Search Results (146)

This study provides a chronological analysis of how Extended Reality (XR) interaction techniques have evolved from early controller-centered interfaces to natural hand- and gaze-based input and, more recently, to multimodal input, with a particular focus on the role of XR devices. We collected 46 user study–based XR interaction papers published between 2016 and 2024, including only studies that explicitly defined their interaction techniques and reported quantitative and/or qualitative evaluation results. For each study, we documented the XR hardware and software development kits (SDKs) used as well as the input modalities applied (e.g., controller, hand tracking, eye tracking, wrist rotation, multimodal input). These data were analyzed in relation to a device and SDK timeline spanning major platforms from the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift to the Meta Quest Pro and Apple Vision Pro. Using frequency summaries, heatmaps, correspondence analysis, and chi-square tests, we quantitatively compared input modality distributions across device generations. The results reveal three distinct stages of XR interaction development: (1) an early controller-dominant phase centered on the Vive/Rift (2016–2018), (2) a transitional phase marked by the widespread introduction of hand- and gaze-based input through the Oculus Quest, HoloLens 2, and the Hand Tracking SDK (2019–2021), and (3) an expansion phase in which multisensor and multimodal input became central, driven by MR-capable devices such as the Meta Quest Pro (2022–2024). These findings demonstrate that the choice of input modalities in XR research has been structurally shaped not only by researcher preference or task design but also by the sensing configurations, tracking performance, and SDK support provided by devices available at each point in time. By reframing XR interaction research within the technological context of device and SDK generations—rather than purely functional taxonomies—this study offers a structured analytical framework for informing future multimodal and context-adaptive XR interface design and guiding user studies involving next-generation XR devices. Full article

This study compares the roles of eye-tracking and verbal reports (think-alouds and retrospective verbal reports, RVRs) in L2 reading process research through three qualitative studies. Findings indicate that eye-tracking provided precise, quantitative data on visual attention and reading patterns (e.g., fixation duration, gaze plots) and choice-making during gap-filling. Based on our mapping, it was mostly effective in identifying 13 out of 47 reading processing strategies, primarily those involving skimming or scanning that had distinctive eye-movement signatures. Verbal reports, while less exact in measurement, offered direct access to cognitive processes (e.g., strategy use, reasoning) and uncovered content-specific thoughts inaccessible to eye-tracking. Both methods exhibited reactivity: eye-tracking could cause physical discomfort or altered reading behavior, whereas think-alouds could disrupt task flow or enhance reflection. This study reveals the respective strengths and limitations of eye-tracking and verbal reports in L2 reading research. It facilitates a more informed selection and application of these methodological approaches in alignment with specific research objectives, whether employed in isolation or in an integrated manner. Full article

Visual attention plays a critical role in users’ cognitive evaluation of safety and functionality in interior furniture, particularly for children’s beds, which are inherently safety-sensitive products. This study adopts an integrated approach combining eye-tracking experiments and questionnaire surveys to examine users’ visual cognition and preference patterns toward children’s solid wood beds under controlled viewing conditions, focusing on material attributes, bed typologies, and key structural components. The results indicate that natural solid wood materials with clear textures and warm tones attract higher visual attention, while storage-integrated bed designs significantly enhance exploratory gaze behavior. At the component level, safety-related elements such as guardrails and headboards consistently receive the earliest visual attention, highlighting their cognitive priority in safety assessment and spatial perception. Overall, the findings support a dual-path visual cognition mechanism in which bottom-up visual salience interacts with top-down concerns related to safety and usability. This study provides evidence-based insights for material selection and structural emphasis in children’s furniture design within interior environments. The applicability of the conclusions is primarily limited to adult observers under controlled visual conditions. Full article

Eye gaze plays an essential role in the organisation of human goal-directed behaviour. Stationary gaze entropy and gaze transition entropy are two informative measures of visual scanning in different tasks. In this work, we discuss the benefits of these eye gaze entropy measures in the context of driving behaviour. In our large-scale study, participants performed driving tasks in a simulator (N = 380, 44% female, age: 20–73 years old) and in on-road urban environments (N = 241, 44% female, age: 19–74 years old). We analysed measures of eye gaze entropy in relation to driving experience and compared their dynamics between the simulator and on-road driving. The results demonstrate that, in both driving conditions, gaze transition entropy is higher, whereas stationary gaze entropy is lower, in more experienced drivers of both genders. This suggests that gaining driving experience may be accompanied by a decrease in overall gaze dispersion and an increased unpredictability of visual scanning behaviour. These results are in line with previously reported trends on experience-related dynamics of eye gaze entropy measures. We discuss our findings in the framework of the system-evolutionary theory, which explains the organisation of behaviour through the history of individual development, corresponding to the growing complexity of individual–environment interactions. Experience-related dynamics of eye gaze complexity can be a useful factor in the development of practical applications, such as driver monitoring systems and other human–machine interfaces. Full article

