Running and jogging are popular activities for many visually impaired individuals thanks to the relatively low entry barriers. Research in HCI and beyond has focused primarily on leveraging technology to enable visually impaired people to run independently. However, depending on their residual vision and personal preferences, many chose to run with a sighted guide. This study presents a comprehensive analysis of the partnership between visually impaired runners and sighted guides. Using a combination of interaction and thematic analysis on video and interview data from 6 pairs of runners and guides, we unpack the complexity and directionality of three layers of vocal communication (directive, contextual, and recreational) and distinguish between intentional and unintentional corporeal communication. Building on the understanding of the importance of synchrony we also present some exploratory data looking at physiological synchrony between 2 pairs of runners with different level of experience and articulate recommendations for the HCI community.

In this paper, we propose a method for utilizing musical artifacts and physiological data as a means for creating a new form of live music experience that is rooted in the physiology of the performers and audience members. By utilizing physiological data (namely Electrodermal Activity (EDA) and Heart Rate Variability (HRV)) and applying this data to musical artifacts including a robotic koto (a traditional 13-string Japanese instrument fitted with solenoids and linear actuators), a Eurorack synthesizer, and Max/MSP software, we aim to develop a new form of semi-improvisational and significantly indeterminate performance practice. It has since evolved into a multi-modal methodology which honors improvisational performance practices and utilizes physiological data which offers both performers and audiences an ever-changing and intimate experience.

The use of wearable sensor technology opens up exciting avenues for both art and HCI research, providing new ways to explore the invisible link between audience and performer. To be effective, such work requires close collaboration between performers and researchers. In this article, we report on the co-design process and research insights from our work integrating physiological sensing and live performance. We explore the connection between the audience’s physiological data and their experience during the performance, analyzing a multi-modal dataset collected from 98 audience members. We identify notable moments based on HRV and EDA, and show how the audience’s physiological responses can be linked to the choreography. The longitudinal changes in HRV features suggest a strong connection to the choreographer’s intended narrative arc, while EDA features appear to correspond with short-term audience responses to dramatic moments. We discuss the physiological phenomena and implications for designing feedback systems and interdisciplinary collaborations.

Ethereal Phenomena is an interactive installation in which a user meditates in front of a digital illustration based on Tibetan thangka art that reacts to the way they breathe. The biofeedback of the breath makes the artwork an extension of the user’s body and a reflection of their mind. By combining art, sound, and biofeedback, Ethereal Phenomena becomes a unique meditative experience that aims at producing physical and mental wellness and that has the potential to induce a state of self-transcendence or pure consciousness.

Two-factor authentication (2FA) is a recommended or imposed authentication mechanism for valuable online assets. However, 2FA mechanisms usually exhibit user experience issues that create user friction and even lead to poor acceptance, hampering the wider spread of 2FA. In this article, we investigate user perceptions of 2FA through in-depth interviews with 42 participants, revealing key requirements that are not well met today despite recently emerged 2FA solutions. First, we investigate past experiences with authentication mechanisms emphasizing problems and aspects that hamper good user experience. Second, we investigate the different authentication factors more closely. Our results reveal particularly interesting preferences regarding the authentication factor “ownership” in terms of properties, physical realizations, and interaction. These findings suggest a path toward 2FA mechanisms with considerably better user experience, promising to improve the acceptance and hence, the proliferation of 2FA for the benefit of security in the digital world.

We present our first steps towards an umbrella-based novel multimedia platform using physiological data as an integrated feedback loop. In this paper, we demonstrate the viability of using an umbrella handle as a form factor to measure electrodermal activity(EDA) and heart rate(HR) in real-time. We compared the performance of the device with that of a more conventional finger sensor placement. Although the finger sensor placement is more widespread and considered to be more reliable, yet we are able to derive meaningful data from the umbrella handle in both stationary and dynamic contexts in the presented feasibility study.

