+200 peer-reviewed publications, 2018–2026

@inproceedings{10.1007/978-3-032-32230-2_36,

title = {Evaluating and Optimizing Fingertip-Free Cutaneous Haptics for Mixed Reality Interactions},

author = {Yannick Weiss and Dennis Stanielewitz and Steeven Villa},

editor = {Claudio Pacchierotti and Karon E. MacLean and Jan B. F. Erp},

isbn = {978-3-032-32230-2},

year  = {2026},

date = {2026-07-28},

urldate = {2027-01-01},

booktitle = {Haptics: Understanding Touch; Technology and Systems; Applications and Interaction},

pages = {454–469},

publisher = {Springer Nature Switzerland},

address = {Cham},

abstract = {Haptic feedback remains largely absent from mixed reality (MR) systems, despite its central role in everyday interaction. Many existing haptic approaches obstruct the fingertips or constrain movement, limiting their suitability for MR, where users must seamlessly interact with both virtual content and physical objects. We investigate an unobtrusive cutaneous approach that applies pressure and shear forces to the finger's proximal phalanx while leaving the fingertips free. We rebuild a haptic ring device and evaluate its effectiveness across common interaction widgets used in mid-air and with passive surface support. In an experimental user study with 24 participants, we systematically varied pressure and shear forces and modeled their effects on perceived pleasantness and realism using response surface methodology. Our results show that optimal haptic feedback varies by interaction: moderate shear improves mid-air tasks, stronger shear aids surface-supported widgets, and pressure mainly affects buttons. Trade-offs exist between pleasantness and realism, and passive surfaces substantially influence how active cutaneous cues are perceived. Overall, this work shows that fingertip-free cutaneous feedback can enhance a wide range of MR interactions without encumbering users' hands and highlights the importance of interaction-specific haptic tuning in MR systems.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {inproceedings}

}

@inproceedings{uhde2026,

title = {Noise-Canceling, Silent Speech, or Quiet Zones? Technology and Social Soundscape Negotiation on Trains},

author = {Alarith Uhde and Shadan Sadeghian and Marc Hassenzahl},

doi = {https://doi.org/10.1145/3821683},

year  = {2026},

date = {2026-06-15},

urldate = {2026-06-15},

booktitle = {Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction (PACMHCI)},

volume = {10},

issue = {5},

publisher = {ACM},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {inproceedings}

}

@inproceedings{zenner2026ws,

title = {How AI Enables Haptic Virtual Reality in Everyday Environments},

author = {Andre Zenner and Muhammad Moiz Sakha and Sukran Karaosmanoglu and Florian Daiber and Frank Steinicke},

year  = {2026},

date = {2026-04-13},

urldate = {2026-04-13},

booktitle = {Proceedings of the AI for Haptics and Haptics for AI: Challenges and Opportunities Workshop

at the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI ’26)},

pages = {1--8},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {inproceedings}

}

@inproceedings{Weiss2026,

title = {Thermal Illusions Reliably Shift Perceived Object Temperatures Across Materials in Mixed Reality},

author = {Yannick Weiss and Dominic Lenz and Steeven Villa},

doi = {10.1145/3795011.3795037},

year  = {2026},

date = {2026-03-16},

urldate = {2026-03-16},

pages = {167--176},

publisher = {ACM},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {inproceedings}

}

@inproceedings{10.1145/3772363.3798601,

title = {"I Feel More Worried About My Privacy" Public Perceptions of Biometric Traces in Everyday Interactions},

author = {Alia Saad and Verena Winterhalter and Marvin Strauss and Stefan Schneegass},

url = {https://doi.org/10.1145/3772363.3798601},

doi = {10.1145/3772363.3798601},

isbn = {9798400722813},

year  = {2026},

date = {2026-01-01},

booktitle = {Proceedings of the Extended Abstracts of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems},

publisher = {Association for Computing Machinery},

address = {New York, NY, USA},

series = {CHI EA '26},

abstract = {People leave behind biometric traces through everyday interactions, often without fully understanding their implications. While biometric technologies increasingly rely on subtle behavioral and interaction-based signals, little is known about how people perceive these traces in daily life. We present findings from an exploratory online study (N = 120) that used short, scenario-based videos to illustrate situations in which biometric traces may be inadvertently exposed, including fingerprints, gait, thermal residues, and interaction patterns in virtual environments. We examine which traces people recognize, how concerned they are about potential misuse, and how brief exposure to such scenarios shapes privacy perception. Results show that awareness and concern frequently diverge. Participants were familiar with visible, well-known biometrics, yet less aware of emerging or interaction-borne traces. Importantly, exposure to the scenarios prompted several participants to reconsider their privacy assumptions.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {inproceedings}

