We here present a series of design explorations focusing on batteryless interactions powered by hand cranking body movements. The explorations concern not only the matter of powering but also the use of human physical engagement for controlling interactive systems, as well as how to support designers in testing, exploring, and making such interactions. This pictorial illustrates contributions concerned with the embodied and electro-physical prototyping of such experiences, in addition to our efforts to facilitate such design work through new technical tools.

Background: Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment for panic disorder with agoraphobia (PDA). However, implementation of some of the procedures involved, particularly in vivo exposure, can be time consuming and taxing for routine health care services. CBT with exposure taking place in virtual reality (VR-CBT) is a more time-efficient option and has shown promising results in the treatment of PDA. However, VR-CBT requires expensive equipment and appropriate virtual environments, which historically has been costly and cumbersome to produce. Thus, access to VR-CBT has been sparse in regular care environments. Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate whether VR-CBT using filmed virtual environments produced with a low-cost 360-degree film camera can be a feasible and acceptable treatment for PDA when implemented in a primary care context. Method: This was an open feasibility trial with a within-group design, with assessments conducted at pre-test, post-test, and 6-month follow-up. Participants (n = 12) received a 10-12 week treatment programme of VR-CBT and PDA-related symptoms were assessed by the primary outcome measure The Mobility Inventory for Agoraphobia (MIA) and the Panic-Disorder Severity Scale-Self Rated (PDSS-SR). Results: The results showed that treatment satisfaction was high and participants were significantly improved on PDA-related measures at post-treatment and at 6-month follow-up with large effect sizes (Cohen's d range = 1.46-2.82). All 12 participants completed the treatment. Conclusions: These findings suggest that VR-CBT with 360-degree video virtual environments delivered to primary care patients with PDA is feasible, acceptable, and potentially efficacious. 

This work investigates experiences and practical aspects of co-located and co-watched 360-videos in head mounted displays by groups of older people at nursing homes. In a study involving 19 residents at two different nursing homes, co-watching screenings were arranged with 360-videos produced in the local area by filmmakers. Data was collected through non-participant observation and semi-structured interviews with the participants. Input from nurses and facilitators were also collected. We found this to be a much appreciated, feasible, and enjoyable immersive experience improving short-term well-being, expressed through (e.g.) new conversations, pride in participation, and spontaneous movements. However, the value of co-watching was mainly captured for residents who already knew each other, and we found limited indications of virtual co-presence. We further recognized the value of the videos themselves and the desire for new 360-video experiences. But also, a need for better headsets suitable for older people and shared use at nursing homes to avoid social isolation due to the introduction of VR technology.

In exposure therapy and virtual reality exposure therapy, therapists face highly individual patients that have individual conditions. This leads to the challenge of individualized therapy, for which virtual reality systems need to account for. This paper investigates a prototype that allows a flexible therapy of public speaking anxiety using live-interactions from a therapist, which contain transitions from 2D to 3D interactions. Therapists are able to embody an avatar in the patient's virtual audience on purpose. We oriented our design at continuous interactions in the three dimensions: cognitive, perceptual, and functional continuity. We evaluated whether the design is beneficial for the users. For this evaluation, we conducted a study with eight non-therapist participants to assess the general usability and design aspects of continuous interaction. Our results indicate that using continuous interactions is beneficial for the use in this kind of system. For the design, we need to find ways to balance the cognitive load with the opportunities that arise, especially when these systems are scaling bigger.

AbstractWe report on three ongoing human-powered interactionexplorations with a focus on batteryless interactions using hand cranking movements. Importantly, our explorations concerned not only the matter of powering but also using human physical engagement for controlling interactive systems, and how to support designers in testing, exploring, and making such interactions. The three demonstrators consist of a) a hand cranked quote reader, b) an email sending device, and 3) a new bit for exploring this mode of interaction within the LittleBits ecosystem.

Mixed and Virtual Reality (XR) have seen an important development since the advent of low-cost technologies. The application space is still diversifying, opening up new opportunities and application areas for such technologies. An important common feature of Mixed and Virtual Reality applications is that designers and engineers need to \textit{orchestrate} virtual content and user experience. We regard orchestration of Mixed and Virtual Reality as invisible work: in many cases, orchestration is hidden within the task of story scripting of applications. It is often occluded by designing and programming Mixed and Virtual Reality. As such, orchestration is regarded as a means to a goal, which occludes its importance for the design of XR systems. We would like to invite the research community to address this issue, by focusing this workshop on highlighting and exemplifying orchestration challenges and best practices, and to systematise the orchestration topic in the context of the recent technology advances. We will consider a wide range of orchestration cases, from completely pre-orchestrated to live-orchestrated Mixed and Virtual Reality. Based on that knowledge, we aim to consider novel tools to support designers and users in their orchestration work. We invite scholars and practitioners to contribute to our workshop, with cases from their work.

Mixed and Virtual Reality (XR) have seen an important development since the advent of low-cost technologies. The application space is still diversifying, opening up new opportunities and application areas for such technologies. An important common feature of Mixed and Virtual Reality applications is that designers and engineers need to orchestrate virtual content and user experience. We regard orchestration of Mixed and Virtual Reality as invisible work: in many cases, orchestration is hidden within the task of story scripting of applications. It is often occluded by designing and programming Mixed and Virtual Reality. As such, orchestration is regarded as a means to a goal, which occludes its importance for the design of XR systems. We would like to invite the research community to address this issue, by focusing this workshop on highlighting and exemplifying orchestration challenges and best practices, and to systematise the orchestration topic in the context of the recent technology advances. We will consider a wide range of orchestration cases, from completely pre-orchestrated to live-orchestrated Mixed and Virtual Reality. Based on that knowledge, we aim to consider novel tools to support designers and users in their orchestration work. We invite scholars and practitioners to contribute to our workshop, with cases from their work.

In this paper, we investigate the probability and timing of attaining gaze fxations on interacted objects during hand interaction in virtual reality, with the main purpose for implicit and continuous eye tracking re-calibration. We conducted an evaluation with 15 participants in which their gaze was recorded while interacting with virtual objects. The data was analysed to fnd factors infuenc-ing the probability of fxations at diferent phases of interaction for diferent object types. The results indicate that 1) interacting with stationary objects may be favourable in attaining fxations to moving objects, 2) prolonged and precision-demanding interactions positively infuences the probability to attain fxations, 3) performing multiple interactions simultaneously can negatively impact the probability of fxations, and 4) feedback can initiate and end fxations on objects.

Energy feedback through interactive technologies is often proposed as a major approach to reduce household energy consumption and carbon footprint. However, this vision is challenged by critics. This paper seeks to inform this debate through a case study of an advanced energy feedback device providing runtime and de-aggregated per-appliance feedback through a smartphone app. This study, based on 15 contextual interviews, aims to investigate how users understand and act on the various levels of feedback received from the device and the resulting impact on user behaviour. We found that appliance detection can be a “moving target” that hampers the intended aims of energy feedback, as it reduces user understanding of the technology. The lack of understanding was further deepened by unrelated supplementary functionality added in the package, in the form of smart plugs. Despite gaining a better understanding of their energy consumption, the users felt limited in terms of their ability to change their behaviour considerably.