Papers by Francois Guimbretiere
As information visualization tools are used to visualize datasets of increasing size, there is a ... more As information visualization tools are used to visualize datasets of increasing size, there is a growing need for techniques that facilitate efficient navigation. Pan and zoom navigation enables users to display areas of interest at different resolutions. Focus+context techniques aim to overcome the drawbacks of pan and zoom by dynamically integrating areas of interest and context regions. To date, empirical comparisons of these two navigation paradigms have been limited in scope and inconclusive. In two controlled studies, we evaluated navigation techniques representative of the pan and zoom and focus+context approaches. The particular focus+context technique examined was rubber sheet navigation, implemented in a way that afforded a set of navigation actions similar to pan and zoom navigation. The two techniques were used by 40 subjects in each study to perform a navigation-intensive task in a large tree dataset. Study 1 investigated the effect of the amount of screen real estate d...
Interactive Vignettes: Enabling Large-Scale Interactive HRI Research
2021 30th IEEE International Conference on Robot & Human Interactive Communication (RO-MAN), 2021
We propose the use of interactive vignettes as an alternative to traditional text- and video-base... more We propose the use of interactive vignettes as an alternative to traditional text- and video-based vignettes for conducting large-scale Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) studies. Interactive vignettes maintain the advantages of traditional vignettes while offering additional affordances for participant interaction and data collection through interactive elements. We discuss the core affordances of interactive vignettes, including explorability, responsiveness, and non-linearity, and look into how these affordances can enable HRI research with more complex scenarios. To demonstrate the strength of the approach, we present a case study of our own research project with N=87 participants and show the data we collect through interactive vignettes. We suggest that the use of interactive vignettes can benefit HRI researchers in learning how participants interact with, respond to, and perceive a robot’s behavior in pre-defined scenarios.
Supporting Face-to-Face Like Communication Modalities for Asynchronous Assignment Feedback in Math Education
Proceedings of the Second (2015) ACM Conference on Learning @ Scale, 2015
The digitization of educational course content has proved to be problematic for math instructors ... more The digitization of educational course content has proved to be problematic for math instructors due to the lack of quality feedback tools that can accommodate the commenter to efficiently express math formulae and convey descriptions about complex ideas contextualized in situ. This paper proposes that RichReview, a document annotation system which creates inking, voice and deictic gestures on top of the student's submitted work, is a possible formative math feedback solution, because it enables face-to-face like commentary within the contexts of the document at hand. A preliminary qualitative evaluation study conducted while having students receive RichReview feedback showed promise to our approach to enhance the quality of feedback, with the implication that incorporating multi-modal feedback into workflows can be an effective method to address elements of feedback submissions lacking in coursework that has moved online.
Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 2006
Modes allow a few inputs to invoke many operations, yet if a user misclassifies or forgets the st... more Modes allow a few inputs to invoke many operations, yet if a user misclassifies or forgets the state of a system, modes can result in errors. Spring-loaded modes (quasimodes) maintain a mode while the user holds a control such as a button or key. The Springboard is an interaction technique for tablet computers that extends quasimodes to encompass multiple tool modes in a single spring-loaded control. The Springboard allows the user to continue holding down a nonpreferred-hand command button after selecting a tool from a menu as a way to repeatedly apply the same tool. We find the Springboard improves performance for both a local marking menu and for a non-local marking menu ("lagoon") at the lower left corner of the screen. Despite the round-trip costs incurred to move the pen to a tool lagoon, a keystroke-level analysis of the true cost of each technique reveals the local marking menu is not significantly faster.
Proceedings of the 18th annual ACM symposium on User interface software and technology, 2005
Knowledge workers use paper extensively for document reviewing and note-taking due to its versati... more Knowledge workers use paper extensively for document reviewing and note-taking due to its versatility and simplicity of use. As users annotate printed documents and gather notes, they create a rich web of annotations and cross references. Unfortunately, as paper is a static media, this web often gets trapped in the physical world. While several digital solutions such as XLibris [15] and Digital Desk [18] have been proposed, they suffer from a small display size or onerous hardware requirements. To address these limitations, we propose PapierCraft, a gesture-based interface that allows users to manipulate digital documents directly using their printouts as proxies. Using a digital pen, users can annotate a printout or draw command gestures to indicate operations such as copying a document area, pasting an area previously copied, or creating a link. Upon pen synchronization, our infrastructure executes these commands and presents the result in a customized viewer. In this paper we describe the design and implementation of the PapierCraft command system, and report on early user feedback.
Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 2013
In laboratory studies, multi-surface slate-based reading systems have shown great promise as plat... more In laboratory studies, multi-surface slate-based reading systems have shown great promise as platforms for active reading. However, the true utility of such a system can only be ascertained through the rigors of real world use. We conducted month-long deployments of a multi-slate reading system to support the active reading activities of graduate students in the humanities. During these deployments we documented how the added display area and increased micro-mobility of multiple devices enhanced navigation and reading comfort. We also noted the essential role of writing and annotation. Finally, we observed how electronic affordances like synchronization across devices helped provide functionality that would not have been possible with paper documents. This paper contributes new information about how electronic reading solutions fit into real world reading workflows.
Enhancing naturalness of pen-and-tablet drawing through context sensing
Proceedings of the ACM International Conference on Interactive Tabletops and Surfaces, 2011
Proceedings of the 19th annual ACM symposium on User interface software and technology, 2006
Current paper-based interfaces such as PapierCraft, provide very little feedback and this limits ... more Current paper-based interfaces such as PapierCraft, provide very little feedback and this limits the scope of possible interactions. So far, there has been little systematic exploration of the structure, constraints, and contingencies of feedback-mechanisms in paper-based interaction systems for paper-only environments. We identify three levels of feedback: discovery feedback (e.g., to aid with menu learning), status-indication feedback (e.g., for error detection), and task feedback (e.g., to aid in a search task). Using three modalities (visual, tactile, and auditory) which can be easily implemented on a pen-sized computer, we introduce a conceptual matrix to guide systematic research on pen-top feedback for paper-based interfaces. Using this matrix, we implemented a multimodal pen prototype demonstrating the potential of our approach. We conducted an experiment that confirmed the efficacy of our design in helping users discover a new interface and identify and correct their errors.
Codex
Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 2009
MouseLight
Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 2010
Proceedings 1999 IEEE Symposium on Information Visualization (InfoVis'99)
Constellation is a visualization system for the results of queries from the MindNet natural langu... more Constellation is a visualization system for the results of queries from the MindNet natural language semantic network. Constellation is targeted at helping MindNet's creators and users refine their algorithms, as opposed to understanding the structure of language. We designed a special-purpose graph layout algorithm which exploits higher-level structure in addition to the basic node and edge connectivity. Our layout prioritizes the creation of a semantic space to encode plausibility instead of traditional graph drawing metrics like minimizing edge crossings. We make careful use of several perceptual channels both to minimize the visual impact of edge crossings and to emphasize highlighted constellations of nodes and edges.
ExperiScope
Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 2007
Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 2006
We present a study that evaluates conventional Pan and Zoom Navigation and Rubber Sheet Navigatio... more We present a study that evaluates conventional Pan and Zoom Navigation and Rubber Sheet Navigation, a rectilinear Focus+Context technique. Each of the two navigation techniques was evaluated both with and without an overview. All interfaces guaranteed that regions of interest would remain visible, at least as a compressed landmark, independent of navigation actions. Interfaces implementing these techniques were used by 40 subjects to perform a task that involved navigating a large hierarchical tree dataset and making topological comparisons between nodes in the tree. Our results show that Pan and Zoom Navigation was significantly faster and required less mental effort than Rubber Sheet Navigation, independent of the presence or absence of an overview. Also, overviews did not appear to improve performance, but were still perceived as beneficial by users. We discuss the implications of our task and guaranteed visibility on the results and the limitations of our study, and we propose preliminary design guidelines and recommendations for future work.
Proceedings of the working conference on Advanced visual interfaces, 2004
Stitching is a new interaction technique that allows users to combine pen-operated mobile devices... more Stitching is a new interaction technique that allows users to combine pen-operated mobile devices with wireless networking by using pen gestures that span multiple displays. To stitch, a user starts moving the pen on one screen, crosses over the bezel, and finishes the stroke on the screen of a nearby device. Properties of each portion of the pen stroke are observed by the participating devices, synchronized via wireless network communication, and recognized as a unitary act performed by one user, thus binding together the devices. We identify the general requirements of stitching and describe a prototype photo sharing application that uses stitching to allow users to copy images from one tablet to another that is nearby, expand an image across multiple screens, establish a persistent shared workspace, or use one tablet to present images that a user selects from another tablet. We also discuss design issues that arise from proxemics, that is, the sociological implications of users collaborating in close quarters.
Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 2005
We present a quantitative analysis of delimiters for pen gestures. A delimiter is "something diff... more We present a quantitative analysis of delimiters for pen gestures. A delimiter is "something different" in the input stream that a computer can use to determine the structure of input phrases. We study four techniques for delimiting a selection-action gesture phrase consisting of lasso selection plus marking-menu-based command activation. Pigtail is a new technique that uses a small loop to delimit lasso selection from marking (Fig. 1). Handle adds a box to the end of the lasso, from which the user makes a second stroke for marking. Timeout uses dwelling with the pen to delimit the lasso from the mark. Button uses a button press to signal when to delimit the gesture. We describe the role of delimiters in our Scriboli pen interaction testbed, and show how Pigtail supports scope selection, command activation, and direct manipulation all in a single fluid pen gesture.
