Challenges in Synchronous & Remote Collaboration Around VisualizationWe characterize 16 challenges faced by those investigating and developing remote and synchronous collaborative experiences around visualization. Our work reflects the perspectives and prior research efforts of an international group of 29 experts from across human-computer interaction and visualization sub-communities. The challenges are anchored around five collaborative activities that exhibit a centrality of visualization and multimodal communication. These activities include exploratory data analysis, creative ideation, visualization-rich presentations, joint decision making grounded in data, and real-time data monitoring. The challenges also reflect the changing dynamics of these activities in the face of recent advances in extended reality (XR) and artificial intelligence (AI). As an organizing scheme for future research at the intersection of visualization and computer-supported cooperative work, we align the challenges with a sequence of four sets of research and development activities: technological choices, social factors, AI assistance, and evaluation.2026MBMatthew Brehmer et al.University of WaterlooInteractive Data VisualizationRemote Work Tools & ExperienceMulti-User Large Display CollaborationCHI
SafeSpect: Safety-First Augmented Reality Heads-up Display for Drone InspectionsCurrent tablet-based interfaces for drone operations often impose a heavy cognitive load on pilots and reduce situational awareness by dividing attention between the video feed and the real world. To address these challenges, we designed a heads-up augmented reality (AR) interface that overlays in-situ information to support drone pilots in safety-critical tasks. Through participatory design workshops with professional pilots, we identified key features and developed an adaptive AR interface that dynamically switches between task and safety views to prevent information overload. We evaluated our prototype by creating a realistic building inspection task and comparing three interfaces: a 2D tablet, a static AR, and our adaptive AR design. A user study with 15 participants showed that the AR interface improved access to safety information, while the adaptive AR interface reduced cognitive load and enhanced situational awareness without compromising task performance. We offer design insights for developing safety-first heads-up AR interfaces.2025PXPeisen Xu et al.National University of Singapore, Department of Computer Science; IPALHead-Up Display (HUD) & Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS)AR Navigation & Context AwarenessContext-Aware ComputingCHI
Surveying the Social Comfort of Body, Device, and Environment-Based Augmented Reality Interactions in Confined Passenger Spaces Using Mixed Reality Composite Videos"Augmented Reality (AR) headsets could significantly improve the passenger experience, freeing users from the restrictions of physical smartphones, tablets and seatback displays. However, the confined space of public transport and the varying proximity to other passengers may restrict what interaction techniques are deemed socially acceptable for AR users - particularly considering current reliance on mid-air interactions in consumer headsets. We contribute and utilize a novel approach to social acceptability video surveys, employing mixed reality composited videos to present a real user performing interactions across different virtual transport environments. This approach allows for controlled evaluation of perceived social acceptability whilst freeing researchers to present interactions in any simulated context. Our resulting survey (N=131) explores the social comfort of body, device, and environment-based interactions across seven transit seating arrangements. We reflect on the advantages of discreet inputs over mid-air and the unique challenges of face-to-face seating for passenger AR." https://doi.org/10.1145/36109232023DMDaniel Medeiros et al.AR Navigation & Context AwarenessMixed Reality WorkspacesImmersion & Presence ResearchUbiComp
Cleared for Safe Take-off? Improving the Usability of Mission Preparation to Mitigate the Safety Risks of Drone OperationsDrone operations such as power line inspection, automated deliveries, or crowd control are becoming more widespread. For flights that present serious risks to human safety, operators must conduct safety assessments and get authorizations from the regulators. These preparation tasks are complex and time-consuming but few previous works addressed them. We interviewed 14 professional drone operators, safety study consultants, and 2 regulators to better understand the needs for these tasks. The result is a workable model of the tasks which includes defining the concept of operation, assessing operational risks, and negotiating for authorization. We devised 9 recommendations to inform the design of future mission preparation tools, and consolidated them with a follow-up questionnaire. The recommendations include systematically describing a mission with operational parameters, showing their estimated impact on mission safety, or enabling awareness of the application's status among all stakeholders. We conclude with design concerns and opportunities to inform future research.2023BRBalita Heriniaina RAKOTONARIVO et al.ENAC - Université de ToulouseDrone Interaction & ControlPrototyping & User TestingCHI
