Keynote Speakers
Kenton O'HaraBio: Kenton is currently working at Microsoft Research Cambridge and also a Visiting Professor in the Computer Science Department at the University of Bristol. His research explores everyday social and collaborative practices with technology with a view to informing design and innovation. His most recent research has focused on user experiences and practices with “touchless” gestural interaction technology in a variety of areas such as surgery, urban displays and everyday desktop computing. Over the years, his research has investigated new technologies in a variety of domains including the home, mobile environments, urban settings and the workplace. Kenton has authored over 90 publications and two books on public displays and music consumption. He has previously worked as a Principal Scientist at CSIRO and as Director of the HxI Initiative in Australia) as well as being a Senior Researcher at Xerox EuroPARC, HP Labs and the Appliance Studio. He has worked on numerous award winning projects including the BAFTA-award-winning “Coast” location-based experience and IDSA-award winning RoomWizard appliance.
Title: "Interaction Proxemics: technology, spatial relationships and social meaning"
Abstract: In recent years there has been a growing interest in HCI with the concept of proxemics. The notion of proxemics refers to our spatial relations with each other and with artefacts in the environment with such relations being key components in the unfolding organisation of social action and interpersonal relations. Within HCI, a predominant concern in proxemics research is with inter-entity distances and orientation with a view to operationalizing such spatial relations to trigger particular system responses, which have come to be called proxemic interactions. In contrast to this I want to discuss the notion of interaction proxemics, namely the ways that certain interaction characteristics of a technology demand particular spatial relations between object and actor in their use. This has implications for how we organise action in relation to interactive objects and assemblages of other co-present objects and actors. In order to illustrate and develop these ideas, I will discuss them in relation to a number of key technologies and domains such as gesture and voice control in the operating theatre, interactive table centerpieces for family mealtime experiences and situated displays in home and public spaces.
Bruce ThomasBio: Professor Thomas is the current the Deputy Director of the Advanced Computing Research Centre, Director of the Mawson Institute SAR Visualisation Lab, and Director of the Wearable Computer Laboratory at the University of South Australia. He is currently a NICTA Fellow, Senior Member of the ACM, and visiting Scholar with the Human Interaction Technology Laboratory, University of Washington. His current research interests include: wearable computers, user interfaces, augmented reality, virtual reality, CSCW, and tabletop display interfaces. Prof. Thomas' academic qualifications include the following:
1) B.A. in Physics, George Washington University;
2) M.S. in Computer Science, University of Virginia with a thesis titled:
Pipeline Pyramids in Dynamic Scenes; and
3) Ph.D. in Computer Science, Flinders University with a thesis titled:
Animating Direct Manipulation in Human Computer Interfaces
His experience includes working at the School of Computer and Information Science, University of South Australia since 1990. He has run his own computer consultancy company. He was a Computer Scientist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (A major US government laboratory for the Department of Commerce.), and a software engineer for the Computer Sciences Corporation and the General Electric Company.
Title: "Designing the Future with Augmented Reality"
Abstract: Augmented Reality (AR) is the registration of computer-generated graphical information over a user’s view of the physical world. AR supplies a new form of human computer interaction that fuses virtual and physical worlds to increase a user’s understanding of their current task at hand. While this augmentation may be supplied visually, auditorily, olfactorily, or haptically, this talk will focus on visual augmented reality. AR has been applied to a wide array of the application domains, such as entertainment, manufacturing, and defence. This talk will explore the use of augmented reality to aid in the design process. In particular how AR can enhance the rapid prototyping process of large design artefacts. That is to say artefacts from the size of a toaster to an operating theatre. These design artefacts increase stakeholder (designers and clients) understanding of design concepts through physical embodiments of these ideas. Current prototyping techniques have a long cycle time, but the use of augmented reality holds the promise of reducing the cycle time. Critical to improving these design processes with augmented reality is the development of new AR interaction techniques for the stakeholders. This talk will highlight the current research projects in the Wearable Computer Lab at the University of South Australia supporting the use of augmented reality in the design process.
Ben KilsbyBio: Ben Kilsby is the co-founder and CEO of Holopoint Interactive, and the founder of The Indie Games Room.After leaving school far too early, Ben spent the better part of ten years working in and around the music industry as an artist manager, tour manager, sound engineer, lighting designer and event manager.
In 2006 Ben successfully completed the Advanced Diploma of Computer Game Art at TafeSA, co-founded Holopoint in 2007, and fulfilled every boy’s dream of (co)owning his own games studio. Holopoint Interactive helps organisations to achieve their learning and communication objectives using video game technology, with the team delivering over 80 commercial projects to date. Serviced industries include Defence, Mining, Manufacturing, Healthcare, R&D, Education, Training, Building and Construction - just to name a few. Somewhere in between all of that, Ben found time to found The Indie Games Room, an annual showcase event for independent game developers to show off their latest and greatest games to a real world audience. Ben lives and works in Adelaide Australia, has a passion for interactive storytelling, riding his skateboard on big ramps, and can usually be convinced to play a game of paintball.
Title: "Being Game"
Abstract: The video games industry is often recognised as innovators in computer-human interface and rightly so. There has been a vast array of innovative hardware and software developments that have come from the entertainment industry, especially in the last 30 years. By many accounts the future of computer-human interface seems to be wrapped up in game.
But there’s only one problem: not everyone plays video games.
Over a one hour session including questions, Ben Kilsby from Holopoint Interactive will speak about the challenges and opportunities of using game techniques and hardware for computer-human interface in a commercial, project based context. Drawing upon many years of experience in the simulation and serious game space (along with far too many years playing video games), Ben will provide real world examples and practical insights into the design considerations used by Holopoint to achieve client, project and end user objectives.
