Applications are invited for a PhD fellowship/scholarship at Graduate School of Natural Sciences, Aarhus University, Denmark, within the Computer Science programme. The position is available from August 2023 or later.
Title:
Collaborative Human-Computer Interaction in Extended Reality (XR)
Research area and project description:
How will we collaborate in the future? Virtual (VR), Augmented (AR) and Extended Reality (XR) is increasing in popularity as a new paradigm for remote collaboration. In the Metaverse, future collaborative applications enable new forms of creative meetings where people can break out of their boring Zoom windows and be together in a shared 3D world.
This project will conduct foundational Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) research to advance the state-of-the-art of XR collaborative interactions. This involves, but is not restricted to, the design, implementation, and evaluation of novel interaction concepts and systems, to better understand and shape the future of XR collaboration. The project can include, but is not limited to:
- Mixed physical-real collaboration: Multiple persons can be set in different physical locations/rooms/places, be co-located or remote, which raises the question how to integrate physicality in the collaborative scene.
- AI-driven collaboration: XR technology provides a wealth of contextual information that can be used to predict user action, and adapt the UI to the users.
Hybrid work and meetings in XR: People can enter collaborations from various devices (mobiles, head-worn, etc.), and it is an open question how to best support users with different devices.
- Multimodal collaboration: Multimodal XR with e.g. hand, face, and eye tracking offer realistic collaboration opportunities close to real-world meetings, but also provide novel ways to design collaborative interfaces that harness the flexibility of virtually-mediated communication.
Since the project has an interdisciplinary nature, collaboration possibilities are available within the pioneer center as well as with the international network of the supervisors.
The PhD positions are available with Dr. Ken Pfeuffer and Prof. Hans Gellersen. More information can be found on www.kenpfeuffer.com and gemini-erc.eu. If you consider applying, we encourage you to contact us informally, for discussion of your interest.
Please upload a project description (½-4 pages). This document should describe your ideas and research plans for this specific project. If you wish to, you can indicate an URL where further information can be found.
Qualifications and specific competences:
You must have a relevant Master’s Degree in Computer Science, HCI or related field, where you showed excellent results. We expect you to have a genuine interest, and ideally experience, in creative work and user-centred design, and you should have relevant technical and software engineering skills. Any experience with VR/AR, collaborative HCI, or AI techniques applicable to HCI is a plus.
Place of employment and place of work:
The place of employment is Aarhus University, and the place of work is Åbogade 34, 8200 Aarhus N, Denmark.
Contacts:
Applicants seeking further information for this project are invited to contact: Professor Hans Gellersen, hwg@cs.au.dk or Tenure Track Assistant Professor Ken Pfeuffer, ken@cs.au.dk
How to apply:
For information about application requirements and mandatory attachments, please see the Application guide. Please read the Application guide thoroughly before applying.
When ready to apply, go to https://phd.nat.au.dk/for-applicants/apply-here/ (Note, the online application system opens 1 March 2023)
Please note:
Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants. All interested candidates are encouraged to apply, regardless of their personal background.