Insufficient social cues between distributed learners in online learning could result in lack of engagement and social bonds. With the development of wearable sensing, sharing physiological data can be used to enhance mutual understanding and connectedness among sharers. Our work aims to explore the potential of sharing heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) collected from distributed learners to enhance their online learning experiences. We implemented a physiological streaming system and conducted a field study with 11 learners in online classes. This paper describes the study and discusses our interview findings by contrasting the influence of visualized collective physiological data from viewpoints of data contributors and viewers. Our exploratory results suggest streaming collective HR and HRV from multiple distributed learners could be used in online classes to improve engagement and sense of community.

We present ThermoQuest, a self-contained wearable head-mounted display system for enhancing Virtual Reality experiences with temperature feedback. It’s constructed with commodity hardware elements, featuring 6 Peltier elements on the rim of the headset touching the users face. We explain the design and implementation of an affordable wearable thermal VR prototype build with commodity hardware. In a user study with 15 participants, we show evidence for a significant difference in reported presence in VR between thermal VR and control conditions (p > 0.017) in a counterbalanced experimental setup. We end with a discussion and use cases of the presented VR prototype and similar systems.

In stage performances, an invisible wall in front of the stage often weakens the connections between the audience and performers. To amplify this performative connection, we present the concept ”Boiling Mind”. Our design concept is based on streaming sensor data related to heart and electrodermal activities from audience members and integrating this data into staging elements, such as visual projections, music, and lighting. Thus, the internal states of the audience directly influence the staging. Artists can have a more direct perception of the inner reactions of audience members and can create physical expressions in response to them. In this paper, we present the wearable sensing system as well as design considerations of mapping heart and electrodermal activity to changes in the staging elements. We evaluated our design and setup over three live performances.

As the day progresses, cognitive functions are subject to fluctuations. While the circadian process results in diurnal peaks and drops, the homeostatic process manifests itself in a steady decline of alertness across the day. Awareness of these changes allows the design of proactive recommender and warning systems, which encourage demanding tasks during periods of high alertness and flag accident-prone activities in low alertness states. In contrast to conventional alertness assessments, which are often limited to lab conditions, bulky hardware, or interruptive self-assessments, we base our approach on eye blink frequency data known to directly relate to fatigue levels. Using electrooculography sensors integrated into regular glasses' frames, we recorded the eye movements of 16 participants over the course of two weeks in-the-wild and built a robust model of diurnal alertness changes. Our proposed method allows for unobtrusive and continuous monitoring of alertness levels throughout the day.

In this work we present the smart eyewear demo setup consisting of the software platform for cognitive and social interaction assessments in the wild, with several application cases and a demonstration of activity recognition in real-time. The platform is designed to work with Jins MEME, smart EOG enabled glasses, The user software is capable data logging, posture tracking and recognition of several activities, such as talking, reading and blinking. In this work we present several applications and studies that the platform has been used for.

This paper presents a sensory supplementation experience in virtual reality based on the thermal and vibrotactile feedback. We have implemented a physical system that provides hot and cold sensations around the hand and forearm of the person wearing it. After being equipped with the system the user is exposed to the virtual reality environment with the goal to deflect projectiles coming their way while relying on the thermal sensations to detect them. Presented experience makes a case for using thermal sensory supplementation as an interaction modality in virtual reality environments.

This paper presents a new approach to implement wearable haptic devices using Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) wires. The proposed concept allows building silent, soft, flexible and lightweight wearable devices, capable of producing the sense of pressure on the skin without any bulky mechanical actuators. We explore possible design considerations and applications for such devices, present user studies proving the feasibility of delivering meaningful information and use nonlinear autoregressive neural networks to compensate for SMA inherent drawbacks, such as delayed onset, enabling us to characterize and predict the physical behavior of the device.

This paper presents two innovative design solutions for thermal feedback displays in virtual environments. First solution is aiming to eliminate or decrease the time delay between the user action and onset of the thermal feedback using Machine Learning for user motion prediction. Second is the design of compact but efficient water cooling system necessary to provide cold sensations using peltier elements. Presented thermal display is wearable and battery powered.