Tactilient: Turbulence resilient tactile icons for pilot feedbackGiven the high attentional demand in aircraft cockpits, tactons can be used to deliver information without overloading the visual and auditory channels. However, aircraft are subject to turbulence that interfere with vibrotactile feedback. To investigate the impact of turbulence on tacton identification, 18 participants tried to identify 9 tactons with varying intensity and rhythm, while experiencing uncomfortable and very uncomfortable levels of mechanical vibration defined in ISO 2631-1. The results show that the effectiveness of tactile communication decreases with the rhythm identification performance as the level of turbulence increases. In our study, an RMS acceleration delta of 0.70~Grms between two consecutive tactons guaranteed near zero confusion. Based on their experience performing the study, participants built tactons that included 4 pulses, lasted for at least 350~ms and vibrated at no less than 1.25~Grms to be comfortably perceived. Our results will support practitioners for designing tactons that can be more resilient to turbulence.2023DVDong-Bach Vo et al.ENAC – Université de ToulouseIn-Vehicle Haptic, Audio & Multimodal FeedbackVibrotactile Feedback & Skin StimulationCHI
CandyFly: Bringing fun to drone pilots with disabilities through adapted and adaptable interactionsFlying drones is an increasingly popular activity. However, it is challenging due to the required perceptual and motor skills for following and stabilizing the drone, especially for people with special needs. This paper describes CandyFly, an application supporting people with diverse sensory, cognitive and motor impairments to pilot drones. We observed an existing accessible piloting workshop and evaluated CandyFly during eight additional workshops over three and a half years using a research-through-design process and ability-based design methods. We identified users’ needs, formulated requirements and explored adaptive interactions such as using pressure-sensitive keys, adjusting controls to the pilots’ range of motion, or limiting the drone’s degrees of freedom to cope with a broad range of disabilities. Our results show that the pilots and their caregivers enjoyed flying and emphasized CandyFly’s ability to be tailored to specific needs. Our findings offer a framework for designing adaptable systems and can support the design of future assistive and recreational systems.2022JGJérémie Garcia et al.ENAC - Université de ToulouseMotor Impairment Assistive Input TechnologiesDrone Interaction & ControlCHI
Vizir: A Domain-Specific Graphical Language for Authoring and Operating Airport AutomationsAutomation is one of the key solutions proposed and adopted by international Air Transport research programs to meet the challenges of increasing air traffic. For automation to be safe and usable, it needs to be suitable to the activity it supports, both when authoring it and when operating it. Here we present Vizir, a Domain-Specific Graphical Language and an Environment for authoring and operating airport automations. We used a participatory-design process with Air Traffic Controllers to gather requirements for Vizir and to design its features. Vizir combines visual interaction-oriented programming constructs with activity-related geographic areas and events. Vizir offers explicit human-control constructs, graphical substrates and means to scale-up with multiple automations. We propose a set of guidelines to inspire designers of similar usable hybrid human-automation systems.2018SCStéphane Conversy et al.Time-Series & Network Graph VisualizationMental Health Apps & Online Support CommunitiesCrowdsourcing Task Design & Quality ControlUIST
SIG: Making Maps Accessible and Putting Accessibility in MapsDigital maps represent an incredible HCI success—they have transformed the way people navigate in and access information about the world. While these platforms contain terabytes of data about road networks and points of interest (POIs), their information about physical accessibility is commensurately poor. Moreover, because of their highly graphical nature and reliance on gesture and mouse input, digital maps can be inaccessible to some user groups (e.g., those with visual or motor impairments). While there is active HCI work towards addressing both concerns, to our knowledge, there has been no direct effort to unite this research community. The goal of this SIG is threefold: first, to bring together and network scholars and practitioners who are broadly working in the area of accessible maps; second, to identify grand challenges and open problems; third, to help better establish accessible maps as a valuable topic with important HCI-related research problems.2018ABAnke M. Brock et al.University Toulouse - ENACVisual Impairment Technologies (Screen Readers, Tactile Graphics, Braille)Motor Impairment Assistive Input TechnologiesUniversal & Inclusive DesignCHI
Towards a Multisensory Augmented Reality Map for Blind and Low Vision People: a Participatory Design ApproachCurrent low-tech Orientation & Mobility (O&M) tools for visually impaired people, e.g. tactile maps, possess limitations. Interactive accessible maps have been developed to overcome these. However, most of them are limited to exploration of existing maps, and have remained in laboratories. Using a participatory design approach, we have worked closely with 15 visually impaired students and 3 O&M instructors over 6 months. We iteratively designed and developed an augmented reality map destined at use in O&M classes in special education centers. This prototype combines projection, audio output and use of tactile tokens, and thus allows both map exploration and construction by low vision and blind people. Our user study demonstrated that all students were able to successfully use the prototype, and showed a high user satisfaction. A second phase with 22 international special education teachers allowed us to gain more qualitative insights. This work shows that augmented reality has potential for improving the access to education for visually impaired people.2018JAJérémy Albouys-Perrois et al.Inria BordeauxMultilingual & Cross-Cultural Voice InteractionVisual Impairment Technologies (Screen Readers, Tactile Graphics, Braille)Augmentative & Alternative Communication (AAC)CHI