}

@inproceedings{10.1145/3772363.3799314,

title = {Eye Want It All! Investigating Eye Tracking as Implicit Support for Generative Inpainting},

author = {Niklas Pfützenreuter and Carina Liebers and David Goedicke and Donald Degraen and Uwe Gruenefeld and Stefan Schneegass},

url = {https://doi.org/10.1145/3772363.3799314},

doi = {10.1145/3772363.3799314},

isbn = {9798400722813},

year  = {2026},

date = {2026-01-01},

booktitle = {Proceedings of the Extended Abstracts of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems},

publisher = {Association for Computing Machinery},

address = {New York, NY, USA},

series = {CHI EA '26},

abstract = {Users often struggle to use Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) models to generate a desired image, as controlling them solely with prompts is difficult. Current solutions to this problem, such as adding conditional controls, require users to provide explicit input, which can be tedious. To avoid depending on additional explicit input, this paper explores what implicit gaze behavior tells about user intentions when viewing generated images. In our user study (N = 16), we evaluated the correlation between gaze behavior and user annotations, showing that users looked longer at areas they wanted to regenerate. While our research is the first step, we believe our work can pave the way for incorporating implicit user input into interactions with GenAI systems.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {inproceedings}

}

@inproceedings{10.1145/3772318.3790767,

title = {Connected Material Experiences using Bimanual Vibrotactile Crosstalk in Virtual Reality},

author = {Nihar Sabnis and André Zenner and Erik Peralta Løvaas and Marco Weiss and Andrea Bianchi and Paul Strohmeier},

url = {https://doi.org/10.1145/3772318.3790767},

doi = {10.1145/3772318.3790767},

isbn = {9798400722783},

year  = {2026},

date = {2026-01-01},

booktitle = {Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems},

publisher = {Association for Computing Machinery},

address = {New York, NY, USA},

series = {CHI '26},

abstract = {Perceiving material properties such as elasticity, flexibility, and torsion is inherently bimanual, as we rely on the relative motion of our hands to form a unified sense of materiality. Yet, most vibrotactile material rendering approaches are limited to a single hand or finger. While prior work has explored bimanual haptic interfaces, most depend on specialized hardware for specific interactions. In this paper, we demonstrate design strategies to support bimanual material exploration through motion-coupled vibrotactile feedback. Our technique introduces variable crosstalk between the controllers’ vibration to evoke connectedness, making two unconnected devices feel as though they manipulate a single object. The technique generalizes motion-coupled feedback approaches beyond previous single-point explorations. Through two user studies, we show that this approach (1) significantly enhances perceived connectedness and (2) conveys distinct material qualities such as elasticity and torsion. Finally, we present Dvihastundefinedya, an authoring tool for designing connected bimanual experiences in virtual reality.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {inproceedings}

}

@inproceedings{10.1145/3772318.3790753,

title = {Inside the Mirror, Wearing My own Body: Why UX Should Engage Monstrous Experiences},

author = {Pavel Karpashevich and Kristina Höök and Jeffrey Bardzell},

url = {https://doi.org/10.1145/3772318.3790753},

doi = {10.1145/3772318.3790753},

isbn = {9798400722783},

year  = {2026},

date = {2026-01-01},

booktitle = {Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems},

publisher = {Association for Computing Machinery},

address = {New York, NY, USA},

series = {CHI '26},

abstract = {While engaging with four different wearable systems, we unexpectedly encountered felt experiences that resisted articulation and defied conventional classification. They were neither pleasant nor unpleasant, and yet both; neither comforting nor frightening, and yet both; neither recognizably human-like nor machinic, and yet both. Such ambiguous experiences might have gone unnoticed had we not attended to their somatic, felt dimensions. Existing user experience frameworks offered little guidance in making sense of these phenomena. However, through the lens of monster theory, these paradoxical experiences began to reveal their structure and significance. Drawing on concepts such as fusion, fission, massification, and incompleteness, we analyze and interpret the unexpected monstrous experiences arising from interacting with wearable systems. We argue that such experiences deserve a place in interaction design: not only for the enduring fascination of the monster, but also for its power to disrupt simplistic schemas, enrich design possibilities, and illuminate cultural shifts.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {inproceedings}

