9 April 2025

AI Summary

The major topic of this meeting was discussing and demonstrating a new ring-based interaction system for document manipulation in VR/XR environments.

Participants: Frode Hegland, Fabien Bénétou

Speaker Summaries

Frode Hegland: Focused on conceptualizing the interaction modes for their VR writing space, discussing how users might interact with text and objects through pinch gestures and context menus. He emphasized the importance of distinguishing between interactions with selected text versus empty space, and showed interest in visualizing document structure (like headings and citations) in three-dimensional space. Frode also demonstrated an AI analysis feature that could track changes in journal content over time.

Fabien Bénétou: Concentrated on the technical implementation and demonstration of the ring interaction system. He emphasized the importance of providing visual feedback and creating composable interactions where users can create new functional rings from code snippets. Fabien pushed for focusing on the end-user experience rather than the underlying technology (“how the sausage is made”), and successfully demonstrated a working prototype that impressed Frode.

Issues Raised and Proposed Solutions

1. Issue: How to interact with elements that aren’t visible or within reach in VR space.
   Solution: Fabien proposed a “dollhouse” view or representation of the space where users can interact with elements not currently visible.
2. Issue: How to manipulate document structure in VR.
   Solution: Frode suggested using palm gestures to pull out structural elements like headings and citations from documents.
3. Issue: Need for clear visual feedback on interactions.
   Solution: Fabien implemented visual cues like color changes and rotational animations to indicate when commands are applied.
4. Issue: Creating flexible and discoverable interfaces.
   Solution: The ring system allows for composable interactions where users can create new functional rings from code snippets.

Decisions and Action Items

1. Agreed on pinch gestures as primary interaction method for objects in the space.
2. Confirmed the ring-based menu system as a viable approach for context menus.
3. Successfully demonstrated a working prototype of the ring interaction system that allows for composition of new functional rings.
4. Frode mentioned he would continue thinking about these interaction designs during his upcoming flight.
5. Frode planned to upload the recording of their conversation for transcription.