Dance games are one of the most popular game genres in Virtual Reality (VR), and active dance communities have emerged on social VR platforms such as VR Chat. However, effective instruction of dancing in VR or through other computerized means remains an unsolved human-computer interaction problem. Existing approaches either only instruct movements partially, abstracting away nuances, or require learning and memorizing symbolic notation. In contrast, we investigate how realistic, full-body movements designed by a professional choreographer can be instructed on the fly, without prior learning or memorization. Towards this end, we describe the design and evaluation of WAVE, a novel anticipatory movement visualization technique where the user joins a group of dancers performing the choreography with different time offsets, similar to spectators making waves in sports events. In our user study (N=36), the participants more accurately followed a choreography using WAVE, compared to following a single model dancer.

Dancing is a universal human activity, and also a domain of enduring significance in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) research. However, there has been limited investigation into how computing supports the experiences of recreational dancers. Concurrently, a diverse and sizeable dance community has been emerging in VRChat. Little is known about these dancers’ experiences, motivations, and practices. Yet shedding light into these could inform both VR technology development and the design of systems that better support embodied and complex social interactions. To bridge this gap, we interviewed participants active in the VRChat dance scene. Through thematic analysis, we identified six central facets of their experiences related to freedom, community, dance as an individual experience, dance as a shared experience, dance as a performance, and self-expression and -exploration. Based on these findings, we discuss emerging tensions and highlight beneficial impacts of dancing in VR as well as problems that still await resolving.

Zoos have been consistently popular with young visitors, helping educate children in animal conservation. However, zoos’ typical strategies employ interactive signs and videos, which children largely ignore. In pursuit of new engagement methods, children were invited to design for animals via ZooDesign, a gamified imaginative design approach centred on an educational card and role-playing game, ZooDesign assists children in envisaging how animals can use technologies, by exploring their welfare needs and humans’ involvement. Many children designed with the animals’ well-being in mind. Analysis of their creations and role-play interviews revealed that the method constitutes a good process but not all designs were appropriate for use with animals. Furthermore, few designs included the children themselves; most emphasised zookeeper and researcher roles instead. Building on child-computer interaction methods for zoo-based education contexts, the research raises key questions involved in educating children about animals.

Over the past decade, many systems have been developed for humans to remotely connect to their pets at home. Yet little attention has been paid to how animals can control such systems and what the implications are of animals using internet systems. This paper explores the creation of a video call device to allow a dog to remotely call their human, giving the animal control and agency over technology in their home. After building and prototyping a novel interaction method over several weeks and iterations, we test our system with a dog and a human. Analysing our experience and data, we reflect on power relations, how to quantify an animal's user experience and what interactive internet systems look like with animal users. This paper builds upon Human-Computer Interaction methods for unconventional users, uncovering key questions that advance the creation of animal-to-human interfaces and animal internet devices.