Research  |  Publications  |  Bio

Erzhen Hu

eh2qs[at]virginia[dot]edu

I am a second-year Ph.D. student (Aug. 2021-present) at the Computer Science Department at the University of Virginia, where I work on Human-Computer Interaction. My PhD advisor is Seongkook Heo.

My journey from sociology and psychology to HCI has taught me the value of socio-spatial theories and methods to motivate design. My current research focuses on developing new interactive systems for distributed/hybrid meetings.

I'm interested in Human-Computer Interaction, Video-Mediated Communication, Proxemics, and AR/VR for Remote Collaboration.

GitHub  /  Twitter  /  Google Scholar

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News

Research
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ThingShare: Ad-Hoc Digital Copies of Physical Objects for Sharing Things in Video Meetings


Erzhen Hu, Jens Emil Grønbæk, Wen Ying, Ruofei Du, and Seongkook Heo
Proceedings of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI), 2023
preprint / 30s preview / video figure /

ThingShare utilizes real-time instance segmentation model with image processing for object segmentation and composition for object-sharing purposes during remote meetings. Users can quickly create digital copies of physical objects in the video feeds, which can then be magnified on a separate panel for focused viewing, overlaid on the user’s video feed for sharing in context, and stored in the object drawer for reviews.
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OpenMic: Utilizing Proxemic Metaphors for Conversational Floor Transitions in Multiparty Video Meetings


Erzhen Hu, Jens Emil Grønbæk, Austin Houck, and Seongkook Heo
Proceedings of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI), 2023
preprint / 30s preview / video figure /

OpenMic is a videoconferencing system that utilizes proxemic metaphors for conversational floor management by providing 1) a Virtual Floor that serves as a fixed-feature space for users to be aware of others’ intention to talk, and 2) Malleable Mirrors, which are video and screen feeds that can be continuously moved and resized for conversational floor transitions.
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FluidMeet: Enabling Frictionless Transitions Between In-Group, Between-Group, and Private Conversations During Virtual Breakout Meetings


Erzhen Hu, Md Aashikur Rahman Azim, and Seongkook Heo
Proceedings of the 2022 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI), 2022
pdf / 30s preview / video figure / 8-min talk / 40-min talk /

Conceptualizing proxemic and F-Formation theories, FluidMeet is a video-conferencing system that enables out-group members to overhear group conversations while allowing conversation groups to control their shared level of context. Users within conversation groups can also quickly switch between in-group and private conversations.
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Enjoy the Ride Consciously with CAWA: Context-Aware Advisory Warnings for Automated Driving


Erfan Pakdamanian, Erzhen Hu, Shili Sheng, Sarit Kraus, Seongkook Heo, and Lu Feng
Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Automotive User Interfaces and Interactive Vehicular Applications (AutomotiveUI '22), 2022
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This work proposed context-aware advisory warning method (CAWA) for automated driving that detects the NDRT in which the driver is engaged and selects the type of modality based on the detected activity.
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Enabling Remote Hand Guidance in Video Calls Using Directional Force Illusion.


Archana Narayanan, Erzhen Hu, and Seongkook Heo
In Companion Publication of the 2022 Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing (CSCW'22 Adjunct), 2022
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The remote meeting system enables guiding the remote partner’s hand with a handheld device creating directional force illusion using asymmetric vibration.





Design and source code from Jon Barron's website