Strong communication is central to the translation of breast cancer screening availability into uptake. This experiment tests the role of design features of screening advertisements in directing visual attention in screening-eligible women (≥40 years). To this end, a within-subjects eye-tracking experiment (N = 30) was conducted in which women viewed six static public service advertisements. Predefined Areas of Interest (AOIs), Text, Image/Visual, Symbol, Logo, Website/CTA, and Source/Authority—were annotated, and three standard measures were calculated: Time to First Fixation (TTFF), Fixation Count (FC), and Fixation Duration (FD). Analyses combined descriptive summaries with subgroup analyses using nonparametric methods and generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs) employing participant-level random intercepts. Within each category of stimuli, detected differences were small in magnitude yet trended towards few revisits in each category for the FC mode; TTFF and FD showed no significant differences across categories. Viewing data from the perspective of Areas of Interest (AOIs) highlighted pronounced individual differences. Narratives/efficacy text and dense icon/text callouts prolonged processing times, although institutional logos and abstract/anatomical symbols generally received brief treatment except when coupled with action-oriented communication triggers. TTFF timing also tended toward individual areas of interest aligned with the Scan-Then-Read strategy, in which smaller labels/sources/CTAs are exploited first in comparison with larger headlines/statistical text. Practically, screening messages should co-locate access and credibility information in early-attention areas and employ brief, fluent efficacy text to hold gaze. The study adds PSA-specific eye-tracking evidence for breast cancer screening and provides immediately testable design recommendations for programs in Greece and the EU. Full article

The brainstem plays a pivotal role in the generation and control of eye movements—including saccades, smooth pursuit, the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR), vergence, and gaze holding. Beyond its vital physiological functions, it is also essential for the coordination of balance and movement. Consequently, eye movement disorders of brainstem origin are often accompanied by vertigo, imbalance, unsteady gait, and diplopia, particularly during changes in head or body position. A sound understanding of the neural structures involved in oculomotor and vestibular control is therefore crucial for accurately identifying and localizing a wide variety of brainstem syndromes. However, oculomotor abnormalities resulting from brainstem disease represent a major diagnostic challenge for the neurotologist, owing to the wide spectrum of possible etiologies (vascular, traumatic, degenerative, neoplastic), their variable severity and clinical course (acute, fluctuating, or progressive), and the frequent concomitant involvement of other central structures, particularly the cerebellum. This mini review summarizes the pathophysiological mechanisms and clinical features of oculomotor disorders and nystagmus associated with brainstem disease. Full article

Background/Objectives: The vestibulothalamic tract (VTT) serves as a crucial pathway transmitting vestibular information from the brainstem nuclei to the thalamus, where integration with other sensory modalities occurs. This study aimed to investigate the structural connectivity between three vestibular nuclei and three thalamic nuclei in the human brain using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) tractography. Methods: Twelve healthy adults underwent DTI to visualize vestibulothalamic connections using probabilistic tractography. Results: Results revealed distinct patterns of connectivity: the lateral vestibular nucleus (LVN) exhibited the highest reconstruction rates to both the ventral posterolateral (95.8%) and ventral posteromedial (83.3%), while the medial vestibular nucleus (MVN) showed the strongest connection to the ventral intermediate (75.0%). All vestibulothalamic tracts predominantly passed through the tegmentum of the midbrain, with limited or absent contributions from the tectum. Conclusions: These findings indicate differential roles of vestibular nuclei in relaying information to thalamic targets, with the LVN showing preferential projections to sensory relay nuclei and the MVN contributing to motor-related thalamic regions. Such insights may have important implications for the diagnosis and treatment of vestibular disorders, as well as for advancing anatomical research. These findings provide anatomical insights that may help explain symptoms of vestibular and thalamic lesions and guide rehabilitation strategies for balance and gaze control disorders. Full article

