Intended or Unintended using Pre-Contact Kinematic Features

P9. (ID #9) Da Chung Yi, Kuan Ning Chang, Yun-Hsuan Tai, I-Cheng Chen and Yi-Ping Hung. Elastic-Move : Passive Haptic Device with Force Feedback for Virtual Reality Locomotion

P10. (ID #2) Scott Gainer, Suraj Eadara, Jason Haskins, Will Huse, Bolin Zhu, Blake Boyd, Charles Laird, Jj Farantatos and Jason Jerald. A Customized Input Device for Simulating the Detection of Hazardous Materials

P11 (ID #11) Andrew Rukangu, Anton Franzluebbers, Alexander Tuttle, Kelsey Mattingly, Catherine O'Neal, Dawn Robinson, Sun Joo Grace Ahn and Kyle Johnsen. Virtual Family Room: Bridging the Long Distance.

15:30 - 15;35 Closing comments

Important Dates:

** NEW DATES **

• Abstract Deadline: January 24th, 2020

• Submission Deadline: January 30th, 2020.

• Notification: Feb 9th, 2020.

• Camera-Ready: February 14th 2020.

* IEEE VR rejected papers: We know that great papers do get rejected from IEEE VR conference papers track. If you would like to submit yours, you do not have to submit an abstract. Submit your paper along with the reviews given to you (including scores) and how you addressed those comments from the reviewers by January 31st. Please note that the review process will be different. Please, do not submit an abstract just in case if your paper gets rejected. That will be a multiple submission and we will invalidate your submission.

Submission Information:

Papers should be submitted via EasyChair: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=niidt2020

Submissions must be anonymised and in PDF format, in the VGTC format: http://junctionpublishing.org/vgtc/Tasks/camera.html

All submissions will be reviewed by experts in the areas listed above. At least one author of each accepted submission must register for the workshop and at least one day of the IEEE VR 2020 conference. Authors of accepted papers will be expected to give a presentation at the workshop, and to give a demonstration of their research (In some cases, demonstrations may not be possible. For those cases, a video may be provided). Proceedings will be submitted for inclusion in the IEEE Xplore Library. We will also host the papers in this site.

Organizers:

Robert J. Teather, Adalberto L. Simeone, Francisco R. Ortega

Contact: Please send any questions to Robert Teather (rob.teather@carleton.ca) or Francisco R. Ortega (fortega@colostate.edu)