Please note: This PhD seminar will take place online.
Junhyeok Kim, PhD candidate
David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science
Supervisors: Professors Mark Hancock, Daniel Vogel
Spatial design in Virtual Reality (VR) is fundamentally challenged by interactions and interfaces that interrupt the creative flow, particularly when navigating across multiple scales while maintaining tangible, high-precision feedback. Existing systems force designers into a fragmented workflow, constantly trading off between macro- and micro-scale manipulation to balance speed and precision.
We introduce a novel World in Miniature (WiM)-based interaction framework that systematically resolves this collective constraint. Our proof-of-concept synthesizes three design principles — Haptic Congruence, Contextual Continuity, and Implicit Control — implemented via the Dynamic Retargeting Engine. This architecture dynamically remaps a passive haptic proxy to multiple virtual objects while translating user motion into seamless scaling control. This promotes fluid, multi-scalar, tangible design without workflow interruption. We validate this design concept through an iterative Research through Design (RtD) methodology, providing a foundational model for future stable and scalable VR interactive systems for spatial design activities.