Augmenting Imagery with Multimodal Vibrotactile Representations: Touch, Feel, and HearDigital images remain largely inaccessible to blind or visually impaired (BVI) people because alt-text rarely conveys how %objects For-TAPS - materials materials feel or sound. We augment material images with multimodal vibrotactile patterns and evaluate four generation pipelines. AP1: prompt with one-shot example, AP2: prompt to audio, then pattern, AP3: real finger–material recording to pattern, and AP4: patterns from a public haptic database. A custom multilocal vibrotactile tablet played patterns on 10 material images (e.g., wood, stone, glass). Eight BVI participants explored each image with four patterns and ranked the best match. Think-aloud feedback highlighted: Theme 1 (realism — rough/grainy for wood and stone; smooth/steady for glass), Theme 2 (distinctiveness — separable cues; uniform buzzes were criticized), Theme 3 (personal associations), Theme 4 (effort/calibration for faint/noisy patterns; intensity tuning), and Theme 5 (preferences/suggestions). AP3 felt most authentic; AI patterns aided clarity but seemed stylized. Exploratory ranks (n=8) echoed hybrid, user-tunable pipelines for accessible material perception (AP3 Median 3/4, AI Medians 2/4).2026MSMazen Salous et al.OFFIS Institute for Information technologyVibrotactile Feedback & Skin StimulationVisual Impairment Technologies (Screen Readers, Tactile Graphics, Braille)Haptic WearablesCHI
Navigating Postpartum: Exploring Lived and Professional Perspectives to Inform Supportive Technology DesignChildbirth is a significant life transition involving physical recovery, emotional adjustment, and caring for a newborn. This period exposes parents to postpartum challenges, including emotional difficulties, social isolation, and overwhelming adjustments that can lead to depression or anxiety. Despite the prevalence of postpartum challenges, research and support systems remain insufficient. To explore how technology could address these challenges, we combined professional and lived perspectives. Through a mixed-methods approach with midwives, social workers, and affected parents, we conducted interviews (N=8), collected experience reports (N=52), and used these insights to inform four participatory workshops (N=15). By using zines, self-curated booklets - for expression and reflection, participants articulated challenges, ideal circumstances, and imagined support tools. We identified five challenge areas that technology should address through a Reflexive Thematic Analysis (RTA). Our work contributes empirically grounded perspectives on postpartum challenges, design recommendations for supportive technologies, and considerations for designing technologies during challenging life transitions.2026SGSophie Grimme et al.OFFIS - Institute for Information TechnologyMental Health Apps & Online Support CommunitiesBehavior Change & Reflection TechnologyInclusive DesignCHI
Emotion Through Motion: How Shape-Changing Jewelry Conveys EmotionsShape-changing wearables are known to convey emotions to wearers and observers, and jewelry is commonly worn for self-expression and to be seen by others. But how do individual shape change parameters impact the emotions communicated? In a first study, participants observed a shape-changing necklace; the second included wearing it. The necklace uses pneumatic finger actuators; fabrication details are provided. We systematically varied motion type, speed, amplitude and repetition, and exterior material to analyze emotions using Russell's circumplex model. Additionally, we asked users what they associated with each shape change. We found some surprising relationships between shape change parameters and the valence and arousal levels of emotions wearers and observers perceived. Symmetrical actuations were recognized more accurately and received higher valence and arousal ratings. Interestingly, even when wearers, who only felt motions, misidentified them, their ratings matched those from observers. Our findings support creating shape-changing interfaces that communicate emotions more precisely.2026ABAnke Brocker et al.RWTH Aachen UniversityHaptic WearablesShape-Changing Interfaces & Soft Robotic MaterialsEmpathy & Emotional DesignCHI
Balancing Automation and Discretion: How Decision Stakes and Human-AI Collaboration Affect Citizen Perceptions in Public AdministrationThe growing use of AI in public administration improves efficiency, yet its use in discretionary decisions raises concerns about fairness and legitimacy. While prior research examined decision stakes and Human–AI decision-making configurations separately, their combined effect on citizens’ perceptions of fairness and adoption remains underexplored. We conducted a mixed-method Wizard-of-Oz study (n=43) using an Intelligent-Self-Service-Kiosk. Participants completed a low-stakes (ID renewal) and a high-stakes (social housing) task under one of three decision-making configurations: AI alone, AI with human supervision, and human with AI advice or recommendation. Quantitative analysis found no significant effects, highlighting the limits of standard metrics. However, qualitative interviews revealed that citizens valued human involvement, requiring meaningful over symbolic oversight. They emphasized interactive dialogue before decisions to capture their circumstances and after, to facilitate appeals. We contribute evidence of tensions between citizens’ desire for efficiency and need for human-control and fairness. We provide guidance for designing citizen-centered AI systems that align with democratic values.2026SASaja Aljuneidi et al.OFFIS - Institute for Information TechnologyAI-Assisted Decision-Making & AutomationAI Ethics, Fairness & AccountabilityPrivacy by Design & User ControlCHI
