We are pleased to announced that Thursday, Oct. 24, 11:00PM (room 55-56-103), we are hosting a talk by Wen-Jie Tseng from Darmstadt University

Title: Embodied in Two Places: Investigating Space and Place Conflicts in Virtual Reality

Abstract: Embodied interaction is a theoretical tool that allows us to ponder the human use of computing and emphasizes phenomena occurring in real-time and in real places. One crucial concept in the interaction of this type is that we are located in space but acting in place. Take the auditorium and conference hall as an example. Although both spaces have a stage, chairs, and audience, researchers would not sing or dance to present work to their colleagues in a conference hall. The place here shapes how one acts. Virtual reality (VR) is a different type of interaction in which the virtual space superimposes the physical one. The VR participant is visually disconnected from the physical place. Although there are two places, VR research mainly focuses on designing experiences for the virtual place; what happens in the physical place while using VR is usually overlooked.

Where people can use VR has shifted from an empty and controlled space to a public or private one. This new context makes the discrepancy between the virtual and physical spaces more complex. Therefore, acting in both places becomes more challenging. In a traditional view, our VR experience in a virtual place is separated or parallel from the physical one. However, it may inherently lead to conflicts, like colliding with obstacles during a virtual action.

In this talk, I argue that our VR experience is embodied in two places. By extending space and place in embodied interaction, I propose the concept of space and place conflict in VR. Next, I present our research projects investigating how space conflicts may affect our VR experience, including the sense of spatial presence and embodiment. Additionally, we examine how place conflicts occur in current and future VR usage. These results inspire us to implement new interaction techniques and guidelines to mitigate place conflicts. Finally, through the lens of embodied in two places, I will discuss its implications on presence in VR and embodiment.

Bio: Wen-Jie Tseng is a PhD student in Computer Science at Darmstadt University of Technology, Germany. He has previously worked as a doctoral researcher at Telecom Paris, France. His research interest lies in human-computer interaction with a focus on the cognitive process of humans in virtual reality, including embodiment and spatial cognition.