GazeZoom: Exploration of Gaze-Assisted Multimodal Techniques for Panning and ZoomingZooming and panning are fundamental input actions for exploring complex 2D and 3D scenes and data such as images, maps, and designs. Multi-touch zoom/pan interactions have been proven effective on mobile devices, and have been directly ported to HMDs, where they are typically accomplished by analogous but relatively large-scale movements of both hands. We argue that such motions are inefficient and induce fatigue and explore how the eye-tracking features of HMDs can be leveraged to achieve improvements. We evaluated three interaction techniques that combine gaze with two-handed, one-handed, and head-based input in a study (N=24) that contrasts them against a baseline two-handed technique. The results indicate that gaze-assisted two- and one-handed techniques outperform the baseline (17%-36% faster), while our head-based technique achieves similar performance to the Baseline but leaves the hands free for other tasks. We further developed a VR application demonstrating these techniques and validating their practical applicability.2026YLYilong Lin et al.Southern University of Science and TechnologyEye Tracking & Gaze InteractionSocial & Collaborative VRImmersion & Presence ResearchCHI
TingleTouch: Touch Guidance through Electrical Stimulation in Resistance TrainingIn resistance training, trainers employ touch guidance to help trainees control posture and activate muscles. Haptic feedback can extend this support to solitary workouts, but translating the nuances of touch into effective haptic patterns remains challenging. In this paper, we categorize the instructional messages conveyed through trainers' touch guidance and design electrical stimulation patterns to replicate them. A preliminary study with six trainers and six trainees identified six core messages underlying touch guidance. We then designed electrical stimulation patterns for each message and refined them with two sports scientists and a UX designer, ensuring usability and grounding. Finally, sixteen gymgoers evaluated these patterns in a controlled exercise task. Participants reliably distinguished the feedback and used the instructed muscles accordingly, achieving accuracies of 97.14% and 99.22% across two sessions, cross-checked with EMG and pose estimation. These findings demonstrate that the proposed electrical stimulation feedback is intuitive and learnable.2026DKDong-Uk Kim et al.Chung-Ang UniversityElectrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS)Fitness Tracking & Physical Activity MonitoringBehavior Change & Reflection TechnologyCHI
Beyond Words: Measuring User Experience through Speech Analysis in Voice User InterfacesVoice assistants (VAs) are typically evaluated through task performance metrics and self-report questionnaires, but people’s voices themselves carry rich paralinguistic cues that reveal affect, effort, and interaction breakdowns. We present a within-subjects study (N=49) that systematically compared three VA personas across three usage scenarios to investigate whether speech-derived audio features can serve as a proxy for user experience (UX). Participants’ speech was analyzed for temporal, spectral, and linguistic markers, alongside standardized UX measures, brief mood and stress ratings, and a post-study questionnaire. We found correlations between specific speech features and self-reported satisfaction and experience. Furthermore, a machine learning model trained on speech features achieved promising accuracy in classifying UX levels, indicating that this might be a reasonable alternative to self-report instruments. Our findings establish speech as a viable, real-time signal for implicitly measuring UX and point toward adaptive VUIs that respond dynamically to emotional and usability-related vocal cues.2026YMYong Ma et al.University of BergenVoice User Interface (VUI) DesignIntelligent Voice Assistants (Alexa, Siri, etc.)Affective Feedback & Emotion Regulation InterfacesCHI
ASafePlace: User-Led Personalization of VR Relaxation via an Art Therapy ActivityTo overcome the lack of deep personalization in standard biofeedback methods, we introduce ASafePlace, a system utilizing an AI-powered, art-therapy-inspired exercise called The Safe Place, to create a personalized VR biofeedback experience. In our system, users sketch a personal sanctuary from memory, which is then transformed into a customized 360° virtual environment with personalized audio guidance for relaxation training. A study with 52 participants showed this approach effectively reduced anxiety and increased user presence, while the integration of art-therapy-inspired activity and biofeedback produced strong improvements in physiological relaxation, measured by heart rate variability and respiration rate. Qualitative results showed how participants' sense of familiarity and presence was enhanced by the symbolic elements and natural sanctuaries created from their autobiographical memories. Our findings demonstrate that art-therapy-inspired activity is a powerful tool for creating highly effective and individualized relaxation experiences, naturally connecting the virtual environment to a user's core memories and emotions.2026CZChuyang Zhang et al.Southern University of Science and TechnologyImmersion & Presence ResearchVR Medical Training & RehabilitationAffective Feedback & Emotion Regulation InterfacesCHI