Get Real With Me: Effects of Avatar Realism on Social Presence and Comfort in Augmented Reality Remote Collaboration and Self-DisclosureAugmented reality (AR) is poised to transform remote communication with realistic user representations authentically simulating in-person interactions in one's own environment. While increased avatar realism is beneficial in various social contexts, as it generally fosters social presence, its impact in intimate interactions is less clear, possibly creating discomfort. We explored how varying avatar realism affects social presence and comfort in AR across different social interactions. Realism preferences were established in an online survey (N=157), informing our subsequent experiment (N=42). Participants engaged in remote AR collaboration and self-disclosure tasks with avatars ranging from abstract to realistic point-cloud. Quantitative and qualitative feedback revealed that higher avatar realism generally enhances social presence and comfort, though preferences can vary. The self-disclosure task increased social presence but reduced comfort compared to the collaboration task. This research provides an empirical analysis of avatar realism, highlighting the benefits of realistic avatars in various scenarios.2025JKJonah-Noël Kaiser et al.OFFIS - Institute for Information TechnologyAR Navigation & Context AwarenessImmersion & Presence ResearchIdentity & Avatars in XRCHI
Hidden in Plain Sight: a Structured Analysis of Privacy Policies in the Context of Body-worn 'FemTech' TechnologiesAs HCI research turns to women's reproductive health as a topic of interest, an increasing number of female-oriented technologies (FemTech) are being marketed to consumers. This opens up a space for better management and understanding of intimate health but is not without risk. Reproductive health data collected by FemTech devices is highly sensitive and politicized. Breaches of privacy can cause or exacerbate discrimination and gender inequality, and negatively impact users' safety and well-being. It is therefore important that users are well informed about how their data is collected, handled, used and stored. This work contributes insights into whether and to what extent this is achieved by current FemTech. We conduct a structured content analysis of 18 in-effect privacy policies. Applying an empirically-grounded taxonomy, we identify challenges in policy wording, content and presentation. We conclude with recommendations for improving transparency and supporting users in providing informed consent and claiming data authority.2025SGSophie Grimme et al.OFFIS - Institute for Information TechnologyPrivacy by Design & User ControlPrivacy Perception & Decision-MakingCHI
Kinetic Connections: Exploring the Impact of Realistic Body Movements on Social Presence in Collaborative Virtual RealityProfessional and personal lives are undergoing a shift from physical to virtual meetings. While this offers numerous advantages, such as increased spatial autonomy, it also poses risks to the social bonds among employees, families, and friends. Even current collaborative virtual reality (VR) applications cannot bridge the separation in virtual meetings, as they do not provide a sense of social connectedness comparable to in-person interaction. Reasons include limited behavioral realism of VR avatars, e.g., in displayed body movements. We systematically investigated how realistic body movements influence Social Presence in a collaborative VR task. We explored three types of motion-tracking mechanisms: no motion-tracking beyond controllers, hand-tracking, and full-body motion-tracking with hand-tracking. To examine their influence on Social Presence, we designed a spatial collaboration task based on insights gained from semi-structured interviews (N = 6). Subsequently, we conducted a controlled VR experiment (N = 18), in which participants' counterparts employed the various motion-tracking technologies while performing said task. Our results demonstrate that realistic body movements do not influence self-reported Social Presence in VR. Nevertheless, they entail an increased interpersonal distance among users, attributable to a subconscious influence on Social Presence.2024SKSimon Kimmel et al.Session 3f: Embodiment and Experience: Social Behavior and Decision-Making in VRCSCW
Hand Spinning E-textile Yarns: Understanding the Craft Practices of Hand Spinners and Workshop Explorations with E-textile Fibers and MaterialsThe `material turn' in Human Computer Interaction (HCI) is increasingly drawing attention to the computational affordances of materials and how we can craft with them. In this paper, we explore opportunities for combining the maker cultures of hand spinning with e-textile crafting. In our first study, we interviewed 32 hand spinners on their practices to better understand their motivations for spinning their own yarns and the techniques they use to do so. In our second study, we conducted workshops with 6 spinners at a local spinning guild, where participants worked with the conductive fibers and spun e-textile yarns. After the workshops, we conducted follow-up interviews with each participant to understand the opportunities and tensions of hand spinning e-textile yarns. Our findings show how spinners can blend local materials with conductive ones to develop their own custom interactive textiles, and the mismatch between how these fibers are sold and what information spinners require to inform their design decisions. Through these results, we hope to empower makers and inspire the design community to develop tools to support these DIY practices.2024LJLee Jones et al.Electronic Textiles (E-textiles)Desktop 3D Printing & Personal FabricationDIS
