[PANEL] Physiological Measures for Games and VR

This event corresponds with an in-person workshop. Separate registration required and seating is limited.

The utilization of physiological measures in games and virtual reality (VR) has garnered significant attention in recent years. This hybrid panel covers the exploration of biometrics (or physiological measures) in game user research, driven by advancements in sensing technologies and the increased accessibility of signal processing tools. The growing body of research linking psychological states to physiological signals has further accelerated the adoption of biometric technologies by game studios and start-ups. While the application of complex biometric modalities outside of controlled laboratory settings remains limited, analyzing player frustration, learning, and flow during playtesting sessions has become more common, providing valuable insights that complement other game user experience methodologies. This panel brings the expertise of Drs. Mavridou and Muñoz working in the industry designing highly usable, scalable and impactful new hardware and interfaces for physiological sensing and intelligent adaptation. The panel will no longer be followed by an in-person workshop.

Speakers:

Ifigeneia Mavridou (PhD) is the Research Consultancy Manager and Lead Affect Engineer in XR at Emteq Labs. Dr. Ifi Mavridou specializes in wearable affective computing in VR & XR, machine learning, signal processing and empirical experimental design. Her doctorate thesis was based on detecting arousal and valence (emotional) states via novel integrated physiological wearable sensors in Virtual Reality settings, combining VR and affective computing research. Since 2020, Ifi has been leading the Affect Research team at emteq labs, while consulting on numerous commercial and academic XR-related projects, and acting as product owner of the EmteqVR, emteqPro, SuperVision systems. Since 2015 she has been an invited speaker in numerous events and has authored multiple high impact articles on HCI, affective computing and wearable sensing.

John E. Muñoz (PhD): John is a game designer and interface technologist specialized in the use of physiological signals to optimize the user experience in interactive systems. John is currently the Chief Science Officer at J&F Alliance Group and an Adjunct Professor at the University of Waterloo carrying out research in the fields of physiological computing, assistive technology, human-robot interaction, and virtual reality. John has created multiple software tools and design frameworks that allow the integration of games and physiological signals on applications such as social robots, games for health, and virtual simulations for training. John has been a speaker at many international conferences on human-computer interaction and serious games and he has co-organized panels and workshops with experts in the fields of game design, human-robot interaction, and physiological computing.