TreeJuxtaposer
ACM Transactions on Graphics, 2003
Structural comparison of large trees is a difficult task that is only partially supported by curr... more Structural comparison of large trees is a difficult task that is only partially supported by current visualization techniques, which are mainly designed for browsing. We present TreeJuxtaposer, a system designed to support the comparison task for large trees of several hundred thousand nodes. We introduce the idea of "guaranteed visibility", where highlighted areas are treated as landmarks that must remain visually apparent at all times. We propose a new methodology for detailed structural comparison between two trees and provide a new nearly-linear algorithm for computing the best corresponding node from one tree to another. In addition, we present a new rectilinear Focus+Context technique for navigation that is well suited to the dynamic linking of side-by-side views while guaranteeing landmark visibility and constant frame rates. These three contributions result in a system delivering a fluid exploration experience that scales both in the size of the dataset and the num...
ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction, 2005
Toolglass [Bier et al. 1993] demonstrated a two-handed command selection technique that combined ... more Toolglass [Bier et al. 1993] demonstrated a two-handed command selection technique that combined command selection and direct manipulation. While empirical evaluations showed a speed advantage for ToolGlass, they did not examine the relative importance of two possible factors in its improved performance: (1) the use of two hands and (2) the merging of command selection and direct manipulation.We conducted a study comparing the relative benefits of three command selection techniques that merge command selection and direct manipulation: one two-handed technique, Toolglass, and two one-handed techniques, namely, control menus [Pook et al. 2000] and FlowMenu [Guimbretière and Winograd 2000]. Participants performed sequences of operations that required both selecting a color and designating the endpoints of a line. Our results show that control menus and FlowMenu are significantly faster than Toolglass. Further analysis suggests that the merging of command selection and direct manipulati...
ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction, 2012
Despite predictions of the paperless office, most knowledge workers and students still rely heavi... more Despite predictions of the paperless office, most knowledge workers and students still rely heavily on paper in most of their document practices. Research has shown that paper's dominance can be attributed to the fact that it supports a broad range of these users' diverse reading requirements. Our analysis of the literature suggests that a new class of reading device consisting of an interconnected environment of thin and lightweight electronic slates could potentially unify the distinct advantages of e-books, PCs, and tabletop computers to offer an electronic reading solution providing functionality comparable to, or even exceeding, that of paper. This article presents the design and construction of such a system. In it, we explain how data can be mapped to slates, detail interactions for linking the slates, and describe tools that leverage the connectivity between slates. A preliminary study of the system indicates that such a system has the potential of being an electroni...
ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction, 2008
Paper persists as an integral component of active reading and other knowledge-worker tasks becaus... more Paper persists as an integral component of active reading and other knowledge-worker tasks because it provides ease of use unmatched by digital alternatives. Paper documents are light to carry, easy to annotate, rapid to navigate, flexible to manipulate, and robust to use in varied environments. Interactions with paper documents create rich webs of annotation, cross reference, and spatial organization. Unfortunately, the resulting webs are confined to the physical world of paper and, as they accumulate, become increasingly difficult to store, search, and access. XLibris [Schilit et al. 1998] and similar systems address these difficulties by simulating paper with tablet PCs. While this approach is promising, it suffers not only from limitations of current tablet computers (e.g., limited screen space) but also from loss of invaluable paper affordances. In this article, we describe PapierCraft, a gesture-based command system that allows users to manipulate digital documents using paper...
NeckFace
Proceedings of the ACM on Interactive, Mobile, Wearable and Ubiquitous Technologies, 2021
Facial expressions are highly informative for computers to understand and interpret a person'... more Facial expressions are highly informative for computers to understand and interpret a person's mental and physical activities. However, continuously tracking facial expressions, especially when the user is in motion, is challenging. This paper presents NeckFace, a wearable sensing technology that can continuously track the full facial expressions using a neck-piece embedded with infrared (IR) cameras. A customized deep learning pipeline called NeckNet based on Resnet34 is developed to learn the captured infrared (IR) images of the chin and face and output 52 parameters representing the facial expressions. We demonstrated NeckFace on two common neck-mounted form factors: a necklace and a neckband (e.g., neck-mounted headphones), which was evaluated in a user study with 13 participants. The study results showed that NeckFace worked well when the participants were sitting, walking, or after remounting the device. We discuss the challenges and opportunities of using NeckFace in real...
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Papers by Francois Guimbretiere