SPECIAL SESSION #15
Exploring the Human Factor: Measurements in Mixed Reality, Virtual Reality, and Augmented Reality
ORGANIZED BY
Marta Mondellini
STIIMA, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Italy
Mario Covarubbias
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Polytechnic of Milan, Italy
ABSTRACT
This special session is dedicated to the intricate realm of mixed reality (MR), virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR), with a primary focus on measuring and analyzing the human factor within these immersive environments. As these technologies continue to advance, understanding and optimizing the interaction between humans and mixed realities becomes critical. The papers should focus on the comprehensive exploration of various metrics, methodologies, and evaluation tools tailored to evaluate the human experience in MR, VR, and AR scenarios. The works can be focused on the tool used or the results obtained that contribute to the knowledge of the mutual influence between man and new technologies. Some factors are usability, ergonomics, user satisfaction, user engagement, cognitive load, and spatial awareness. Contributions can provide insights into refining existing MR, VR, and AR applications and pave the way for developing new interfaces that prioritize the seamless integration of the human element into the digital realm.
TOPICS
The contributions can refer to the following topics, but not only:
- User Satisfaction Metrics for Mixed Reality Applications;
- Spatial Awareness in Immersive Environments;
- Best Practices to Improve Usability and Acceptability of MR Applications;
- Case Studies on the Psychological Impact of Daily Immersive Applications;
- Adapting User Interface Design for Varied Age Groups in Mixed Reality;
- Measuring Emotional Responses in Virtual Reality: Towards Emotionally Intelligent Environments;
- Impact of Social Interaction on User Experience in AR, VR and MR.
ABOUT THE ORGANIZERS
Mondellini Marta graduated in psychology at the University of Milan Bicocca in 2014. She then attended a course in human-machine interaction with a focus on the human factor. She is currently a research fellow at the Institute of Intelligent Industrial Systems and Technologies for Advanced Manufacturing and PhD student in psychology at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart of Milan. She works mainly on the validation of Virtual Environments, with a particular interest in the interaction between human factors and new technologies, focusing on the acceptability of the devices, the sense of presence, and the side effects that immersion in VEs can produce. She works on several regional/interregional/Erasmus+ projects using VR/AV technologies to promote well-being, rehabilitation and health. She is the author and co-author of scientific journals and conference publications.
Mario Covarrubias is an Associate Professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Politecnico di Milano and serves as the Head of the Virtual Prototyping and Augmented Reality Research Laboratory at the Lecco Campus. He conducts research activities in the field of Virtual, Mixed, and Augmented Reality and has authored over a hundred articles published in international journals and conferences. His work spans various application areas, including industrial, design, medical, rehabilitation, and special education. Furthermore, he is a member of the scientific committee for leading international conferences on Virtual and Augmented Reality technologies and Special Education.