Welcome!
Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) is the region of intersection between the social and behavioral sciences, and information technology. It provides a challenging test domain for applying and developing social theory and a stringent source of constraint for creating and evaluating new information systems.
The CS department has created an outstanding faculty in human-computer interaction. A successful "research infrastructure" (RI) award from NSF in the mid-1990s allowed the construction of specialized laboratories for HCI research. The department's commitment to this endeavor was reflected in faculty hiring so that he HCI group now consists of eight core faculty and twelve other affiliated faculty, research scientists, emeritus faculty, or research faculty. Laboratory facilities for conducting HCI research are contained in the Center for Human-Computer Interaction located in Torgersen Hall and two shared laboratories located in McBryde Hall. The HCI group has found good synergy in the "gigapixel display" project that has received initial funding from NSF. The HCI group is also the point of contact between the department and the arts and humanities. The department is collaborating on a "cyberarts" program in conjunction with departments in the College of Architecture and the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences.
Graduate Seminar
Date: 2009-11-13
Presenter: Professor Doug Bowman
Topic: Evaluating the effects of immersion in mixed realityAbstract:
Immersive virtual reality (VR), typified by technologies such as stereoscopic projected displays and 3D tracking systems, has been available for many years, but there are only a handful of examples of real-world applications of this technology, most of which are focused on providing a realistic experience to the user so that he experiences a sense of presence. We claim that immersive technologies can provide other benefits, such as increased spatial understanding or reduced information clutter. We are running a series of empirical studies to demonstrate these effects and to determine how much immersion is enough. Our results so far indicate that higher levels of immersion do lead to improved spatial understanding in complex visualizations, and that greater immersion can produce more efficient interaction in difficult task situations. Our current work is focused on the design and development of the mixed reality simulator - a highly-immersive display platform that can be used to simulate existing and proposed display hardware - for the purpose of extending our research agenda on immersion.Bio:
Professor, VT Computer Science Department