}

@inproceedings{10.1145/3772318.3791767,

title = {Anticipating Physical Processes in VR: Environment Type and Scale Alter Temporal Expectations},

author = {Martin Riemer and Elisa Valletta and David Halbhuber and Johanna Bogon},

url = {https://doi.org/10.1145/3772318.3791767},

doi = {10.1145/3772318.3791767},

isbn = {9798400722783},

year  = {2026},

date = {2026-01-01},

booktitle = {Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems},

publisher = {Association for Computing Machinery},

address = {New York, NY, USA},

series = {CHI '26},

abstract = {Accurate temporal expectations support interaction in virtual reality (VR), yet it remains unclear whether the internal models that guide such expectations in the real world transfer unchanged to immersive VR. We report two experiments examining expected durations of gravity-driven motion across real and virtual environments. In Experiment 1, participants imagined a ball rolling down ramps in a physical lab, a 1:1 VR replica, and an up-scaled VR room and produced the time the imagined process would take. Results revealed systematic distortions: durations were underestimated in VR relative to the physical lab, and larger virtual spaces elicited longer durations. Experiment 2 assessed whether participants incorporated gravity laws into their simulations. Although gravitational acceleration was consistently underestimated, it was incorporated in both real and virtual environments. Our findings show that VR and its spatial scale bias temporal expectations, with implications for the design of temporally coherent and physically plausible VR experiences.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {inproceedings}

}

@inproceedings{10.1145/3772363.3799291,

title = {Exploring the Time Course of the Proteus Effect: Effects of Avatar Age and Embodiment Time on Walking in Virtual Reality},

author = {Alexander Kalus and Katrin Wolf and Sümeyye R. Yildiran and Martin Kocur},

url = {https://doi.org/10.1145/3772363.3799291},

doi = {10.1145/3772363.3799291},

isbn = {9798400722813},

year  = {2026},

date = {2026-01-01},

booktitle = {Proceedings of the Extended Abstracts of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems},

publisher = {Association for Computing Machinery},

address = {New York, NY, USA},

series = {CHI EA '26},

abstract = {Avatar appearance can influence users’ behaviour within Virtual Reality (VR), a phenomenon known as the Proteus effect. Prior work suggests that walking behavior after VR exposure is affected by the previously embodied avatar’s apparent age. However, little is known about how such effects unfold during ongoing avatar embodiment in VR. We conducted a study where 32 full-body tracked participants embodied young- and old-looking avatars and repeatedly completed a walking route in VR. Results show that participants walked significantly slower when embodying old-looking avatars. Presence and body ownership increased over time. Interestingly, embodiment duration did not significantly affect the magnitude of the Proteus effect on walking speed, with descriptive differences remaining largely stable. These results suggest that the behavioral impact of avatar age persists without substantial change over a 15 to 20-minute VR session. Our findings contribute to a deeper understanding of avatar age as a design parameter in VR.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {inproceedings}

}

@inproceedings{10.1145/3772318.3791747,

title = {Beyond Words: Measuring User Experience through Speech Analysis in Voice User Interfaces},

author = {Yong Ma and Xuesong Zhang and Xuedong Zhang and Natalia Bartłomiejczyk and Seungwoo Je and Adrian Holzer and Morten Fjeld and Andreas Martin Butz},

url = {https://doi.org/10.1145/3772318.3791747},

doi = {10.1145/3772318.3791747},

isbn = {9798400722783},

year  = {2026},

date = {2026-01-01},

booktitle = {Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems},

publisher = {Association for Computing Machinery},

address = {New York, NY, USA},

series = {CHI '26},

abstract = {Voice 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.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {inproceedings}

}

@inproceedings{10.1145/3772318.3790565,

title = {Understanding How Mobile Interactions Shape Grasp and Contact Patterns Beyond the Touchscreen},

author = {Carolin Stellmacher and Leon Tristan Dratzidis and André Zenner and Iddo Yehoshua Wald and Johannes Schöning and Yvonne Rogers and Donald Degraen and Mark Colley},

url = {https://doi.org/10.1145/3772318.3790565},

doi = {10.1145/3772318.3790565},

isbn = {9798400722783},

year  = {2026},

date = {2026-01-01},

booktitle = {Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems},

publisher = {Association for Computing Machinery},

address = {New York, NY, USA},

series = {CHI '26},

abstract = {The way users hold a smartphone depends on the interaction task, yet little is known about the fingers’ engagement with the device’s surfaces beyond the touchscreen. Such an understanding not only opens up opportunities for novel on- and off-screen interactions, but also the device’s possible physical affordances. We present a study (N=23) that examines the hands’ physical engagement with the smartphone beyond the touchscreen across nine mobile interactions. Grasps were annotated from photographs, and contact regions were captured using residual heat traces from grasping the device. Our findings show that fingers and palms adopt a variety of support roles and postures when engaging with the smartphone’s back and side edges. The hand-contact maps reveal distinct patterns, differing in contact frequency and placement. This work contributes an empirical characterisation of hands’ back and edge engagement, highlighting design opportunities for future smartphone usage extending beyond the touchscreen.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {inproceedings}

