Danlin Huang
Augmented Soma with Intelligence

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Holomask


2023-2025
Why Always Head-mounted? Designing Masks for Mixed Reality Use


 



Overview


Head-mounted headset currently dominate mixed reality, often presumed optimal for delivering immersive experiences. Yet in scenarios where users desire quick, intermittent engagement—such as museum visits, classroom demonstrations, or pop-up exhibitions—continuously worn devices can feel cumbersome and socially awkward, especially when users need quick, flexible, and easily shared engagement. This project challenges the prevailing “always on the head” paradigm. Through a research-through-design approach, we developed and tested prototypes in realistic scenarios, ecologically valid. Our findings encourage more flexible, context-appropriate, and socially fluent approaches, ultimately enriching how people integrate digital content into everyday environments.


RQ 1.
Under which environmental and social conditions is intermittent mixed reality use ecologically valid and beneficialfor users?


RQ 2.
When and why might handheld and stationary near-eye displays offer more appropriate, socially fluent, and contextually flexible alternatives to head-mounted solutions in these intermittent MR contexts?


Intermittent XR Scenarios

Table 1 provides a structured overview of mixed reality (MR) use scenarios, spanning a broad range of application domains and interaction patterns. These scenarios highlight the diversity of MR deployments—from continuous, fully immersive engagements to
shorter, more opportunistic interactions.


Intermittent Stereoscopic Mixed Reality (ISMR) has gained increasing traction in exhibition scenarios, offering immersive and cost-effective solutions for presenting three-dimensional content. Unlike smartphone displays, stereoscopic binocular systems provide a more authentic sense of scale and depth. Compared to large-scale video displays or interactive video systems of equivalent size, ISMR stands out as a significantly more economical option in terms of hardware acquisition and installation costs. 

ISMR exhibition setups are characterized by intermittent use across three dimensions of discontinuity:
(1) Temporal Discontinuity: Visitors may intermittently disengage from the MR experience to interact with others or take breaks.
(2) User Discontinuity: Devices are often shared among visitors, with individuals passing them to companions to share the MR experience.
(3) Spatial Discontinuity: Exhibition layouts frequently feature MR-enabled exhibits interspersed with non-MR sections, requiring users to relocate between experiences.

The table identifies multiple areas where intermittent engagement is both practical and preferred. Domains like cultural heritage, classroom teaching, public exhibitions, tourism, retail, and community planning frequently require only brief, contextually relevant bursts of digital information. Visitors to a museum or attendees at a trade show may wish to access AR overlays only momentarily, then revert to direct, unencumbered interaction with the physical environment. Similarly, students in a classroom scenario might momentarily consult a 3D model for clarification, then return to the core instructional flow. In these cases, continuous immersion through head- mounted displays can feel cumbersome, socially isolating, or out of place, whereas handheld or stationary near-eye displays can enable quick, fluid transitions between physical reality and augmented content.


Design

I designed three different device:

  1. Neck-hanging Near-Eye Display (NNED): A neck-hanging near-eye display that can be comfortably worn around the neck when not in use, freeing both hands. When needed, users can single-handedly lift it to the eyes to view 3D content. Suitable for XR scenarios requiring long-distance movement.
  2. Handheld Near-Eye Display (HNED): A portable viewing device—akin to a handheld magnifier or smartphone-based AR viewer—that users could pick up, hold briefly to examine augmented content, and set aside.
  3. Stationary Near-Eye Display (SNED): A semi-stationary device mounted on a tabletop or stand, adjustable for different users, enabling quick lean-in viewing without continuous wear.












User Study


User Studies in Indoor Mixed Reality Exhibition Scenario


Practice in Other Artworks