SoundWeAR: Co-Designing AR Sound Cues to Support Outdoor Awareness for DHH IndividualsFor Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) individuals, limited access to sound cues in outdoor environments can reduce situational awareness, making it challenging to notice events and respond to potential dangers. To address this, we investigated the needs for sound awareness and preferences of DHH individuals for visualizing environmental sounds using AR glasses. We conducted four participatory design workshops with DHH participants, social workers, and designers to explore sound awareness needs and co-design ideal visual representations. Based on our insights, we conducted interviews with 15 DHH participants to select their preferred visualizations. The most voted designs were implemented in prototype, which eight DHH participants evaluated in outdoor environment. Results demonstrate that visualizing sound cues through AR can enhance situational awareness and increase sense of safety and confidence among DHH individuals while walking outdoors. Our findings provide design suggestions for translating auditory information into accessible visual representations for DHH users.2026ASAnna Surovkova et al.Southern University of Science and TechnologyHaptic WearablesTangible Interaction in EducationContext-Aware ComputingCHI
Extendlibur: Dynamic Haptic Retargeting for Length-Mismatched Proxies in Co-Located VRHaptic retargeting is an effective technique to deliver realistic haptic feedback from a single physical proxy to multiple virtual objects. Previous studies have mainly focused on single-user scenarios involving virtual objects with varying shapes or locations, but few have explored how to retarget multiple virtual objects that are jointly manipulated or interacted with by multiple users. This paper presents a new haptic retargeting technique for co-located VR. It allows two users to interact using shape-mismatched virtual tools, specifically lengths that mismatch the physical props they hold. By gradually offsetting the virtual tools, the technique ensures appropriate haptic feedback and creates the illusion of using tools with different lengths. We conducted a user study to examine how much the virtual tool’s length can be altered using our approach in our setup without breaking the illusion for users. Based on the findings, we proposed two example uses and validated in a follow-up application study. The results show that our method can provide more realistic and enjoyable experiences in shared VR environments.2025JCJunyu Chen et al.Mid-Air Haptics (Ultrasonic)Haptic WearablesUIST
HapticWings: Enhancing the Experience of Extra Wing Motions in Virtual Reality through Dynamic 2D Weight ShiftingIn virtual reality (VR), our virtual body can have different characteristics from our real body, such as appearance, size, and even extra body parts. Previous research shows that haptic feedback enhances the user-perceived embodiment of those dissimilar avatars. In particular, weight-shifting devices showed the potential to enhance arm deformation. However, there has been no exploration of using such techniques to enhance embodiment with extra body parts, like wings. We introduce HapticWings, a back-wearable 2D weight-shifting device that provides haptic feedback for wing motions, enhancing the user embodiment of avatars with extra wings. In three user studies, we explored (1) users' abilities to recognize different weight-shifting motions provided by HapticWings, (2) users' perceived embodiment of avatars with extra wings when providing haptic feedback for wing motions, and (3) four possible applications and used two of them to evaluate users' sense of realism and enjoyment in VR.2025YCYingjie Chang et al.Force Feedback & Pseudo-Haptic WeightShape-Changing Interfaces & Soft Robotic MaterialsImmersion & Presence ResearchDIS
DobbyEar: Inducing Body Illusion of Ear Deformation with Haptic RetargetingThe use of haptic and visual stimuli to create body illusions and enhance body ownership of virtual avatars in virtual reality (VR) has been extensively studied in the fields of psychology and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). However, previous studies have relied on mechanical devices or corresponding proxies to provide haptic feedback. In this paper, we applied haptic retargeting to induce body illusions by redirecting users’ hand movements, altering their perception of the shape of body parts when touched. Our technique allows for the realization of more precise and complex deformations. We implemented mapping of the ear’s contour, thereby creating illusions of different ear shapes, such as elf ears and dog ears. To determine the scope of retargeting, we conducted a user study to identify the maximum tolerable deviation angle for virtual ears. Subsequently, we explored the impact of haptic retargeting on body ownership of virtual avatars.2025HSHan Shi et al.Southern University of Science and Technology; Fudan UniversityMid-Air Haptics (Ultrasonic)Identity & Avatars in XRCHI