My Data, My Choice, My Insights: Women's Requirements when Collecting, Interpreting and Sharing their Personal Health DataHCI research has been instrumental in enabling self-directed health tracking. Despite a plethora of devices and data, however, users' views of their own health are often fragmented. This is a problem for women's health, where physical and mental observations and symptoms are strongly intertwined. An integrated view throughout different life stages could help to better understand these connections, facilitate symptom alleviation through life-style changes, and support timely diagnosis: currently, women's health issues often go under-researched and under-diagnosed. To capture the needs and worries of self-directed tracking, interpreting and sharing women's health data, we held workshops with 28 women. Drawing upon feminist methods, we conducted a Reflexive Thematic Analysis to identify six central themes that ground opportunities and challenges for life-long, self-directed tracking of intimate data. These themes inform the design of tools for data collection, analysis and sharing that empower women to better understand their bodies and demand adequate health services.2024SGSophie Grimme et al.OFFIS - Institute for Information TechnologyCognitive Impairment & Neurodiversity (Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia)Universal & Inclusive DesignReproductive & Women's HealthCHI
Understanding User Acceptance of Electrical Muscle Stimulation in Human-Computer InteractionElectrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS) has unique capabilities that can manipulate users' actions or perceptions, such as actuating user movement while walking, changing the perceived texture of food, and guiding movements for a user learning an instrument. These applications highlight the potential utility of EMS, but such benefits may be lost if users reject EMS. To investigate user acceptance of EMS, we conducted an online survey (N=101). We compared eight scenarios, six from HCI research applications and two from the sports and health domain. To gain further insights, we conducted in-depth interviews with a subset of the survey respondents (N=10). The results point to the challenges and potential of EMS regarding social and technological acceptance, showing that there is greater acceptance of applications that manipulate action than those that manipulate perception. The interviews revealed safety concerns and user expectations for the design and functionality of future EMS applications.2024SFSarah Faltaous et al.University Duisburg-EssenElectrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS)CHI
Why the Fine, AI? The Effect of Explanation Level on Citizens' Fairness Perception of AI-based Discretion in Public AdministrationsThe integration of Artificial Intelligence into decision-making processes within public administration extends to AI-systems that exercise administrative discretion. This raises fairness concerns among citizens, possibly leading to AI-systems abandonment. Uncertainty persists regarding explanation elements impacting citizens' perception of fairness and technology adoption level. In a video-vignette online-survey (N=847), we investigated the impact of explanation levels on citizens' perceptions of informational fairness, distributive fairness, and system adoption level. We enhanced explanations in three stages: none, factor explanations, culminating in factor importance explanations. We found that more detailed explanations improved informational and distributive fairness perceptions, but did not affect citizens' willingness to reuse the system. Interestingly, citizens with higher AI-literacy expressed greater willingness to adopt the system, regardless of the explanation levels. Qualitative findings revealed that greater human involvement and appeal mechanisms could positively influence citizens' perceptions. Our findings highlight the importance of citizen-centered design of AI-based decision-making in public administration.2024SASaja Aljuneidi et al.OFFIS - Institute for Information TechnologyAI Ethics, Fairness & AccountabilityAlgorithmic Transparency & AuditabilityPrivacy by Design & User ControlCHI
Controlling the Rooms: How People Prefer Using Gestures to Control Their Smart HomesGesture interactions have become ubiquitous, and with increasingly reliable sensing technology we can anticipate their use in everyday environments such as smart homes. Gestures must meet users' needs and constraints in diverse scenarios to gain widespread acceptance. Although mid-air gestures have been proposed in various user contexts, it is still unclear to what extent users want to integrate them into different scenarios in their smart homes, along with the motivations driving this desire. Furthermore, it is uncertain whether users will remain consistent in their suggestions when transitioning to alternative scenarios within a smart home. This study contributes methodologically by adapting a bottom-up frame-based design process. We offer insights into preferred devices and commands in different smart home scenarios. Using our results, we can assist in designing gestures in the smart home that are consistent with individual needs across devices and scenarios, while maximizing the reuse and transferability of gestural knowledge.2024MHMasoumehsadat Hosseini et al.University of OldenburgHand Gesture RecognitionSmart Home Interaction DesignCHI
