Text entry for extended reality (XR) is far from perfect, and a variety of text entry techniques (TETs) have been proposed to fit various contexts of use. However, comparing between TETs remains challenging due to the lack of a consolidated collection of techniques, and limited understanding of how interaction attributes of a technique (e.g., presence of visual feedback) impact user performance. To address these gaps, this paper examines the current landscape of XR TETs by creating a database of 176 different techniques. We analyze this database to highlight trends in the design of these techniques, the metrics used to evaluate them, and how various interaction attributes impact these metrics. We discuss implications for future techniques and present TEXT: Text Entry for XR Trove, an interactive online tool to navigate our database.

Augmented Reality (AR) excels at altering what we see but non-visual sensations are difficult to augment. To augment non-visual sensations in AR, we draw on the visual language of comic books. Synthesizing comic studies, we create a design space describing how to use comic elements (e.g., onomatopoeia) to depict non-visual sensations (e.g., hearing). To demonstrate this design space, we built eight demos, such as speed lines to make a user think they are faster and smell lines to make a scent seem stronger. We evaluate these elements in a qualitative user study (N=20) where participants performed everyday tasks with comic elements added as augmentations. All participants stated feeling a change in perception for at least one sensation, with perceived changes detected by between four participants (touch) and 15 participants (hearing). The elements also had positive effects on emotion and user experience, even when participants did not feel changes in perception.

Advances in haptic technologies can alter how real objects feel to our touch and create the experience of haptic augmented reality (AR). However, the definition, use cases, and value to end users of such haptic AR remain unclear. Existing work is concerned with technological implementation and lacks a user-centered perspective. To address these limitations, we analyze haptic AR systems in the literature to understand what constitutes haptic AR, why we would want to alter our sense of touch, and how haptic AR interactions take place. To demonstrate the value of studying haptic AR in the context of real-world tasks and user impressions of the concept itself, we also conducted a small exploratory study with five prototypical applications of different haptic AR systems. Our analysis highlights unexplored areas for haptics and HCI researchers and the need to conduct user evaluations of the overall concept rather than just point examples.

Robots increasingly interact with humans through touch, where people are touching or being touched by robots. Yet, little is known about how such interactions shape a user’s experience. To inform future work in this area, we conduct a systematic review of 44 studies on physical human–robot interaction (pHRI). Our review examines the parameters of the touch (e.g., the role of touch, location), the experimental variations used by researchers, and the methods used to assess user experience. We identify five facets of user experience metrics from the questionnaire items and data recordings for pHRI studies. We highlight gaps and methodological issues in studying pHRI and compare user evaluation trends with the Human–Computer Interaction (HCI) literature. Based on the review, we propose a conceptual model of the pHRI experience. The model highlights the components of such touch experiences to guide the design and evaluation of physical interactions with robots and inform future user experience questionnaire development.

Different form factors of wearable technology provide unique opportunities for output based on how they are connected to the human body. In this work, we investigate the idea of delivering notifications through devices worn on the underside of a user’s clothing. A wearable worn in such a manner is in direct contact with the user’s skin. We leverage this proximity to test the performance of 10 on-skin sensations (Press, Poke, Pinch, Heat, Cool, Blow, Suck, Vibrate, Moisture and Brush) as methods of notification delivery. We developed prototypes for each stimulus and conducted a user study to evaluate them across 6 locations commonly covered by upper body clothing. Results indicate significant differences in reaction time, error rates and comfort which may influence the design of future under-clothing wearables.

In this paper, we explore input with wearables that can be attached and detached at will from any of our regular clothes. These wearables do not cause any permanent effect on our clothing and are suitable to be worn anywhere, thus making them very similar to badges we wear. To explore this idea of non-permanent badge input, we studied various methods to fasten objects to our clothing and organise them in the form of a design space. We leverage this synthesis, along with literature and existing products to present possible interaction gestures these badge-based wearables can enable.