The rise of digital platforms has transformed heritage interpretation from a single official narrative to multi-stakeholder participation. This study investigates how such platforms mediate the formation of a sense of place at the Kulangsu World Heritage Site (WHS). Data were collected from official narrative texts and user-generated content (UGC) on Dianping and Ctrip, and analyzed using high-frequency word statistics and semantic network analysis. The results reveal a clear divergence between official narratives, which emphasize Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), and tourist perceptions, which focus on visual landmarks and “check-in” practices shaped by the “digital gaze.” Moreover, the sense of place is shown to be a dynamic process, co-constructed through pre-visit expectations, on-site experiences, and post-visit reflections. The findings also highlight a transformation in tourists’ roles, shifting from passive cultural consumers to active participants in the co-construction of heritage values, with digital platforms serving as critical mediators. Theoretically, the study advances digital heritage scholarship by clarifying the mechanism of the digital gaze and the dynamic nature of sense of place. Practically, it underscores the importance of integrating official narratives with UGC to strengthen OUV communication, foster broader public engagement, and support the sustainable development of WHSs. Full article

The first film signed by Paolo Taviani without his brother Vittorio (who died in 2018) in more than 60 years, Leonora addio (2022) recapitulates and condenses an entire career by recounting the grotesque (real-life) journey of the burial, cremation, exhumation, transfer (from Rome to Sicily) and re-burial of Luigi Pirandello’s corpse over more than ten years, as well as by showing in the last thirty minutes an adaptation for the screen of “The Nail” (“Il chiodo”, the last novella by the renowned Sicilian writer). A quintessential testament film refracting the writer’s death in Vittorio’s (one of the film’s many Pirandello-esque mirror games) and alluding to the intellectual legacies of either, Leonora addio daringly thematizes the exploitation of cultural value as well as its political implications—particularly in the specific Italian context and, implicitly yet unmistakably, in the present day too. My paper will analyse Leonora addio paying particular attention to how this subtext intersects the film’s “testamentary” surface, to Deleuze’s “crystal images” (pervasively informing the structure of Leonora addio), to the film’s many nods to Kaos (a 1984 Pirandello adaptation for the screen by the Taviani, analysed mainly through the lens of Lacanian gaze theory) and to the role of death in both films. Full article

The Shrine Madonna is a unique form of cult statuary within the wider Madonna and Child tradition, linked to broader Marian iconography. Building on previous scholarship, this article focuses on the visual relationship between the Virgin and the worshiper, giving primacy to the Shrine Madonna’s gaze. Analyzing three key examples: the Boubon, Rhineland, and Morlaix, Shrine Madonnas reveal how these objects function as mediators of sacred presence, theology, and compassion. Theoretical frameworks surrounding gaze theory and medieval concepts of vision and visuality buttress a discussion of three distinct gazes—direct, mutual, and averted—that facilitate a compassionate response and establish divine hierarchy. This work argues for a shift from viewing Shrine Madonnas as static devotional objects toward recognizing their dynamic role in mediating affective spiritual exchange. Shrine Madonnas are active subjects who command theological space and engage viewers through a reciprocal gaze that alters perception. Rather than passively being observed, they watch back, reflecting and redirecting the viewer’s desire, thereby implicating and transforming them. Full article

Purpose of review: Numerous studies have investigated sex-specific differences in mitral regurgitation (MR) and mitral valve (MV) surgery. However, less is known about the possibility of sex-related outcomes in minimally invasive cardiac surgery, particularly in the case of minimally invasive MV repair. This review seeks to highlight existing evidence and identify gaps in the literature. Findings: Female patients with MR tend to present later, more symptomatically, and more comorbidly. This sex bias extends to pre-operative investigation, with females underrepresented in multidisciplinary evaluation and having longer intervals to surgery, often only receiving investigations as inpatients, and suffering from excess post-operative mortality compared to male patients. Very few studies directly investigate how these factors are related to female patients who undergo minimally invasive MV surgery, and fewer still interrogate sex-specific outcomes in minimally invasive MV repair. Summary: As cardiac surgery continues to evolve, it is of utmost importance to fully characterise the importance of sex as a factor in patient care for MR, and further research is necessary to reconcile its role in the advancement of minimally invasive MV surgery. Full article