}

@inproceedings{10.1145/3772318.3791538,

title = {Determining Perception Thresholds for Real and Virtual Inclinations While Cycling in Virtual Reality},

author = {Jonas Keppel and Marvin Prochazka and Stefan Lewin and Markus Stroehnisch and Marvin Strauss and André Zenner and Donald Degraen and Andrii Matviienko and Stefan Schneegass},

url = {https://doi.org/10.1145/3772318.3791538},

doi = {10.1145/3772318.3791538},

isbn = {9798400722783},

year  = {2026},

date = {2026-01-01},

booktitle = {Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems},

publisher = {Association for Computing Machinery},

address = {New York, NY, USA},

series = {CHI '26},

abstract = {In virtual reality (VR) experiences, mismatches between reality and virtuality are usually undesirable, as they can disrupt immersion and induce cybersickness. However, when carefully controlled, they may expand the design space of VR. This research investigates perceptual detection thresholds for mismatches between real and virtual inclinations during cycling in VR. Using a custom simulation},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {inproceedings}

}

@inproceedings{10.1145/3802974.3809471,

title = {Embodied Consent Interfaces: A Design Probe for Privacy Decision-Making in Virtual Reality},

author = {Viktorija Paneva and Yilin Ma and Florian Alt},

url = {https://doi.org/10.1145/3802974.3809471},

doi = {10.1145/3802974.3809471},

isbn = {9798400726323},

year  = {2026},

date = {2026-01-01},

booktitle = {Companion Publication of the 2026 ACM Designing Interactive Systems Conference},

pages = {486–490},

publisher = {Association for Computing Machinery},

address = {New York, NY, USA},

series = {DIS '26 Companion},

abstract = {We introduce Embodied Consent Interfaces (ECIs) as a design probe for rethinking privacy consent beyond dialog-window-based notice-and-choice consent mechanisms. ECIs reframe privacy consent as an embodied, performative process in which users engage with permissions through spatial interaction, ongoing revision, and a deliberate act of commitment. We present a functional ECI prototype in Virtual Reality (VR), where data types are represented as interactive 3D objects, enabling users to explore permission information and select, revoke, or revise their consent decisions through embodied interaction. In an exploratory within-subject study (N = 12), we compare this approach to a dialog-based permission interface. Qualitative findings suggest increased engagement and more cautious consent behavior, while also introducing additional interaction overhead. Finally, we discuss ECIs as a design probe to introduce intentional friction at privacy-critical moments and to explore trade-offs between deliberation and efficiency in consent interaction design.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {inproceedings}

}

@inproceedings{10.1007/978-3-032-29842-3_32,

title = {A Shared Patient State Representation for Human–AI Teaming in Emergency Medical Calltaking},

author = {Simon Franke and Luisa Maria Schmidt and Tilo Mentler},

editor = {Vincent G. Duffy},

isbn = {978-3-032-29842-3},

year  = {2026},

date = {2026-01-01},

booktitle = {Digital Human Modeling and Applications in Health, Safety, Ergonomics and Risk Management},

pages = {504–521},

publisher = {Springer Nature Switzerland},

address = {Cham},

abstract = {Emergency medical call-taking in dispatch centers constitutes a highly demanding, time-critical decision-making task. In a very short period of time, all essential information about an emergency event must be elicited, recorded, and interpreted. In addition to the information obtained during the emergency call, modern technologies increasingly provide access to additional data sources. These include sensor data from wearables and smartphones, audiovisual information such as images or videos of the situation, and medical pre-information from previous incidents. To incorporate these data into time-critical decision-making processes, the use of artificial intelligence technologies is promising. However, a central challenge lies in establishing a human-AI team model within the dynamic and cognitively demanding context of emergency call-taking. To support this process, we propose a jointly usable, manipulable data foundation in the form of a central workspace. This workspace serves as a shared patient state representation that integrates data, the current patient condition, and prognostic information. For this purpose, a simplified three-dimensional representation of the human body was developed, which functions as a shared workspace and a common operational picture for both humans and AI.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {inproceedings}

}

@inproceedings{gerhardt2026privacy,

title = {Privacy & Safety Challenges of On-Body Interaction Techniques},

author = {Dañiel Gerhardt and Divyanshu Bhardwaj and Ashwin Ram and André Zenner and Jürgen Steimle and Katharina Krombholz},

year  = {2026},

date = {2026-01-01},

booktitle = {Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems},

pages = {1–20},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {inproceedings}

}