Publications

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This page presents publications that resulted from research carried out at SREAL. Other publications, such as publications for individual research carried out prior to or after affiliation with SREAL, will be listed on that individual’s Publications page.

2024
	Juanita Benjamin; Austin Erickson; Matt Gottsacker; Gerd Bruder; Gregory Welch Evaluating Transitive Perceptual Effects Between Virtual Entities in Outdoor Augmented Reality Proceedings Article In: Proceedings of IEEE Virtual Reality (VR), pp. 1-11, 2024. Abstract \| BibTeX \| Links: @inproceedings{Benjamin2024et, title = {Evaluating Transitive Perceptual Effects Between Virtual Entities in Outdoor Augmented Reality}, author = {Juanita Benjamin and Austin Erickson and Matt Gottsacker and Gerd Bruder and Gregory Welch}, url = {https://sreal.ucf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Benjamin2024.pdf}, year = {2024}, date = {2024-03-16}, urldate = {2024-03-16}, booktitle = {Proceedings of IEEE Virtual Reality (VR)}, pages = {1-11}, abstract = {Augmented reality (AR) head-mounted displays (HMDs) provide users with a view in which digital content is blended spatially with the outside world. However, one critical issue faced with such display technologies is misperception, i.e., perceptions of computer-generated content that differs from our human perception of other real-world objects or entities. Misperception can lead to mistrust in these systems and negative impacts in a variety of application fields. Although there is a considerable amount of research investigating either size, distance, or speed misperception in AR, far less is known about the relationships between these aspects. In this paper, we present an outdoor AR experiment (N=20) using a HoloLens 2 HMD. Participants estimated size, distance, and speed of Familiar and Unfamiliar outdoor animals at three distances (30, 60, 90 meters). To investigate whether providing information about one aspect may influence another, we divided our experiment into three phases. In Phase I, participants estimated the three aspects without any provided information. In Phase II, participants were given accurate size information, then asked to estimate distance and speed. In Phase III, participants were given accurate distance and size information, then asked to estimate speed. Our results show that estimates of speed in particular of the Unfamiliar animals benefited from provided size information, while speed estimates of all animals benefited from provided distance information. We found no support for the assumption that distance estimates benefited from provided size information.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {inproceedings} } Close Augmented reality (AR) head-mounted displays (HMDs) provide users with a view in which digital content is blended spatially with the outside world. However, one critical issue faced with such display technologies is misperception, i.e., perceptions of computer-generated content that differs from our human perception of other real-world objects or entities. Misperception can lead to mistrust in these systems and negative impacts in a variety of application fields. Although there is a considerable amount of research investigating either size, distance, or speed misperception in AR, far less is known about the relationships between these aspects. In this paper, we present an outdoor AR experiment (N=20) using a HoloLens 2 HMD. Participants estimated size, distance, and speed of Familiar and Unfamiliar outdoor animals at three distances (30, 60, 90 meters). To investigate whether providing information about one aspect may influence another, we divided our experiment into three phases. In Phase I, participants estimated the three aspects without any provided information. In Phase II, participants were given accurate size information, then asked to estimate distance and speed. In Phase III, participants were given accurate distance and size information, then asked to estimate speed. Our results show that estimates of speed in particular of the Unfamiliar animals benefited from provided size information, while speed estimates of all animals benefited from provided distance information. We found no support for the assumption that distance estimates benefited from provided size information. Close
2023
	Juanita Benjamin; Gerd Bruder; Carsten Neumann; Dirk Reiners; Carolina Cruz-Neira; Gregory F Welch Perception and Proxemics with Virtual Humans on Transparent Display Installations in Augmented Reality Proceedings Article Forthcoming In: Proceedings of the IEEE Conference on International Symposium on Mixed and Augmented Reality (ISMAR) 2023., pp. 1–10, Forthcoming. Abstract \| BibTeX \| Links: @inproceedings{benjamin2023arscreen, title = {Perception and Proxemics with Virtual Humans on Transparent Display Installations in Augmented Reality}, author = {Juanita Benjamin and Gerd Bruder and Carsten Neumann and Dirk Reiners and Carolina Cruz-Neira and Gregory F Welch }, url = {https://sreal.ucf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Perception-and-Proxemics-ISMAR-23-2.pdf}, year = {2023}, date = {2023-10-21}, urldate = {2023-10-21}, booktitle = {Proceedings of the IEEE Conference on International Symposium on Mixed and Augmented Reality (ISMAR) 2023.