Talk Title: From Haptic Illusions to Beyond Real Interactions in Virtual Reality

Speaker:  Parastoo Abtahi, Assistant Professor of Computer Science, Princeton University

Location: HBK 2105 and Zoom

Abstract:  Advances in audiovisual rendering have led to the commercialization of virtual reality (VR) hardware; however, haptic technology has not kept up with these advances. While haptic devices aim to bridge this gap by simulating the sensation of touch, many hardware limitations make realistic touch interactions in VR challenging. In my research, I explore how by understanding human perception, we can design VR interactions that not only overcome the current limitations of VR hardware but also extend our abilities beyond what is possible in the real world. In this talk, I will present my work on redirection illusions that leverage the limits of human perception to improve the perceived performance of encountered-type haptic devices, such as improving the position accuracy of drones, the speed of tabletop robots, and the resolution of shape displays when used for haptics in VR. I will then present a framework I have developed through the lens of sensorimotor control theory to argue for the exploration and evaluation of VR interactions that go beyond mimicking reality.

Bio:  Parastoo Abtahi is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Princeton University, where she leads Princeton’s Situated Interactions Lab (Ψ Lab) as part of the Princeton HCI Group. Before joining Princeton, Parastoo was a visiting research scientist at Meta Reality Labs Research. She received her PhD in Computer Science from Stanford University, working with Prof. James Landay and Prof. Sean Follmer. Her research area is human-computer interaction, and she works broadly on augmented reality and spatial computing. Parastoo received her bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Toronto, as part of the Engineering Science program.