Abstract:

Extended Reality (XR), consisting of Virtual, Augmented, and Mixed Reality (VR/AR/MR) is a rapidly emerging and continuously changing field. Many researchers have shown benefits in using these types of immersive systems for spatial learning, physical and social training for high risk situations, virtual-to-real world knowledge transfer, creative expression, therapy for physical and mental health, aging populations, historic preservation, entertainment, fostering empathy, reducing implicit bias, entertainment, film, scientific analysis and discovery, and more. Typically, a head-mounted display and two joysticks might be used for these applications. This canned set is quickly becoming the commercial standard for virtual reality display kits that typically include a stereoscopic display that fosters visual immersion, stereo sound that fosters auditory immersion, as well as tracking and game-based input controllers that fosters spatial interaction. While this is a great advancement for closing the gap in wide-spread usage, a one-size-fits-all approach may limit the potential of immersive systems and user experiences.

So much of understanding human perception, movement, abilities, and limitations coupled with the design of the visual and illusionary cues, input devices, interaction techniques, registration, tracking, and output to our sensory channels influence how we, as humans, use, explore, and engage with immersive systems. My passion is to explore creative technologies for 3D User Interfaces/Interaction (3D UI) with Immersive Systems to understand how we interact better, are more engaged, or in more interesting ways with these systems to further improve learning, health, creativity, and workflow. This talk will present past and present research which I have supervised or collaborated on in the context of three areas fueling this passion: (1) understanding human abilities and designing techniques to positively influence human movement and interaction, (2) creative technologies for spatial interfaces, and (3) creative modalities for expression. As this talk develops, challenges and future research potentials will be discussed. The goal of this talk is to provide samples of research, yet leave the audience with more questions than answers, to inspire ideas, and to foster potential collaborations with students and faculty.

Bio:

Amy Banić is a Visiting Associate Professor at the ATLAS Institute this year. She is an Associate Professor in Computer Science at the University of Wyoming (UWyo) in Laramie, WY. Her research focuses on the design of 3D User Interfaces and Devices for Virtual / Augmented / Mixed Reality (XR) Environments, Immersive Visualizations, and Virtual Humans. Banić’s educational background is rooted in the intersection of design, computer graphics, and human-centered computing. Banic has a B.S. in Computer Science and B.A. in Studio & Digital Arts from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA. She earned her M.S. and Ph.D. with the mentorship of IEEE Virtual Reality Career awardee Larry Hodges at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte by 2008. She furthered her career development as a Post-Doctoral Fellow at Clemson University, where she helped initiate the Virtual Environments Research Group in the School of Computing and Digital Production Arts Program. She joined the University of Wyoming in 2010 and has been developing her career there ever since.

At UWyo, she is the Director of the Interactive Realities Research laboratory, Co-Director of the new Center for Design Thinking at UWyo, faculty mentor of the UWyo InnoVRtors and Equality for Computing student groups, and holds a joint appointment at the Advanced Visualization Lab in CAES at the Idaho National Laboratory. Banić enjoyed speaking as a keynote for the Workshop on Novel Input Devices and Interaction Techniques (NIDIT) in 2021. She served as general chair for the 3rd ACM Symposium on Spatial User Interaction in 2015 and general co-chair for the Rocky Mountain Celebration of Wyoming in Computing Conference in 2013. She organized multiple workshops and tutorials on interactive and volumetric immersive visualizations. She has served consistently on the program committee in various roles for the IEEE Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces Conferences since 2004.

Banić is currently spending the year researching and teaching here at CU-Boulder with ATLAS. She is collaborating on research projects with the ACME Lab, such as the AR Drum Circle. In Fall semester 2021 she taught Introduction to Virtual and Augmented Reality. In Spring 2022, she is teaching Creative Spatial Interfaces and Computer Animation with a focus on storytelling applied to 2D, 3D, and Immersive animations. Banić is truly grateful for this opportunity to work with such creative and inspiring individuals at ATLAS and broadly at CU-Boulder!  www.AmyBanic.com