Pascal Knierim - Mixed Reality and Usable Security Researcher

Hi. I'm Pascal Knierim

Researcher. Developer. Educator.

I am an Assistant Professor of Human-Computer Interaction at the University of Innsbruck. Prior, I worked as Postdoctoral Researcher and Lecturer in the Usable Security and Privacy Group at the Bundeswehr University Munich, Germany. I obtained my PhD in Computer Science in 2020 from the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, where I investigated how to enhance input and output modalities for mixed reality experiences and how these will impact our everyday lives.

Before joining the Usable Security and Privacy Group, I was a researcher and teaching assistant at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. Besides my academic career, I developed novel interaction concepts and rich prototypes at Nokia and Microsoft Research. My general research interests include Usable Security at the intersection of Human-Computer Interaction and Mixed Reality. My research involves mixed methods with a focus on both, quantitative and qualitative research approaches.

I am currently looking for motivated students interested in running a final thesis in the field of Usable Security, Ubiquitous Computing, and Mixed Reality.

Selected Research Projects

Augmenting Human Senses

Within the BMBF-funded project Be-Greifen and the ERC-funded project Amplify, we compared learning experiences of physical setups and their virtual equivalent in augmented reality using handheld and head-worn devices [1] Further, we explored how human senses (vision) can be extended or amplified to perceive heat [2] or enhance the temporal resolution [3] .

Typing in Mixed Reality

Current setups for text input in virtual reality require powerful components that are expensive or not portable, hence preventing effective in-the-wild use. However, the latest technological advances enable mobile mixed reality experiences on smartphones. In several research projects, we investigated how efficient typing in mixed realities can be realized [1] . We proposed multiple solutions based on our developments and conducted user studies [2] . Our work highlights current challenges and future research directions [3] .

Human-Drone Interaction

Drones are versatile devices that can enhance the user experience for interactive systems. We explored the capabilities of drones as levitating tangible objects [1] and as proxy to provide in-situ haptic feedback in VR [2]. Further, we researched how drones can be facilitated to guide people while enhancing their location awareness [3].

Social Engineering

In the very recent dtec.bw funded project Voice of Wisdom, we set up a research testbed to investigate human behavior and physiology in security-critical situations, e.g., social engineering. Leveraging body-worn and environmental sensors, we assess human behavior or physiological state changes and develop novel, human-centered intervention mechanisms to protect users in these critical situations.

Teaching and Supervision

I am currently teaching as a Lecturer at the Bundeswehr University Munich.

Lecturer & Course Organiser

Safe Human-Machine Interfaces. (solely responsible) Bundeswehr University Munich, 2021.
Sketching with Hardware - Development of a novel music player. LMU Munich, 2018.
Advanced Seminar on Human-Centered Interaction in Ubiquitous Computing. LMU Munich, 2018.
Sketching with Hardware - Development of a novel digital camera. LMU Munich, 2017.
Advanced Seminar on Human-Centered Interaction in Ubiquitous Computing. LMU Munich, 2017.

Invited Lectures

Human-Computer Interaction II - Introduction to Unity. LMU Munich, 2020.
Human-Computer Interaction I - Prototyping, Data Analysis. LMU Munich, 2018.
Human-Computer Interaction - User Interface Design. University of Stuttgart, 2017.

Teaching Assistant

Advanced Seminar on Human-Centered Interaction in Ubiquitous Computing. LMU Munich, 2020.
Sketching with Hardware - Development of Smart Radio. LMU Munich, 2019.
Empirical Methods for Media Informatics. University of Stuttgart, 2016.
Empirical Methods for Media Informatics. University of Stuttgart, 2015.

Supervised Projects

Software Project - Development of an educational exhibit. University of Stuttgart, 2016.
Lab Course - Evaluation of Arousal in Virtual Reality. University of Stuttgart, 2016.
Software Project - Development of an interactive thermal imager. University of Stuttgart, 2015.
Lab Course - Evaluation of shared Augmented Reality Spaces. University of Stuttgart, 2015.

Selected Publications

The following record comprises a recent selection of publications I co-authored. A comprehensive overview can be found on Google Scholar or dblp.

Huang A, Knierim P, Chiossi F, Chuang LL and Welsch R (2022), "Proxemics for Human-Agent Interaction in Augmented Reality", In CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. New York, NY, USA Association for Computing Machinery.

[Abstract] [BibTeX] [ DOI] [URL] [ PDF]

Abstract: Augmented Reality (AR) embeds virtual content in physical spaces, including virtual agents that are known to exert a social presence on users. Existing design guidelines for AR rarely consider the social implications of an agent’s personal space (PS) and that it can impact user behavior and arousal. We report an experiment (N=54) where participants interacted with agents in an AR art gallery scenario. When participants approached six virtual agents (i.e., two males, two females, a humanoid robot, and a pillar) to ask for directions, we found that participants respected the agents’ PS and modulated interpersonal distances according to the human-like agents’ perceived gender. When participants were instructed to walk through the agents, we observed heightened skin-conductance levels that indicate physiological arousal. These results are discussed in terms of proxemic theory that result in design recommendations for implementing pervasive AR experiences with virtual agents.

BibTeX:

@inproceedings{Huang2022,
author = {Huang, Ann and Knierim, Pascal and Chiossi, Francesco and Chuang, Lewis L and Welsch, Robin},
title = {Proxemics for Human-Agent Interaction in Augmented Reality},
booktitle = {CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems},
publisher = {Association for Computing Machinery},
year = {2022},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1145/3491102.3517593},
doi = {10.1145/3491102.3517593} }

Abdrabou Y, Rivu R, Ammar T, Liebers J, Saad A, Liebers C, Gruenefeld U, Knierim P, Khamis M, Maekelae V, Schneegass S and Alt F (2022), "Understanding Shoulder Surfer Behavior Using Virtual Reality", In Adjunct Proceedings of the IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces.

[BibTeX] [ PDF]