Get Real With Me: Effects of Avatar Realism on Social Presence and Comfort in Augmented Reality Remote Collaboration and Self-DisclosureAugmented reality (AR) is poised to transform remote communication with realistic user representations authentically simulating in-person interactions in one's own environment. While increased avatar realism is beneficial in various social contexts, as it generally fosters social presence, its impact in intimate interactions is less clear, possibly creating discomfort. We explored how varying avatar realism affects social presence and comfort in AR across different social interactions. Realism preferences were established in an online survey (N=157), informing our subsequent experiment (N=42). Participants engaged in remote AR collaboration and self-disclosure tasks with avatars ranging from abstract to realistic point-cloud. Quantitative and qualitative feedback revealed that higher avatar realism generally enhances social presence and comfort, though preferences can vary. The self-disclosure task increased social presence but reduced comfort compared to the collaboration task. This research provides an empirical analysis of avatar realism, highlighting the benefits of realistic avatars in various scenarios.2025JKJonah-Noël Kaiser et al.OFFIS - Institute for Information TechnologyAR Navigation & Context AwarenessImmersion & Presence ResearchIdentity & Avatars in XRCHI
Kinetic Connections: Exploring the Impact of Realistic Body Movements on Social Presence in Collaborative Virtual RealityProfessional and personal lives are undergoing a shift from physical to virtual meetings. While this offers numerous advantages, such as increased spatial autonomy, it also poses risks to the social bonds among employees, families, and friends. Even current collaborative virtual reality (VR) applications cannot bridge the separation in virtual meetings, as they do not provide a sense of social connectedness comparable to in-person interaction. Reasons include limited behavioral realism of VR avatars, e.g., in displayed body movements. We systematically investigated how realistic body movements influence Social Presence in a collaborative VR task. We explored three types of motion-tracking mechanisms: no motion-tracking beyond controllers, hand-tracking, and full-body motion-tracking with hand-tracking. To examine their influence on Social Presence, we designed a spatial collaboration task based on insights gained from semi-structured interviews (N = 6). Subsequently, we conducted a controlled VR experiment (N = 18), in which participants' counterparts employed the various motion-tracking technologies while performing said task. Our results demonstrate that realistic body movements do not influence self-reported Social Presence in VR. Nevertheless, they entail an increased interpersonal distance among users, attributable to a subconscious influence on Social Presence.2024SKSimon Kimmel et al.Session 3f: Embodiment and Experience: Social Behavior and Decision-Making in VRCSCW
Why the Fine, AI? The Effect of Explanation Level on Citizens' Fairness Perception of AI-based Discretion in Public AdministrationsThe integration of Artificial Intelligence into decision-making processes within public administration extends to AI-systems that exercise administrative discretion. This raises fairness concerns among citizens, possibly leading to AI-systems abandonment. Uncertainty persists regarding explanation elements impacting citizens' perception of fairness and technology adoption level. In a video-vignette online-survey (N=847), we investigated the impact of explanation levels on citizens' perceptions of informational fairness, distributive fairness, and system adoption level. We enhanced explanations in three stages: none, factor explanations, culminating in factor importance explanations. We found that more detailed explanations improved informational and distributive fairness perceptions, but did not affect citizens' willingness to reuse the system. Interestingly, citizens with higher AI-literacy expressed greater willingness to adopt the system, regardless of the explanation levels. Qualitative findings revealed that greater human involvement and appeal mechanisms could positively influence citizens' perceptions. Our findings highlight the importance of citizen-centered design of AI-based decision-making in public administration.2024SASaja Aljuneidi et al.OFFIS - Institute for Information TechnologyAI Ethics, Fairness & AccountabilityAlgorithmic Transparency & AuditabilityPrivacy by Design & User ControlCHI
Don't Panic! - Influence of Virtual Stressor Representations from the ICU Context on Perceived Stress LevelsIntensive care nurses are prone to suffering from chronic stress due to constant exposure to two main profession-related stressors: interruption and time pressure. These stressors have detrimental effects on the well-being of the nursing staff and, by proxy, the patients. To alleviate stress, increase safety, and support the training of stressful scenarios, we investigate the impact these stressors have on subjective and objective stress levels in a virtual environment. We designed an intensive care unit in which participants (n=26, 18 healthcare professionals) perform common tasks, e.g. refilling an infusion pump, whilst being exposed to interruptions and time pressure. Results from our between-subjects study provide data indicating stress increase in both stressor conditions, suggesting that artificially evoking work-related stressors for stress inoculation training (SIT) is a possible extension to simulation training during nursing education. This knowledge is helpful for designing training scenarios of safety critical situations early in the professional apprenticeship.2023SWSebastian Weiß et al.OFFIS - Institute for Information TechnologyV2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) Communication DesignMental Health Apps & Online Support CommunitiesTelemedicine & Remote Patient MonitoringCHI