Biohybrid Devices: Prototyping Interactive Devices with Growable MaterialsLiving bio-materials are increasingly used in HCI for fabricating objects by growing. However, how to integrate electronics to make these objects interactive still needs to be clarified. This paper presents an exploration of the fabrication design space of Biohybrid Interactive Devices, a class of interactive devices fabricated by merging electronic components and living organisms. From the exploration of this space using bacterial cellulose, we outline a fabrication framework centered on the biomaterials‘ life cycle phases. We introduce a set of novel fabrication techniques for embedding conductive elements, sensors, and output components through biological (e.g. bio-fabrication and bio-assembling) and digital processes. We demonstrate the combinatory aspect of the framework by realizing three tangible, wearable, and shape-changing interfaces. Finally, we discuss the sustainability of our approach, its limitations, and the implications for bio-hybrid systems in HCI.2023MNMadalina Nicolae et al.Automated Driving Interface & Takeover DesignShape-Changing Interfaces & Soft Robotic MaterialsUIST
Please, Go Ahead! Fostering Prosocial Driving with Sympathy-Eliciting Automated Vehicle External DisplaysRoad traffic is strongly regulated, however informal communication is essential whenever formal rules are flexibly treated. Consequently, conflict-avoidant automated vehicles (AVs) can be disadvantaged when humans do not behave prosocially towards them. This can lead to disruptions of mixed traffic, where human and automated driving co-exists. Equipping AVs with sympathy-eliciting external Human-Machine Interfaces (eHMI) mimicking informal communication cues could mitigate this challenge by fostering the prosocial behavior of drivers. This work contributes video vignettes that are experimentally validated in an online survey (N=90). While we found participants to not behave differently towards human-controlled and baseline automated vehicles, eHMIs were potent in eliciting sympathy and encouraged yielding behavior. This effect was more pronounced when the interface signaled an urgent situation or indicated prolonged waiting times. Non-yielding behavior was rationalized based on priority rules. These results emphasize how fostering prosocial behavior in traffic can be achieved via sympathy-eliciting external displays.2023HİHatice Şahin İppoliti et al.External HMI (eHMI) — Communication with Pedestrians & CyclistsMobileHCI
Co-Speculating on Dark Scenarios and Unintended Consequences of a Ubiquitous(ly) Augmented RealityThe vision of a `metaverse' may soon bring a ubiquitous(ly) Augmented Reality (UAR) delivering context-aware, geo-located, and continuous blends of real and virtual elements into reach. This paper draws on speculative design to explore, question, and problematize consequences of AR becoming pervasive. Elaborating on Desjardin et al.'s bespoke booklets, we co-speculate together with 12 globally dispersed participants. Each participant received a custom-made design workbook containing pictures of their immediate surroundings, which they elaborated on in situated brainstorming activities. We present an integration of their speculative ideas and lived experiences in 3 overarching themes from which 7 `dark' scenarios caused by UAR were formed. The Scenarios are indicative of deceptive design patterns that can (and likely will be) devised to misuse UAR, and anti-patterns that could cause unintended consequences. These contributions enable the timely discussion of potential antidotes and to which extent they can mitigate imminent harms of UAR.2023CEChloe Eghtebas et al.AR Navigation & Context AwarenessTechnology Ethics & Critical HCIDesign FictionDIS
Handheld Tools Unleashed: Mixed-Initiative Physical Sketching with a Robotic PrinterPersonal fabrication has mostly focused on handheld tools as embodied extensions of the user, and machines like laser cutters and 3D printers automating parts of the process without intervention. Although interactive digital fabrication has been explored as a middle ground, existing systems have a fixed allocation of user intervention vs. machine autonomy, limiting flexibility, creativity, and improvisation. We explore a new class of devices that combine the desirable properties of a handheld tool and an autonomous fabrication robot, offering a continuum from manual and assisted to autonomous fabrication, with seamless mode transitions. We exemplify the concept of mixed-initiative physical sketching with a working robotic printer that can be handheld for free-hand sketching, can provide interactive assistance during sketching, or move about for computer-generated sketches. We present interaction techniques to seamlessly transition between modes, and sketching techniques benefitting from these transitions to, e.g., extend (upscale, repeat) or revisit (refine, color) sketches. Our evaluation with seven sketchers illustrates that RoboSketch successfully leverages each mode's strengths, and that mixed-initiative physical sketching makes computer-supported sketching more flexible.2023NPNarjes Pourjafarian et al.Saarland University, Saarland Informatics CampusDesktop 3D Printing & Personal FabricationLaser Cutting & Digital FabricationShape-Changing Materials & 4D PrintingCHI
