The VRxAR Labs research group, focuses on understanding how humans behave when operating within virtual environments that enable exploration and interaction with data. Making data more accessible and visible can ultimately enrich and enhance a user's experience in various everyday contexts. New technologies embracing 3D user interfaces are finally becoming more mainstream available, such as virtual and augmented reality. By studying interaction and interface design for 3D user interfaces and actively developing interactive systems, the vision of the group is to contribute with ideas and solutions to create usability-friendly experiences for the future. These research topics are highly relevant for academia, industry, and society as 3D interaction is fundamental for real-world tasks.

In order to investigate different challenges within the area of 3D user interfaces, our research is guided by a user-centered design process, keeping human factors in mind. By researching how the humans interact in a three-dimensional information space, applying their low-level perceptual, cognitive, and ergonomic capabilities, we aim to design new and effective approaches for humans to operate computer technologies.

2024

• Aris Alissandrakis joined the division of Interaction Design and Software Engineering at Chalmers in October 2024; this website will eventually be hosted elsewhere, with probably a redirect from LNU.
• attended the 2nd Swedish Climate Symposium at Norrköping (May 2024); Nico Reski presented the latest Immersive Analytics for Urban Heat prototype
• arXiv pre-print was published in VIRE (Jan 2024, see Publications list)

2023

• The Immersive Analytics for Urban Heat project was featured in the talk of Felicia Lai Jakobsson (Visual Sweden) at Almedalsveckans event IoT och digitala tvillingar som möjliggörare i städernas klimatomställning (Jun 2023) [info] [YouTube link]
• published two articles as pre-prints on arXiv.org [arXiv:2303.07995] [arXiv:2303.07899]

2022

• attended the Norrköping research festival (forskningsfestival), at Norrköping (Nov 2022) [link]
• kick-off meeting for the Immersive Analytics for Urban Heat: from Visual Exploration to Decision Support in Norrköping Municipality project, at LiU, Norrköping (Nov 2022) [project website]
• Nico Reski successfully defended his PhD thesis titled Supporting Data Interaction and Hybrid Asymmetric Collaboration Using Virtual Reality Within the Context of Immersive Analytics [DiVA link] [LNU link] [Twitter link]
• our Frontiers in Virtual Reality journal article (open access) titled An Empirical Evaluation of Asymmetric Synchronous Collaboration Combining Immersive and Non-Immersive Interfaces Within the Context of Immersive Analytics was published [Frontiers link] [video link] [BibTeX]

2021

• created a functional prototype of our 3D Radar Chart visualization (as presented at NordiCHI 2020) using Augmented Reality (instead of Virtual Reality) [screenshot 1] [screenshot 2] [video link] [Twitter link]

2020

• Nico Reski presented a talk titled Interdisciplinary Exploration of Forestry Data Using Machine Learning and Immersive Visualization, together with doctoral students Magnus Persson (Department of Forestry and Wood Technology, LNU) and Angelos Chatzimparmpas (ISOVIS, LNU) [link]
• presented online two papers at the 11th Nordic Conference on Human-Computer Interaction (NordiCHI 2020) (Tallinn, Estonia, October 25 - 29, 2020), describing our hybrid asymmetric collaborative Immersive Analytics system, and an Immersive Analytics tool to explore time-oriented data using a 3D Radar Chart approach [LNU news: en / sv] [NordiCHI link] [Twitter link 1] [Twitter link 2] [Twitter link 3]
• released an interactive, annotated (web) demo of our developed VR application, investigating the exploration of time-oriented data in immersive VR using a 3D Radar Chart approach for research communication purposes [360 annotated VR scene]
• user interaction study of our VR prototype to explore time-oriented data within the context of Immersive Analytics has been completed (25.02.2020 - 12.03.2020) [more information]
• released a video demo titled Exploration of time-oriented data in immersive virtual reality using a 3D Radar Chart approach, presenting our latest work-in-progress (WIP, February 2020) within the context of Immersive Analytics research [video link]
• our journal article Open data exploration in virtual reality: a comparative study of input technology (published in Jan. 2019 as Online first) was assigned a print volume [Springer Link] [BibTeX]

