Nowadays it is anything but unusual to experience 3D blockbusters in the cinema. Plus we've seen the vision of free-floating interactive 3D holograms in sci-fi movies and video games for decades. We are trying to show what this vision could look like in a vehicle, breaking away from conventional interfaces like buttons and touchscreens. In my PhD, I am working on answers to the questions of how to make such touchless interaction with 3D holograms intuitive and exciting. 

At the moment I am working on a study in which I want to investigate the effect of different user feedback variants on interaction performance empirically. In other words: how visual, auditory or haptic feedback can be used to improve gesture interaction with holograms in space. To do this, I draw on the most innovative technologies, from mixed reality to non-contact haptic feedback through ultrasonic waves.

In the future, I would like to look into alternative, multimodal interaction variants, e.g. gaze or voice interaction as an alternative to hand gestures. Additionally, I would like to publish my findings in scientific journals or at conferences. And, of course, the writing of the dissertation itself is still to come.

One of the biggest challenges for me as a doctoral student is the balancing act between academic demands (including publications in journals and at conferences) and application-oriented development. In an industrial doctorate, you serve both worlds – the company and the external scientific community. For me, it is an added value because I can gain at least three years of project management experience in industry in one swoop and earn one of the highest academic titles.And let’s not forget the global pandemic, which made it increasingly difficult to conduct user studies, especially at the beginning.

The development of the feedback and interaction concepts was challenging. Some of the technologies I use have never been combined before – this resulted in many technical questions that we had to answer first. The concepts for haptic feedback are completely new, and their successful development makes me particularly proud. I am looking forward to publishing my results. 

I am also proud of the fact that I have managed to dive deeply into a highly complex technological topic: 3D holography. I am not a physicist, but have a background in psychology and had to read deeply into the basic material. This may sound like an unconventional career, but there are many psychologists working in the field of UX and HMI (Human-Machine-Interface) research. With this, I would like to encourage everyone to look beyond their field of study and not to shy away from new topics and challenges.

We are a very interdisciplinary team with backgrounds in physics, software development, automotive engineering, mechanical engineering, even microbiology and psychology. We sometimes work on quite different topics, but maintain a lively professional and personal exchange. This way we keep an overview of each other's project topics and support each other. Many projects are also across teams. But regardless of whether it's across teams or internal, the human component also plays an important role in every cooperation. Social exchange is never neglected, which is why I feel so comfortable here. The feeling that I enjoy coming to work is not only due to the topics, but also to the people I get to work with. I also have to praise our open communication culture – an absolute must for me to feel comfortable in my job and to build trust.