Inhabiting Interconnected Spaces: How Users Shape and Appropriate their Smart Home EcosystemsOver the last decade, smart home technology (SHT) has become an integral part of modern households. As a result, smart home ecosystems blend with daily social life, appropriated and integrated into personalised domestic environments. The lived experience of inhabiting smart home ecosystems, however, is not yet understood, resulting in a mismatch between ecosystem design and inhabitants' needs. Drawing on contextual inquiry methods, we conducted an explorative interview study (N=20) with SHT users in their homes. Our thematic analysis reveals how users shape their smart home ecosystems (SHEs), considering social relationships at home, perceived ownership of SHTs, and expected key benefits. Notably, our analysis shows that household members consciously choose `their' level of SHT interconnectedness, reflecting social, spatial and functional affinities between systems. Following our findings, we formulate five implications for designing future SHTs. Our work contributes insights on the dynamics and appropriation of smart home ecosystems by their inhabitants.2023MWMikołaj P. Woźniak et al.University of OldenburgContext-Aware ComputingSmart Home Interaction DesignCHI
Don't Panic! - Influence of Virtual Stressor Representations from the ICU Context on Perceived Stress LevelsIntensive care nurses are prone to suffering from chronic stress due to constant exposure to two main profession-related stressors: interruption and time pressure. These stressors have detrimental effects on the well-being of the nursing staff and, by proxy, the patients. To alleviate stress, increase safety, and support the training of stressful scenarios, we investigate the impact these stressors have on subjective and objective stress levels in a virtual environment. We designed an intensive care unit in which participants (n=26, 18 healthcare professionals) perform common tasks, e.g. refilling an infusion pump, whilst being exposed to interruptions and time pressure. Results from our between-subjects study provide data indicating stress increase in both stressor conditions, suggesting that artificially evoking work-related stressors for stress inoculation training (SIT) is a possible extension to simulation training during nursing education. This knowledge is helpful for designing training scenarios of safety critical situations early in the professional apprenticeship.2023SWSebastian Weiß et al.OFFIS - Institute for Information TechnologyV2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) Communication DesignMental Health Apps & Online Support CommunitiesTelemedicine & Remote Patient MonitoringCHI
Let's Face It: Influence of Facial Expressions on Social Presence in Collaborative Virtual RealityAs the world becomes more interconnected, physical separation between people increases. Existing collaborative Virtual Reality (VR) applications, designed to bridge this distance, are not yet sufficient in providing a sense of social connection comparable to face-to-face interactions. Possible reasons are the limited multimodality of VR systems and the lack of non-verbal cues in VR avatars. We systematically investigated how facial expressions influence Social Presence in two collaborative VR tasks. We explored four types of facial expressions: eyes and mouth movements, their combination, and no expressions, for two types of explanations: verbal and graphical. To examine how these expressions influence Social Presence, we conducted a controlled VR experiment (N = 48), in which participants had to explain a specific term to their counterpart. Our results demonstrate that eye and mouth movements positively influence Social Presence in VR. Particularly, combining verbal explanations and eye movements induces the highest feeling of co-presence.2023SKSimon Kimmel et al.OFFIS - Institute for Information TechnologySocial & Collaborative VRImmersion & Presence ResearchIdentity & Avatars in XRCHI
Towards a Consensus Gesture Set: A Survey of Mid-Air Gestures in HCI for Maximized Agreement Across DomainsMid-air gesture-based systems are becoming ubiquitous. Many mid-air gestures control different kinds of interactive devices, applications, and systems. They are, however, still targeted at specific devices in specific domains and are not necessarily consistent across domain boundaries. A comprehensive evaluation of the transferability of gesture vocabulary between domains is also lacking. Consequently, interaction designers cannot decide which gestures to use for which domain. In this systematic literature review, we contribute to the future research agenda in this area, based on an analysis of 172 papers. As part of our analysis, we clustered gestures according to the dimensions of an existing taxonomy to identify their common characteristics in different domains, and we investigated the extent to which existing mid-air gesture sets are consistent across different domains. We derived a consensus gesture set containing 22 gestures based on agreement rates calculation and considered their transferability across different domains.2023MHMasoumehsadat Hosseini et al.University of OldenburgHand Gesture RecognitionFull-Body Interaction & Embodied InputCHI