2019

• presented a software demonstration of our hybrid asymmetric collaborative immersive analytics system at the 5th Annual Big Data Conference within the scope of Virtual Reality and Digital Humanities [poster link] [Twitter link]
• published a demo reel video, illustrating all prototypes and systems we developed within the period from VT 2017 to VT 2019 (spring term 2017 to spring term 2019) in regards to our research activities to investigate data exploration in virtual reality [video link] [LNU Play link]
• doctoral student Nico Reski conducted his PhD progression seminar on September 18th 2019, titled "Collaborative immersive analytics: Building a virtual reality platform to support asymmetric data exploration", informing about the current state of his conducted research [seminar information] [Twitter link]
• Nico Reski participated in the 10th International UBI Summer School (UBISS 2019) hosted by the University of Oulu, Finland, (June 10 - 15). Together with three other students, Nico developed a proof-of-concept VR prototype featuring immersive interaction, haptic feedback, and public involvement within the scope of the workshop From Reality to Virtuality: The Science and Art of Creating VR Experiences lead by Prof. Frank Steinicke and Eike Langbehn (University of Hamburg, Germany). [VR prototype illustration] -- Thank you to the Center for Ubiquitous Computing (UBICOMP) at the University of Oulu for sponsoring Nico's participation at UBISS 2019 by covering registration fee and providing accommodation.
• Nico Reski visited the Center for Ubiquitous Computing (UBICOMP) and its Perception Engineering (PE) research unit at the University of Oulu, Finland, within the scope of an ERASMUS+ staff mobility for teaching (May 27 - June 7) [Twitter link] [UBICOMP link] [PE link]
• presented a software demonstration titled Collaborative exploration of rich corpus data using immersive virtual reality and non-immersive technologies at the 2nd conference on Approaches to Digital Discourse Analysis (ADDA2) (Turku, Finland, May 23 - 25, 2019) [link] [Twitter link] -- Thank you to the ADDA2 conference committee for the invitation, as well as the Mixed Reality research group at the University of Turku for allowing us to borrow some VR equipment for the software demonstration.
• released a proof-of-concept demo titled ODXVR x Sverige Valet of our data-agnostic VR system in order to explore the voting results of Sweden's elections in 2018, 2014, and 2010 (Riksdag per Kommun) [video demo] [360 annotated VR scene] [year comparison (VR overview) gif]
• released an interactive, annotated (web) demo of our developed VR system within the scope of ODXVR x NTS for research communication purposes [360 annotated VR scene] [360 time menu demo] [360 time menu demo (no information panel)] [360 tag cloud demo]

2018

• presented a software demonstration of our hybrid collaborative immersive analytics experience at the 4th Annual Big Data Conference within the scope of Virtual Reality and Digital Humanities [video link] [poster link] [Twitter link]
• announcing hybrid collaborative immersive analytics experience based on prior work-in-progress efforts within the scope of ODXVR x NTS [video link] [Twitter link]
• presented our short paper titled Using an Augmented Reality Cube-like Interface and 3D Gesture-based Interaction to Navigate and Manipulate Data at the 11th International Symposium on Visual Information Communication and Interaction (VINCI '18) (Växjö, Sweden, August 13 - 15, 2018) [Twitter link]
• presented a software demonstration titled Visualizing dynamic text corpora using Virtual Reality at the 39th Conference of the International Computer Archive of Modern and Medieval English (ICAME) (Tampere, Finland, May 30 - June 3, 2018) [LNU news: en / sv] [Twitter: Day 1, Day 2]
• students from the Department of Languages at Linnaeus University tested in a hands-on session the latest version of our VR system to explore dynamic text corpora (ODXVR x NTS; Twitter data) (May 2018) [video link]
• presenting research in general, and particularly at VRxAR Labs, to 8th grade students at Linnéskolan, Älmhult, as part of the LNU's Sciene Outreach 2018 initiative [link]

2017

• work-in-progress project presentation Open Data Exploration in Virtual Reality x Nordic Tweet Stream (a dynamic corpus of tweets) at the 3rd Big Data Conference at Linnaeus University (01.12.2017; poster session) [video link] [poster link] [Twitter link]
• presenting the current work-in-progress research efforts Open Data Exploration in Virtual Reality x Nordic Tweet Stream (a dynamic corpus of tweet) at the EvolvE - English in the Digital Age research seminar at University of Eastern Finland, Helsinki, Finland (29.11.2017) [video link]
• short press release about the project seed funding we got from IEC (Information Engineering Center) [link]
• nice interview of Nico Reski in Smålandsposten, talking about VR and AR research projects among others [link]
• comparative user interaction study of our VR interface (ODxVR) was conducted (26.04. - 21.06.2017) [SIGN-UP (study completed)]
• Nico Reski attended the VR Sci_Fest at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm (May 2017) [news] [link]

2016

• research group is established, and LNU web page is published (May 2016) [link]
• New smartphone app aims to increase public engagement in local issues (June 2016) [link]
• Virtual Reality will make Open Data more visible and valuable (May 2016) [link]

• Immersive Analytics for Urban Heat: From Visual Exploration to Decision Support in Norrköping Municipality
• Doctoral project: Supporting Synchronous Asymmetric Data Exploration using Virtual Reality within the context of Collaborative Immersive Analytics
• Open Data Exploration in Virtual Reality (ODxVR)
• Augmented Reality for Public Engagement (PEAR)