Let's Face It: Influence of Facial Expressions on Social Presence in Collaborative Virtual RealityAs the world becomes more interconnected, physical separation between people increases. Existing collaborative Virtual Reality (VR) applications, designed to bridge this distance, are not yet sufficient in providing a sense of social connection comparable to face-to-face interactions. Possible reasons are the limited multimodality of VR systems and the lack of non-verbal cues in VR avatars. We systematically investigated how facial expressions influence Social Presence in two collaborative VR tasks. We explored four types of facial expressions: eyes and mouth movements, their combination, and no expressions, for two types of explanations: verbal and graphical. To examine how these expressions influence Social Presence, we conducted a controlled VR experiment (N = 48), in which participants had to explain a specific term to their counterpart. Our results demonstrate that eye and mouth movements positively influence Social Presence in VR. Particularly, combining verbal explanations and eye movements induces the highest feeling of co-presence.2023SKSimon Kimmel et al.OFFIS - Institute for Information TechnologySocial & Collaborative VRImmersion & Presence ResearchIdentity & Avatars in XRCHI
NaviBike: Comparing Unimodal Navigation Cues for Child CyclistsNavigation systems for cyclists are commonly screen-based devices mounted on the handlebar which show map information. Typically, adult cyclists have to explicitly look down for directions. This can be distracting and challenging for children, given their developmental differences in motor and perceptual-motor abilities compared with adults. To address this issue, we designed different unimodal cues and explored their suitability for child cyclists through two experiments. In the first experiment, we developed an indoor bicycle simulator and compared auditory, light, and vibrotactile navigation cues. In the second experiment, we investigated these navigation cues in-situ in an outdoor practice test track using a mid-size tricycle. To simulate road distractions, children were given an additional auditory task in both experiments. We found that auditory navigational cues were the most understandable and the least prone to navigation errors. However, light and vibrotactile cues might be useful for educating younger child cyclists.2019AMAndrii Matviienko et al.OFFIS - Institute for Information TechnologyIn-Vehicle Haptic, Audio & Multimodal FeedbackMicromobility (E-bike, E-scooter) InteractionCognitive Impairment & Neurodiversity (Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia)CHI
Supporting Communication between Grandparents and Grandchildren through Tangible Storytelling SystemsGrandparents and grandchildren that live apart often rely on communication technologies, such as messengers, video conferencing, and phone calls for maintaining relationships. While some of these systems are challenging for grandparents, others are less engaging for children. To facilitate communication, we developed StoryBox, a tangible device that allows sharing photos, tangible artifacts, and audio recordings of everyday life. We conducted a preliminary study with two families to identify design issues, and further refine the prototype. Subsequently, we conducted a field study with four families for up to four weeks to better understand real-world use and examine inter-generational connectedness. We found that StoryBox was accessible, simple, and helped bridge the technological gap between grandparents and grandchildren. Children communicated asynchronously in a playful and idiosyncratic manner, and grandparents shared past family memories. We provide insights on how to ease communication between different generations, engage them in sharing activities, and strengthen family relationships.2018TWTorben Wallbaum et al.OFFIS - Institute for Information TechnologyKnowledge Management & Team AwarenessCommunity Engagement & Civic TechnologyInteractive Narrative & Immersive StorytellingCHI
Measuring, Understanding, and Classifying News Media Sympathy on Twitter after Crisis EventsThis paper investigates bias in coverage between Western and Arab media on Twitter after the November 2015 Beirut and Paris terror attacks. Using two Twitter datasets covering each attack, we investigate how Western and Arab media differed in coverage bias, sympathy bias, and resulting information propagation. We crowdsourced sympathy and sentiment labels for 2,390 tweets across four languages (English, Arabic, French, German), built a regression model to characterize sympathy, and thereafter trained a deep convolutional neural network to predict sympathy. Key findings show: (a) both events were disproportionately covered (b) Western media exhibited less sympathy, where each media coverage was more sympathetic towards the country affected in their respective region (c) Sympathy predictions supported ground truth analysis that Western media was less sympathetic than Arab media (d) Sympathetic tweets do not spread any further. We discuss our results in light of global news flow, Twitter affordances, and public perception impact.2018AAAbdallah El Ali et al.CWI (Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica), University of OldenburgSocial Platform Design & User BehaviorContent Moderation & Platform GovernanceMisinformation & Fact-CheckingCHI
