Although augmented reality (AR) has gained much research attention in recent years, the term AR was given different meanings by varying researchers. In this article, we first provide an overview of definitions, taxonomies, and technologies of AR. We argue that viewing AR as a concept rather than a type of technology would be more productive for educators, researchers, and designers. Then we identify certain features and affordances of AR systems and applications. Yet, these compelling features may not be unique to AR applications and can be found in other technological systems or learning environments (e.g., ubiquitous and mobile learning environments). The instructional approach adopted by an AR system and the alignment among technology design, instructional approach, and learning experiences may be more important. Thus, we classify three categories of instructional approaches that emphasize the ''roles,'' ''tasks,'' and ''locations,'' and discuss what and how different categories of AR approaches may help students learn. While AR offers new learning opportunities, it also creates new challenges for educators. We outline technological, pedagogical, learning issues related to the implementation of AR in education. For example, students in AR environments may be cognitively overloaded by the large amount of information they encounter, the multiple technological devices they are required to use, and the complex tasks they have to complete. This article provides possible solutions for some of the challenges and suggests topics and issues for future research.

Current status, opportunities and challenges of augmented reality in education

We present steps toward a conceptual framework for tangible user interfaces. We introduce the MCRpd interaction model for tangible interfaces, which relates the role of physical and digital representations, physical control, and underlying digital models. This model serves as a foundation for identifying and discussing several key characteristics of tangible user interfaces. We identify a number of systems exhibiting these characteristics, and situate these within 12 application domains. Finally, we discuss tangible interfaces in the context of related research themes, both within and outside of the human-computer interaction domain.

/pdf/emerging-frameworks-for-tangible-user-interfaces-254dznxose.pdf

Emerging frameworks for tangible user interfaces

Mathematica--A System for Doing Mathematics by Computer.

We are living in a world which faces a rapidly increasing amount of data to be dealt with on a daily basis. In the last decade, the steady improvement of data storage devices and means to create and collect data along the way influenced our way of dealing with information: Most of the time, data is stored without filtering and refinement for later use. Virtually every branch of industry or business, and any political or personal activity nowadays generate vast amounts of data. Making matters worse, the possibilities to collect and store data increase at a faster rate than our ability to use it for making decisions. However, in most applications, raw data has no value in itself; instead we want to extract the information contained in it.

/pdf/visual-analytics-definition-process-and-challenges-3mll5saq86.pdf

Visual Analytics: Definition, Process, and Challenges

Even though interaction is an important part of information visualization (Infovis), it has garnered a relatively low level of attention from the Infovis community. A few frameworks and taxonomies of Infovis interaction techniques exist, but they typically focus on low-level operations and do not address the variety of benefits interaction provides. After conducting an extensive review of Infovis systems and their interactive capabilities, we propose seven general categories of interaction techniques widely used in Infovis: 1) Select, 2) Explore, 3) Reconfigure, 4) Encode, 5) Abstract/Elaborate, 6) Filter, and 7) Connect. These categories are organized around a user's intent while interacting with a system rather than the low-level interaction techniques provided by a system. The categories can act as a framework to help discuss and evaluate interaction techniques and hopefully lay an initial foundation toward a deeper understanding and a science of interaction.

https://www.cc.gatech.edu/~john.stasko/papers/infovis07-interaction.pdf

Toward a Deeper Understanding of the Role of Interaction in Information Visualization

We present 3DVN, a Mixed Reality platform for navigation assistance in indoor environments. Built on top of a PC-based wearable computer running the Windows operating system, the platform provides a multimodal user interface for navigating in existing physical buildings, including wireless networking, data glove gestural input, voice communication, head-mounted display, and a 3DOF head tracker. Local positioning is performed using a software-only positioning engine making use of WLAN features for accurately pinpointing the mobile device in three dimensions. The 3DVN system has been implemented as a proof-of-concept of a navigation guidance support device for visitors, and has been field-tested with human subjects in the student center of our university. Informal evaluation of subject ratings indicate a strong interest for the new system, both for guests as well as people familiar with the campus and the building.

3DVN: A Mixed Reality Platform for Mobile Navigation Assistance

The emerging paradigm of attentive user interfaces (AUI) focuses on solutions for optimizing human-computer interaction to meet users' needs while also regulating human-human communication by orienting attention or filtering communication. Using a similar approach, we believe that AUIs may benefit attention disorder challenges of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), who are adversely affected by continuously changing surroundings or distracting visual incidents even when no technologies are involved. With this perspective, we carried out eight participative design workshops with interaction designers and ASD domain experts aiming to explore possible AUI solutions for ASD individuals. Interestingly, these studies yielded a novel AUI concept consisting of a mirror-like wall interface filtering out irrelevant visual information from real-time capture of a space. This paper presents some future applications of DR and discusses related human factors. A contribution of this paper is early insights from the set of eight workshops.

/pdf/exploring-diminished-reality-dr-spaces-to-augment-the-3rsn9hx6vm.pdf

Exploring Diminished Reality (DR) Spaces to Augment the Attention of Individuals with Autism

Despite the proliferation of screens in everyday environments, providing values to remote displays for exploring complex data sets is still challenging. Enhanced input for remote screens can increase their utility and enable the construction of rich data-driven environments. Here, we investigate the opportunities provided by a variable movement resistance slider (VMRS), based on a motorized slide potentiometer. These devices are often used in professional soundboards as an effective way to provide discrete input. We designed, built and evaluated a remote input device using a VMRS that facilitates choosing a number on a discrete scale. By comparing our prototype to a traditional slide potentiometer and a software slider, we determined that for conditions where users are not looking at the slider, VMRS can offer significantly better performance and accuracy. Our findings contribute to the understanding of discrete input and enable building new interaction scenarios for large display environments.

Using Variable Movement Resistance Sliders for Remote Discrete Input

In this paper we introduce and evaluate a concept of a drone agent that can support us to keep the environment clean. The drone has four main functions: (1) find a waste item, (2) persuade the user to pick up the item, (3) lead the user to the nearest trash bin, (4) communicate with the user when the job is done. We prototyped three types of persuasion effects with the drone (Visual, Audio, and Visual+Audio) and evaluated them through an online study with eighty two participants. The results reveal that interest in the drone technology varied significantly between developed and developing countries, with individuals in developing countries having higher ratings for drone related persuasion, compliance, pleasantness and sensibility; gender differences also emerged. Finally, evaluation results led to many design recommendations that will increase the functionality and attractiveness and usage potential of the proposed technology.

A Drone Agent to Support a Clean Environment

Capacitive sensing is used in many different fields of application. It has been implemented in such devices as mobile phones and remote controls. However, up until now the physical sensing area has remained limited despite the widespread use of larger input devices such as keyboards. We present DGTS, which seamlessly integrates keyboard typing and cursor pointing. This input device offers multi-finger operation for scrolling and other specialized input commands. The objective of this work is to replace computer mice and touchpads by integrating capacitive sensing into a layer within the keyboard thereby reducing the space required for pointing devices. This paper gives the technical background, shows our contribution, and concludes with initial tests.

/pdf/dgts-integrated-typing-and-pointing-3ip0wx8bdd.pdf

Morten Fjeld

Papers

3DVN: A Mixed Reality Platform for Mobile Navigation Assistance

Exploring Diminished Reality (DR) Spaces to Augment the Attention of Individuals with Autism

Using Variable Movement Resistance Sliders for Remote Discrete Input

A Drone Agent to Support a Clean Environment

DGTS: Integrated Typing and Pointing