Erzhen Hu

eh2qs[at]virginia[dot]edu

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

My research involves developing and evaluating new interactive systems for distributed/hybrid meetings, such as digitalizing proxemic interactions to improve ad-hoc and focused conversations (CHI'22 FluidMeet and CHI'23 OpenMic) and enhancing remote collaboration through vision-based methods (CHI'23 ThingShare).

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News

• Mar. 2023: I will be presenting OpenMic at the Video Sharing session and ThingShare at the Human-AI collaboration session on Apr 25th (Tue). Check out the CHI 2023 program!
• Jan. 2023: Two first-author papers accepted at CHI 2023
• Nov. 2022: Serving as CHI 2023 Late-Breaking Work (LBW) Program Committee member
• Oct. 2022: Reviewed CHI 2023 papers (1*special recognition) and SVed at UIST 2022
• May. 2022: Presented FluidMeet paper at CHI 2022 in New Orleans.
• Mar. 2022: Presented FluidMeet at the Virtual Social Presence Seminar. You can watch the recorded 40-min talk here.

Research

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

ThingShare utilizes real-time instance segmentation model with image processing 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.

OpenMic: Utilizing Proxemic Metaphors for Conversational Floor Transitions in Multiparty Video Meetings

OpenMic is a videoconferencing system that utilizes proxemic metaphors for turn-taking 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 conveying speaking turns.

FluidMeet: Enabling Frictionless Transitions Between In-Group, Between-Group, and Private Conversations During Virtual Breakout Meetings

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.

Enjoy the Ride Consciously with CAWA: Context-Aware Advisory Warnings for Automated Driving

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.

Enabling Remote Hand Guidance in Video Calls Using Directional Force Illusion.

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