All about Acceptability?: Identifying Factors for the Adoption of Data GlassesInnovations often trigger objections before becoming widely accepted. This paper assesses whether a familiarisation over time can be expected for data glasses, too. While user attitudes towards those devices have been reported to be prevalently negative [14], it is still unclear, to what extent this initial, negative user attitude might impede adoption. However, indepth understanding is crucial for reducing barriers early in order to gain access to potential benefits from the technology. With this paper we contribute to a better understanding of factors affecting data glasses adoption, as well as current trends and opinions. Our multiple-year case study (N=118) shows, against expectations, no significant change towards a more positive attitude between 2014 and 2016. We complement these findings with an expert survey (N=51) investigating prognoses, challenges and discussing the relevance of social acceptability. We elicit and contrast a controversial spectrum of expert opinions, and assess whether initial objections can be overwritten. Our analysis shows that while social acceptability is considered relevant for the time being, utility and usability are more valued for long-term adoption.2018MKMarion Koelle et al.University of OldenburgEye Tracking & Gaze InteractionUniversal & Inclusive DesignUser Research Methods (Interviews, Surveys, Observation)CHI
Exploring Social Awareness: A Design Case Study in Minimal CommunicationComputer-mediated communication technology is ubiquitous in today's society. However, the design of these technologies often takes a screen-based approach and requires users to adopt new usage conventions. While these methods have been widely successful in helping individuals communicate, we take a step back in this paper and explore the design implications of a simpler tangible system for keeping in touch. This system consists of a pair of artificial electronic flowers, which connect and transmit information to each other. Our contribution is not in the actual implementation, but rather in the design implications that follow. In our modest evaluation we found participants using our system in informal, relaxed and sometimes novel ways.2018TWTorben Wallbaum et al.OFFIS - Institute for Information TechnologyParticipatory DesignDigital Art Installations & Interactive PerformanceCHI
Where to Look: Exploring Peripheral Cues for Shifting Attention to Spatially Distributed Out-of-View ObjectsKnowing the locations of spatially distributed objects is important in many different scenarios (e.g., driving a car and being aware of other road users). In particular, it is critical for preventing accidents with objects that come too close (e.g., cyclists or pedestrians). In this paper, we explore how peripheral cues can shift a user's attention towards spatially distributed out-of-view objects. We identify a suitable technique for visualization of these out-of-view objects and explore different cue designs to advance this technique to shift the user's attention. In a controlled lab study, we investigate non-animated peripheral cues with audio stimuli and animated peripheral cues without audio stimuli. Further, we looked into how user's identify out-of-view objects. Our results show that shifting the user's attention only takes about 0.86 seconds on average when animated stimuli are used, while shifting the attention with non-animated stimuli takes an average of 1.10 seconds.2018UGUwe Gruenefeld et al.External HMI (eHMI) — Communication with Pedestrians & CyclistsIn-Vehicle Haptic, Audio & Multimodal FeedbackAutoUI
Feel the Movement: Real Motion Influences Responses to Take-over Requests in Highly Automated VehiclesTake-over requests (TORs) in highly automated vehicles are cues that prompt users to resume control. TORs however, are often evaluated in non-moving driving simulators. This ignores the role of motion, an important source of information for users who have their eyes off the road while engaged in non-driving related tasks. We ran a user study in a moving-base driving simulator to investigate the effect of motion on TOR responses. We found that with motion, user responses to TORs vary depending on the road context where TORs are issued. While previous work showed that participants are fast to respond to urgent cues, we show that this is true only when TORs are presented on straight roads. Urgent cues issued on curved roads elicit slower responses than non-urgent cues on curved roads. Our findings indicate that TORs should be designed to be aware of road context to accommodate natural user responses.2018SBShadan Sadeghian Borojeni et al.OFFIS Institute for Information TechnologyAutomated Driving Interface & Takeover DesignCHI