In search of the holy grail of Human–Computer Interaction
What if you could use your eyesight, hearing, touch, and smell to engage with virtual objects and environments? According to Postdoctoral Research Fellow Ahmed Farooq, novel communication platforms for Human–Human and Human–Computer Interaction make this possible.
Farooq’s research at the Tampere IAS and Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences (ITC) focuses on designing and developing novel Human–Technology Interaction techniques for immersive communication in three-dimensional Virtual and Augmented Reality.
– Current virtual environments are heavily dependent on using vision and audio to engage users. However, to create truly immersive VR / XR experiences it is important to use as many senses as possible. This means that users should be able to interact with various virtual objects and environments by using their natural senses. The research being done at Tampere Unit for Computer-Human Interaction (TAUCHI) enables anyone to step into a virtual world (i.e., metaverse) and experience it in a manner similar to how they would interact with the physical / real world. This can only be made possible by developing novel multimodal communication platforms for Human-Human and Human-Computer Interaction, which are currently being researched at TAUCHI, Farooq explains.
Using natural senses to communicate with computers
According to Farooq, the ability to reach out, touch and manipulate virtual objects in 2D or 3D and to be able to taste and smell them, has been the holy grail of Human–Computer Interaction. During the last eleven years at Tampere University, he and his team have been working to make that a reality by developing multiple interaction systems for mobile, hand-held, wearable, automotive and standalone computing environments for a wide range of research and commercial applications.
– In the last few years, I’ve developed the novel concept of “Intelligent Haptic Mediation”, which uses Constructive Wave Interference (CWI), Liquid and Solid Mediation, Embedded Haptic Waveguides (EHWs) and AI-driven tools to monitor, generate and relay calibrated tactile feedback for immersive 2D and 3D interaction, Farooq says.
Working together with leading research centers, universities and industrial partners to develop novel solutions to virtual communication problems
Farooq means to continue improving the core Intelligent Haptic Mediation AI platform in collaboration with some of the leading research centers and universities. He will continue to work with local and international industrial partners to incorporate various elements of the IHM platform for their products and systems, all the while improving virtual communication within the process.
– During my two-year Postdoctoral Fellowship at Tampere Institute for Advanced Studies, I’m able to fully dedicate my resources to the novel “Intelligent Haptic Mediation” concept. My long-term goal is to build on top of existing research and commercial application areas within Human–Computer Interaction, and develop novel solutions to various communication problems, Farooq concludes.
Keywords: augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), intelligent haptic mediation (IHM), Human–Computer Interaction, information technology, Tampere University, Tampere Institute for Advanced Study