Augmented Everything: Engineering Compelling Ubiquitous AR Experiences

Augmented Reality (AR) is expected to become the next leap in the interaction with information technology. By projecting digital information directly into the user's field of view, AR offers continuous access to knowledge and communication, everywhere and in a context-aware manner. Thereby, the interaction with digital content and applications fundamentally changes user experience. Multi-modal interaction with hands-free options through voice, gestures, and gaze allows for both natural and magical experiences. However, the promises of AR follow a repeated trajectory of overhyped expectations and underwhelming results. While significant efforts are put into continuously improving the maturity of the hardware, many questions regarding the user experience of the software for ubiquitous applications remain unanswered. Yet, as low entry barriers are crucial, this thesis sets out to investigate relevant aspects of the user experience in AR that keep the technology from reaching its full potential.

One fundamental interaction problem is the input of text, which is particularly challenging in AR due to the lack of a physical keyboard and the need for hands-free options. ... mehrThe human-computer interaction discipline has proposed various text entry methods for Virtual Reality and AR, yet, there is no convergence towards a standard method for AR due to the lack of comparability between the methods and a comprehensive understanding of the user's needs and preferences. Thus, key contributions of this dissertation include identifying design requirements, discussing human interaction factors and limitations, and evaluating the performance of three promising text entry methods for AR in a controlled laboratory study, highlighting the need for tailored and user-adaptive text input.

In addition, the application of AR poses specific challenges in the respective domain and requires a thorough understanding to craft tailored solutions. While it remains unclear if the single "killer application" of AR exists, providing a seamless user experience is a key factor for the success of AR applications and its platform. Applied to the domain of Smart Home control, which is a well-suited testbed, this thesis further investigates the user's needs and preferences for interaction with Internet of Things devices through AR. After discussing design requirements with a focus group by applying universal design principles, the thesis focuses on automation within Smart Homes. Two novel concepts for automated Smart Home control via AR-based indoor positioning and automated spatial setup are presented and the tradeoff between automation and perceived autonomy is evaluated in a second laboratory study.

For both perspectives, the design of text entry methods and the application of AR to the Smart Home domain, the results demonstrate the need for adaptive and user-centered solutions that are tailored to the specific context of use and user preferences. One-size-fits-all approaches that were applied to prior platforms are not able to sufficiently live up to the expectations of the successor of the smartphone and the acceptance of this technology.

Overall, this thesis contributes to research and practice by studying both grounded AR user experience aspects and exploring novel applications through various methods and mixed-methods approaches such as controlled laboratory studies, prototypical implementations on state-of-the-art hardware, user interviews, and a focus group.