As robots inhabit more social spheres, human acceptance significantly impacts their functionality and engagement. The way robotic movement is perceived is crucial to their acceptance in society. However, robotic movement is most often a result of function rather than purposefully designed. Working in the continuum between robotic, tangible, and shape-shifting interfaces will enable a deeper exploration of the effects and interpretation of expressive movement. Hence, we propose [e]Motion, a hands-on opportunity for participants to explore design methods and prototype a variety of expressive movements in robotic and actuated and shape-shifting tangible interfaces. We will collectively reflect on evaluation methods and co-develop a visual vocabulary of motion and emotion, mapping movement more directly to personality and emotion. With this, we aim to foster a practical understanding of expressive movement and how it might affect human acceptance of robots and tangible interfaces.

The acoustic and visual experiences of musicians in the spaces they perform in are complex and organic in nature, entailing a continuous interaction with the environment. With this project, we leverage the power of Virtual Reality (VR) to support musicians in their creative practice by transporting them to novel sonic and visual worlds. For this, we developed a musician-centred VR system, featuring various acoustic and visual virtual environments, VR Rehearse & Perform, based on design requirements gathered with musicians and performance experts. To investigate how VR can be designed to support music-makers in their creative musical practice, we performed iterative tests with 19 musicians followed by semi-structured interviews. Our findings suggest that VR has the potential to support different aspects of the creative musical practice, such as rehearsing, performing and improvising. Our research provides insights and inspirations toward designing musician-centred VR experiences for various musical activities.

Science education is paramount as humanity works to mitigate the major socio-economic, technological, and environmental impact of the Anthropocene and build a sustainable future. For children to engage with and one day contribute to finding sustainable solutions, they must learn not just science concepts, but also how to think critically about the role of the human in the systems we exist in.

In this paper, we propose VR Rehearse & Perform - a Virtual Reality application for enhancing the rehearsal efforts of performers by providing them access to accurate recreations - both visual and acoustical - of iconic concert venues.

Dream Stones is a set of physical programmable robotic balls that facilitates new intercultural meanings for children. It weaves together the benefits of physical embodied play with tinkering in material making of technology that connects and transcends. The paper is contextualized in over 40 ideas from children around the world who facilitated our design thinking.

In this application-based poster, we describe three case studies about potential application of augmented reality (AR) in the broadcasting and entertainment industry. The poster covers the potential impact on BBC's principal objectives to "entertain, educate and inform" in a variety of environments such as broadcast studios, classrooms and in the home.

We present a framework for the design and evaluation of distributed, collaborative 3D interaction focussing on projection based systems. We discuss the issues of collaborative 3D interaction using audio/video for face-to-face communication and the differences in using rear projection based Virtual Environments. Further, we explore how the use of video/audio, input device representations and other disturbance factors typical of projection-based virtual environments affect co-presence, co-working and co-knowledge in distributed CVEs. We present results from co-presence and co-working evaluation sessions of about 60 users of various profiles. An extensive statistical, group and variation group analysis of the results is carried out. The findings and the resulting design guidelines are presented in this paper in respect to the above factors.

The proliferation of projection-based systems in recent years resulted in a variety of specialised interaction techniques that make Virtual Environments a better man machine interface. However, the success of these techniques and metaphors is directly linked to the interaction and tracking devices used in their implementation. Users find that devices such as the data glove, stylus or joystick can be expensive and cumbersome especially for the inexperienced. A variety of approaches exist that make use of computer vision for tracking gestures or for achieving wireless interaction. Typically these approaches involve the use of a two- camera pair, or a stereoscopic camera. Our approach uses only one camera and one or more reflective surfaces, to effectively and accurately calculate 3D information. The calibration time is minimal and it allows for a very flexible positioning of the camera and reflecting surfaces. Wireless interaction and natural interaction metaphors in the user's physical space can be created using our method. The method can be combined easily and effectively with projection-based systems as well as with standard and stereoscopic monitors, or extended for the use in augmented spaces. It is an inexpensive method that uses commonly available hardware and therefore its application areas as an interaction and tracking device, include games and use of virtual environments in education. In this paper, we describe the method and its use as an interaction device in two applications, and conclude with a discussion on its advantages and limitations.

Today's technology and advances in networking and telecommunications stimulate a change in the way business is carried out, making it a globally distributed process, in which communication and collaboration of geographically dispersed groups is of vital importance.Virtual Reality systems are adapting accordingly, by providing not only a better man-machine interface, but also by facilitating human to human interaction and collaboration over distance.The approach presented in this paper, creates an environment where remote participants not only meet as if face to face, but also share the same virtual space and perform common tasks.Live stereo-video and audio, from a projectionbased VR system are transmitted and integrated into the virtual space of another participant at a distant VR system, allowing geographically separated groups to meet in a common virtual space, while maintaining eyecontact, gaze awareness and body language.The scientific approach involves stereo-camera calibration and rectification, and use of the camera parameters for integrating the stereovideo into a virtual environment, while maintaining the stereo-effect and correct perspective for each participant.A prototype environment in CyberStage, is also presented in detail in this paper.Virtual Reality is widely accepted as a promising approach to a better man-machine interface, overcoming the present limitations of desktop systems and adapting more closely to the user needs.Projection-based VR systems are using metaphors, such as the blackboard or the desk for creating shared working environments that provide a more natural man-machine communication [ 14][ 191.Today's technology and advances in telecommunications lead to sophisticated multimedia systems which combined with virtual reality can provide a high degree of co-presence and co-working for geographically dispersed groups [2] [ 161.Therefore, new challenges are introduced in terms of multimedia integration in distributed virtual reality environments and interaction.It is not only a question of solving the technical problems of gathering and transmitting multimedia datastreams with sufficient quality and speed, but also a question of addressing the specific needs of human communication.For example, facial expression, body language and eye contact are an integral part of this communication.