ReachPad: Interacting with Multiple Virtual Screens using a Single Physical Pad through Haptic RetargetingThe advancement of Virtual Reality (VR) has expanded 2D user interfaces into 3D space. This change has introduced richer interaction modalities but also brought challenges, especially the lack of haptic feedback in mid-air interactions. Previous research has explored various methods to provide feedback for interface interactions, but most approaches require specialized haptic devices. We introduce haptic retargeting to enable users to control multiple virtual screens in VR using a simple flat pad, which serves as a single physical proxy to support seamless interaction across multiple virtual screens. We conducted user studies to explore the appropriate virtual screen size and positioning under our retargeting method and then compared various drag-and-drop methods for cross-screen interaction. Finally, we compared our method with controller-based interaction in application scenarios.2025HSHan Shi et al.Southern University of Science and Technology; Fudan UniversityIn-Vehicle Haptic, Audio & Multimodal FeedbackMixed Reality WorkspacesImmersion & Presence ResearchCHI
VRCaptions: Design Captions for DHH Users in Multiplayer Communication in VRAccessing auditory information remains challenging for DHH individuals in real-world situations and multiplayer VR interactions. To improve this, we investigated caption designs that specialize in the needs of DHH users in multiplayer VR settings. First, we conducted three co-design workshops with DHH participants, social workers, and designers to gather insights into the specific needs of design directions for DHH users in the context of a room escape game in VR. We further refined our designs with 13 DHH users to determine the most preferred features. Based on this, we developed VRCaptions, a caption prototype for DHH users to better experience multiplayer conversations in VR. We lastly invited two mixed-hearing groups to participate in the VR room escape game with our VRCaptions to validate. The results demonstrate that VRCaptions can enhance the ability of DHH participants to access information and reduce the barrier to communication in VR.2025TXTianze Xie et al.Southern University of Science and TechnologyConversational ChatbotsSocial & Collaborative VRDeaf & Hard-of-Hearing Support (Captions, Sign Language, Vibration)CHI
AirPush: A Pneumatic Wearable Haptic Device Providing Multi-Dimensional Force Feedback on a FingertipFinger wearable haptic devices enrich virtual reality experiences by offering haptic feedback corresponding to the virtual environment. However, despite the effectiveness of current finger wearable haptic devices in delivering haptic feedback, many are often constrained in their ability to provide force feedback across a diverse range of directions or to sustain it. Therefore, we present AirPush, a finger wearable haptic device capable of generating continuously adjustable force feedback in multiple directions using compressed air. To evaluate its usability, we conducted a technical evaluation and four user studies: (1) we obtained the user's perceptual thresholds of angles under different directions on horizontal and vertical planes, (2) in perception studies, we found that users can identify five different magnitudes of force and eight different motion when using AirPush, and (3) using it in VR applications, we confirmed that users felt more realistic and immersed when using AirPush than the HTC VIVE Controller or AirPush with a fixed nozzle.2024YMYuxin Ma et al.Southern University of Science and TechnologyForce Feedback & Pseudo-Haptic WeightCHI
ArmDeformation: Inducing the Sensation of Arm Deformation in Virtual Reality Using Skin-StretchingWith the development of virtual reality (VR) technology, research is being actively conducted on how incorporating multisensory feedback can create the illusion that virtual avatars are perceived as an extension of the body in VR. In line with this research direction, we introduce ArmDeformation, a wearable device employing skin-stretching to enhance virtual forearm ownership during arm deformation illusion. We conducted five user studies with 98 participants. Using a developed tabletop device, we confirmed the optimal number of actuators and the ideal skin-stretching design effectively increases the user's body ownership. Additionally, we explored the maximum visual threshold for forearm bending and the minimum detectable bending direction angle when using skin-stretching in VR. Finally, our study demonstrates that using ArmDeformation in VR applications enhances user realism and enjoyment compared to relying on visual feedback alone.2024YLYilong Lin et al.Southern University of Science and TechnologyMid-Air Haptics (Ultrasonic)Immersion & Presence ResearchIdentity & Avatars in XRCHI