Research

Immersive Environments

including virtual, augmented, and mixed reality, provide users with an engaging and interactive way to explore information. Our focus lies in how immersive visualization supports users in understanding and analyzing complex datasets by leveraging spatial interactions, adaptive visualization techniques, and intuitive interaction modalities. Here lists an overview of my research topics:

Data Visualization
These environments overcome the spatial limitations of 2D screens but also introduce challenges in understanding complex data. Issues such as occlusion and misinterpretation of data features arise due to the 3D perspective view. To address these challenges, we explore methods that enhance spatial awareness, reduce occlusion, and enable seamless navigation through multi-scale and abstract data representations.

Spatial Interaction Techniques
These environments provide a 3D space that allows users to navigate freely, exploring spatial data from multiple perspectives and examining details more closely. To maximize this capability, we investigate how natural interaction methods—such as gaze-based selection, mid-air gestures, and tangible interfaces—enhance user engagement and improve efficiency in immersive environments.
Cross-Reality Visualization and Interaction
Cross-reality environments enable seamless transitions between physical, augmented, and virtual spaces, allowing users to explore data across multiple levels of immersion. To support these transitions, we investigate adaptive visualization techniques that maintain spatial continuity and interaction methods that adjust to different modalities. By integrating multi-scale visualization, progressive abstraction, and natural interaction techniques, we aim to enhance user engagement and ensure a fluid, intuitive experience across realities.
Collaborative Exploration
Collaboration in immersive environments also introduces new dynamics, requiring strategies that balance shared and individual perspectives. We study how different visualization and interaction techniques influence communication, decision-making, and teamwork, aiming to design systems that optimize both individual insights and collaborative understanding.

Accessible Interaction and Visualization

In a data-driven world, extracting insights from complex information is crucial. Data visualization supports this by leveraging human pattern recognition and exploratory abilities. However, its reliance on visual representations can create accessibility barriers for users with sensory, motor, or cognitive impairments, as well as those with situational constraints. To address this, we develop frameworks that integrate alternative sensory modalities, ensuring more inclusive access to data. By understanding diverse user needs, designing accessibility support tools, and enabling customized data representations, we aim to enhance information access, consumption, and creation across abilities and contexts.

Visual Storytelling

The amount of data produced by imaging systems is growing in size and complexity. Domain experts are analyzing and discussing the data, extracting useful information and insights. Clear presentation and successful communication of the results is essential for sharing the domain experts’ understanding. Here, visual storytelling, based on creating visual stories from data, provides an effective communication solution.