• Reski, N., Navarra, C., Wiréhn, L., Neset, T-S., Alissandrakis, A., Campino, A. A., Wang, F., Ribeiro, I., Amorim, J. H., Kerren, A., and Vrotsou, K. (submitted). Urban Climate InteracTable: Towards an Immersive Contextual Data Analysis Platform to Visualize and Explore Urban Heat.
• Reski, N., Alissandrakis, A., and Kerren A. (2024) Designing a 3D Gestural Interface to Support User Interaction with Time-Oriented Data as Immersive 3D Radar Charts. Virtual Reality 28(30). [DiVA]
• Reski, N., Alissandrakis, A., and Kerren A. (2022) An Empirical Evaluation of Asymmetric Synchronous Collaboration Combining Immersive and Non-Immersive Interfaces Within the Context of Immersive Analytics. Frontiers in Virtual Reality 2, pp 743445:1--743445:29. [BibTeX] [DiVA]
• Reski, N., Alissandrakis, A., and Kerren, A. (2020). Exploration of Time-Oriented Data in Immersive Virtual Reality using a 3D Radar Chart Approach, in Proceedings of the 11th Nordic Conference on Human-Computer Interaction: Shaping Experiences, Shaping Society (NordiCHI 2020). October 25-29, 2020, Tallinn, Estonia. pp 33:1-33:11. [BibTeX] [DiVA]
• Reski, N., Alissandrakis, A., Tyrkkö, J., and Kerren, A. (2020). "Oh, that's where you are!" - Towards a Hybrid Asymmetric Collaborative Immersive Analytics System, in Proceedings of the 11th Nordic Conference on Human-Computer Interaction: Shaping Experiences, Shaping Society (NordiCHI 2020). October 25-29, 2020, Tallinn, Estonia. pp 5:1-5:12. [BibTeX] [DiVA]
• Reski, N. and Alissandrakis, A. (2020) Open data exploration in virtual reality: a comparative study of input technology. Virtual Reality 24, pp 1–22. [BibTeX] [DiVA]
• Alissandrakis, A., Reski, N., Laitinen, M., Tyrkkö, J., Lundberg, J., and Levin, M. (2019) Visualizing rich corpus data using virtual reality. Studies in Variation, Contacts and Change in English: Corpus Approaches into World Englishes and Language Contrasts 20, eds. by Hanna Parviainen, Mark Kaunisto, and Päivi Pahta, Helsinki: VARIENG e-Series. [BibTeX] [DiVA]
• Reski, N., Alissandrakis, A., and Tyrkkö, J. (2019). Collaborative exploration of rich corpus data using immersive virtual reality and non-immersive technologies, in Book of Abstracts of the 2nd International Conference: Approach to Digital Discourse Analysis (ADDA2). Turku, Finland, May 23-25, 2019. [invited] [BibTeX] [DiVA]
• Reski, N. and Alissandrakis, A. (2018). Using an Augmented Reality Cube-like Interface and 3D Gesture-based Interaction to Navigate and Manipulate Data., in Proceedings of the 11th International Symposium on Visual Information Communication and Interaction (VINCI '18). August, 13-15, 2018, Växjö, Sweden. pp 92-96. [BibTeX] [DiVA]
• Alissandrakis, A., Reski, N., Laitinen, M., Tyrkkö, J., Levin, M., and Lundberg, J. (2018). Visualizing dynamic text corpora using Virtual Reality, in Proceedings of The 39th Annual Conference of the International Computer Archive for Modern and Medieval English (ICAME39): Corpus Linguistics and Changing Society. Tampere, Finland, 30 May – 3 June, 2018, p 205. [BibTeX] [DiVA]
• Alissandrakis, A. and Reski, N. (2017). Using Mobile Augmented Reality to Facilitate Public Engagement, in Extended Papers of the International Symposium on Digital Humanities (DH 2016). November, 7-8, 2016, Växjö, Sweden. Vol 2021, pp 99-109. [BibTeX] [DiVA]
• Alissandrakis, A. and Reski, N. (2016). PEAR 4 VXO: A case study using an Augmented Reality framework to facilitate public engagement, in Proceedings of the 1st International Digital Humanities Symposium 2016. November, 7-8, 2016, Växjö, Sweden, pp 12-15. [BibTeX] [DiVA]
• Reski, N. and Alissandrakis, A. (2016). Change your Perspective: Exploration of a 3D Network created from Open Data in an Immersive Virtual Reality Environment, in Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Advances in Computer-Human Interactions (ACHI 2016). April, 24-28, 2016, Venice, Italy, pp 403-410. [BibTeX] [DiVA]

• VRxAR Labs at Linnaeus Univerity [en / sv]
• Twitter
• Vimeo
  • interactive web demos and visualizations: [ODXVR x NTS (see 2019 News for more)] [3D radar chart (2020)]
• Facebook
• LNU Play