The static orientation of the eyes during visual fixation is determined by the simultaneous operation of multiple equilibria. This phenomenon is collectively referred to as poly-equilibrium, which involves multiple systems that work together to cancel each other out and establish gaze direction. While other systems, such as audio- and cervico-ocular systems, may also contribute to gaze direction, this review focuses primarily on the commands issued by the vestibulo- and visuo-oculomotor systems that determine gaze direction, as they play a key role in the poly-equilibrium process. From the visual and vestibular activities accompanying the appearance of an object in the central visual field to the recruitment of premotor neurons responsible for the generation of slow and saccadic eye movements, a delicate balance is maintained. As long as the recruited channels convey commands that counterbalance each other, no movement is initiated. This alternative viewpoint leads to reconsidering the nature of saccadic and pursuit eye movements. Rather than viewing them as the dynamic reduction in brain signals encoding kinematic parameters such as position or velocity, they can be seen as the physical expression of intracerebral processes restoring balanced activities between sensorimotor channels whose recruitment leads to mutually opposed movements. Full article

Soft skills such as communication and collaboration are vital in both professional and educational settings, yet difficult to train and assess objectively. Traditional role-playing scenarios rely heavily on subjective trainer evaluations—either in real time, where subtle behaviors are missed, or through time-intensive post hoc analysis. Virtual reality (VR) offers a scalable alternative by immersing trainees in controlled, interactive scenarios while simultaneously capturing fine-grained behavioral signals. This study investigates how task design in VR shapes non-verbal and paraverbal behaviors during dyadic collaboration. We compared two puzzle tasks: Task 1, which provided shared visual access and dynamic gesturing, and Task 2, which required verbal coordination through separation and turn-taking. From multimodal tracking data, we extracted features including gaze behaviors (eye contact, joint attention), hand gestures, facial expressions, and speech activity, and compared them across tasks. A clustering analysis explored whether o not tasks could be differentiated by their behavioral profiles. Results showed that Task 2, the more constrained condition, led participants to focus more visually on their own workspaces, suggesting that interaction difficulty can reduce partner-directed attention. Gestures were more frequent in shared-visual tasks, while speech became longer and more structured when turn-taking was enforced. Joint attention increased when participants relied on verbal descriptions rather than on a visible shared reference. These findings highlight how VR can elicit distinct soft skill behaviors through scenario design, enabling data-driven analysis of collaboration. This work contributes to scalable assessment frameworks with applications in training, adaptive agents, and human-AI collaboration. Full article

This essay proposes operative creativity as a conceptual and artistic response to the shifting roles of images in the age of algorithmic perception. Departing from Harun Farocki’s seminal artwork Eye/Machine, which first introduced the operative image as functioning not to represent but to activate within machinic processes, it traces the transformation of images from representational devices to machinic agents embedded in systems of simulation and realization. Although operative images were initially engineered for strictly technological functions, they have, from their inception, been subject to repurposing for human perception and interpretation. Drawing on literature theorizing the redirection of operative images within military, computational, and epistemic domains, the essay does not attempt a comprehensive survey. Instead, it opens a conceptual aperture within the framework, expanding it to illuminate the secondary redeployment of operative images in contemporary visual culture. Concluding with the artwork Terms and Conditions, co-created by Ruti Sela and the author, it examines how artistic gestures might neutralize the weaponized gaze, offering a mode of operative creativity that troubles machinic vision and reclaims a space for human opacity. Full article

Gaze estimation is a cornerstone of applications such as human–computer interaction and behavioral analysis, e.g., for intelligent transport systems. Nevertheless, existing methods predominantly rely on coarse-grained features from deep layers of visual encoders, overlooking the critical role that fine-grained details from shallow layers play in gaze estimation. To address this gap, we propose a novel Hierarchical Fine-Grained Attention Decoder (HFGAD), a lightweight fine-grained decoder that emphasizes the importance of shallow-layer information in gaze estimation. Specifically, HFGAD integrates a fine-grained amplifier MSCSA that employs multi-scale spatial-channel attention to direct focus toward gaze-relevant regions, and also incorporates a shallow-to-deep fusion module SFM to facilitate interaction between coarse-grained and fine-grained information. Extensive experiments on three benchmark datasets demonstrate the superiority of HFGAD over existing methods, achieving a remarkable 1.13° improvement in gaze estimation accuracy for in-car scenarios. Full article