jan Gugenheimer

Since June 2022 I am an Assistant Professor (W2 TT) for Computer Science at TU Darmstadt. I will be heading the group of Human-Computer Interaction focusing on several topics around Mixed Reality (Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality). I left my position at Institute Polytechnique de Paris (Télécom Paris) inside the DIVA group

As a PhD student at Ulm University I was working in the field of Human-Computer Interaction, focusing on the field of Mobile/Nomadic Virtual Reality (scholar | dblp). During my studies I had the opportunity to visit and work within a variety of exciting research labs at universities (ETH Zurich, MIT Media Lab) and research institutions (Daimler AG, IBM, Mercedes Benz Research and Development North America, Microsoft Research). For more details please have a look at my CV.

In my research, I explored the interaction scenario that I named  nomadic VR. Nomadic VR, is a novel interaction scenario in which a user is immersed in a virtual environment using a mobile VR HMD inside an unknown context (e.g., watching a 360-degree video while commuting by public transport). In my thesis, I defined this novel interaction scenario as nomadic VR and systematically explored its upcoming challenges and opportunities. For this, the interaction scenario was embedded into a larger vision of ubiquitous mixed reality, using models and approaches from the field of context-aware computing which already explain a similar transformation and paradigm shift from stationary PCs to mobile computing (smartphones):

The form factor changed dramatically, cursor-based input was replaced with multi-touch, sound and visual feedback was extended with vibration and the constant changing environment enabled a variety of location-based features and services. In my dissertation, I argue that a similar transformation will happen from stationary VR HMDs to mobile VR HMDs: the input will be adapted, novel output modalities will be added and the context of use will be incorporated into the virtual environment.