}, pages = {1--10}, abstract = {It is not uncommon for science fiction movies to portray futuristic user interfaces that can only be realized decades later with state-of-the-art technology. In this work, we present a prototypical augmented reality (AR) installation that was inspired by the movie The Time Machine (2002). It consists of a transparent screen that acts as a window through which users can see the stereoscopic projection of a three-dimensional virtual human (VH). However, there are some key differences between the vision of this technology and the way VHs on these displays are actually perceived. In particular, the additive light model of these displays causes darker VHs to appear more transparent, while light in the physical environment further increases transparency, which may affect the way VHs are perceived, to what degree they are trusted, and the distances one maintains from them in a spatial setting. In this paper, we present a user study in which we investigate how transparency in the scope of transparent AR screens affects the perception of a VH's appearance, social presence with the VH, and the social space around users as defined by proxemics theory. Our results indicate that appearances are comparatively robust to transparency, while social presence improves in darker physical environments, and proxemic distances to the VH largely depend on one's distance from the screen but are not noticeably affected by transparency. Overall, our results suggest that such transparent AR screens can be an effective technology for facilitating social interactions between users and VHs in a shared physical space.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {forthcoming}, tppubtype = {inproceedings} } Close It is not uncommon for science fiction movies to portray futuristic user interfaces that can only be realized decades later with state-of-the-art technology. In this work, we present a prototypical augmented reality (AR) installation that was inspired by the movie The Time Machine (2002). It consists of a transparent screen that acts as a window through which users can see the stereoscopic projection of a three-dimensional virtual human (VH). However, there are some key differences between the vision of this technology and the way VHs on these displays are actually perceived. In particular, the additive light model of these displays causes darker VHs to appear more transparent, while light in the physical environment further increases transparency, which may affect the way VHs are perceived, to what degree they are trusted, and the distances one maintains from them in a spatial setting. In this paper, we present a user study in which we investigate how transparency in the scope of transparent AR screens affects the perception of a VH's appearance, social presence with the VH, and the social space around users as defined by proxemics theory. Our results indicate that appearances are comparatively robust to transparency, while social presence improves in darker physical environments, and proxemic distances to the VH largely depend on one's distance from the screen but are not noticeably affected by transparency. Overall, our results suggest that such transparent AR screens can be an effective technology for facilitating social interactions between users and VHs in a shared physical space. Close
2022
	Meelad Doroodchi; Priscilla Ramos; Austin Erickson; Hiroshi Furuya; Juanita Benjamin; Gerd Bruder; Gregory F. Welch Effects of Optical See-Through Displays on Self-Avatar Appearance in Augmented Reality Proceedings Article In: Proceedings of the International Symposium on Mixed and Augmented Reality (ISMAR), IEEE 2022. Abstract \| BibTeX \| Links: @inproceedings{Ramos2022, title = {Effects of Optical See-Through Displays on Self-Avatar Appearance in Augmented Reality}, author = {Meelad Doroodchi and Priscilla Ramos and Austin Erickson and Hiroshi Furuya and Juanita Benjamin and Gerd Bruder and Gregory F. Welch}, url = {https://sreal.ucf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/IDEATExR2022_REU_Paper.pdf}, year = {2022}, date = {2022-08-17}, urldate = {2022-08-31}, booktitle = {Proceedings of the International Symposium on Mixed and Augmented Reality (ISMAR)}, organization = {IEEE}, abstract = {Display technologies in the fields of virtual and augmented reality can affect the appearance of human representations, such as avatars used in telepresence or entertainment applications. In this paper, we describe a user study (N=20) where participants saw themselves in a mirror side-by-side with their own avatar, through use of a HoloLens 2 optical see-through head-mounted display. Participants were tasked to match their avatar’s appearance to their own under two environment lighting conditions (200 lux and 2,000 lux). Our results showed that the intensity of environment lighting had a significant effect on participants selected skin colors for their avatars, where participants with dark skin colors tended to make their avatar’s skin color lighter, nearly to the level of participants with light skin color. Further, in particular female participants made their avatar’s hair color darker for the lighter environment lighting condition. We discuss our results with a view on technological limitations and effects on the diversity of avatar representations on optical see-through displays.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {inproceedings} } Close Display technologies in the fields of virtual and augmented reality can affect the appearance of human representations, such as avatars used in telepresence or entertainment applications. In this paper, we describe a user study (N=20) where participants saw themselves in a mirror side-by-side with their own avatar, through use of a HoloLens 2 optical see-through head-mounted display. Participants were tasked to match their avatar’s appearance to their own under two environment lighting conditions (200 lux and 2,000 lux). Our results showed that the intensity of environment lighting had a significant effect on participants selected skin colors for their avatars, where participants with dark skin colors tended to make their avatar’s skin color lighter, nearly to the level of participants with light skin color. Further, in particular female participants made their avatar’s hair color darker for the lighter environment lighting condition. We discuss our results with a view on technological limitations and effects on the diversity of avatar representations on optical see-through displays. Close

*Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

2024

2023

2022