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Design opportunities for inputs with mixed reality in confined spaces

29 July 2024

A new paper authored by UCLIC researchers has just been published  in DIS '24: Proceedings of the 2024 ACM Designing Interactive Systems Conference

diagram-showing-mixed-reality-scenario-on-flight

In 'Exploring the Design Space of Input Modalities for Working in Mixed Reality on Long-haul Flights', questions such as, 'Have you ever tried to work on a long-haul flight?', 'Have you ever worried about the looming threat of the sudden-reclining front seat, or annoyed at cramped space and overly intimate neighbors?', offered the starting point for an exploration of design opportunities for inputs with mixed reality (MR) in confined spaces.

Air passengers have long battled considerable challenges when working on long-haul flights, especially in economy class. Leveraging the capacity for privacy and expansive virtual screens that Extended Reality (XR) (e.g., VR or AR) headsets can offer, the authors explored the design space of input methods suitable for these confined spaces. 

Study participants were shown the use of design probes through interactive videos, and findings revealed that the productivity level supported by the input modality was the top concern for users, followed by the portability of the input, comfort of use, interaction space, and how private the interaction is.

Grounded in participants’ feedback, the researchers uncovered critical user needs and design opportunities, shedding light on XR applications for in-flight productivity and also offering a design space for developing effective input modalities in resource-constrained environments.


Mo W, Dechant MJ, Marquardt N, Ayobi A, Singh A, Holloway C. Exploring the Design Space of Input Modalities for Working in Mixed Reality on Long-haul Flights. DIS '24: Proceedings of the 2024 ACM Designing Interactive Systems Conference. 1 July 2024, pp: 2267-85. doi: https://doi.org/10.1145/3643834.3661560