Bruce Thomas
The Future of User Interfaces for AR/VR/XR
Bruce Thomas, University of South Australia
Abstract
User interfaces are the boundary between humans and immersive technologies. These user interfaces incorporate the visual presentation of information, virtual controls for the applications, and physical devices to enhance users' abilities to build a mental model that blends the physical world and the virtual world created for them. This is a very difficult problem to solve. Many smart scientists have investigated this problem for decades. This talk will investigate this research from the point of view of where we came from, where we are at the current moment, and possible future directions we could go. Part of this journey is a discussion of why this is a difficult problem. AR/VR/XR user interfaces are more difficult to design than traditional 2D desktops and handheld devices. While this user interfaces research is challenging, it is quite rewarding.
Biography
Professor Thomas is currently Emeritus Professor at the University of South Australia. His current research interests include the following: user interfaces, augmented reality, virtual reality, visualisation, wearable computers, CSCW, tabletop display interfaces, and the use of cognitive psychology in virtual environments research. He has served in many roles for the IEEE International Symposium on Mixed and Augmented Reality, IEEE Virtual Reality, and IEEE/ACM International Symposium on Wearable Computers, including program chair, general chair and on the steering committee. He also founded the ACM Interactive Surfaces and Spaces Conference (formerly IEEE Tabletop). He was awarded the ACM International Symposium on Wearable Computers (ISWC) 20-Year Impact Award. Prof. Thomas' academic qualifications include the following: a BA in Physics from George Washington University, an MS in Computer Science from the University of Virginia, and a PhD in Computer Science from Flinders University. Prof. Thomas has over 350 publications and has been cited over 11500 times.
Learn more about Bruce Thomas and his work at https://people.unisa.edu.au/Bruce.Thomas.