{"id":759,"date":"2026-09-14T12:57:22","date_gmt":"2026-09-14T12:57:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vrst.acm.org\/vrst2026\/?page_id=759"},"modified":"2026-09-16T02:52:21","modified_gmt":"2026-09-16T02:52:21","slug":"keynote","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/vrst.acm.org\/vrst2026\/keynote\/","title":{"rendered":"Keynote"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Keynotes<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Opening Keynote<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Monday, November 16th, 2026<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Kumiyo Nakakoji
Trustee\/Vice President, Professor, Future University of Hakodate, Japan<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Toward Experiential Coherence: A Theoretical Framework for Human-MR Interaction Design<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Abstract:
<\/strong>MR research has largely asked how faithfully the virtual resembles the physical, and has measured its systems accordingly. In the course of building a series of interactive MR tools, we have seen people adopt a principle that no physical law would allow. What is striking is that they then apply it to the physical world, and find the physically correct case unnatural. This implies that we can no longer treat MR as finished once fidelity is solved. What it demands is Human-MR interaction design: the design of how a person and an MR environment deal with each other throughout the course of use. That is exacting work, determining, in a world of mixed physical and digital objects, what a person can see, what a person can do, and in what order, at every scale of time. What holds an MR environment together for a person is experiential coherence rather than realism. This talk elaborates on that challenge and argues that we need theories to account for how such coherence works, as a step toward principles for Human-MR interaction design.<\/p>

Biography:
<\/strong>Kumiyo Nakakoji is Trustee and Vice President of Future University Hakodate, Hokkaido, Japan, and Professor in the Department of Media Architecture. She received a B.S. in Information Engineering from Osaka University, Japan, and a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Colorado, Boulder. Before joining Future University Hakodate in 2019, she held positions at Software Research Associates, Inc., Nara Institute of Science and Technology, the University of Tokyo, where she co-directed the Knowledge Interaction Design (KID) Laboratory, and Kyoto University Design School, where she helped establish the curriculum for a Ph.D. minor in design. Her research on knowledge-based design environments in the early 1990s was among the earliest work on human-AI collaboration. Her long-standing interests include HCI design for creative knowledge work, and support for mini-c creativity through mutual inspiration. She is a Fellow of the Information Processing Society of Japan and an associate member of the Science Council of Japan.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Closing Keynote<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Wednesday, November 18th, 2026<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Mel Slater
Distinguished Investigator, University of Barcelona, Spain<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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The Music of Virtual Reality<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Abstract:<\/strong>
In this talk I will describe how we have used music in various aspects of our work. First, to understand how people respond to situations and events in virtual reaility. Second, as a component in therapeutic approaches including performance anxiety for public speakers and musicians. Third, as a critical part of a programme in helping older people to enhance cognitive and physical capabilities. I will reflect on various aspects of virtual and mixed reality and how this technology can be positively deployed to improve aspects of our lives.<\/p>

Biography:
<\/strong>Mel Slater<\/a>, DSc, co-directs Event Lab<\/a> (Experimental Virtual Environments for Neuroscience and Technology) at the University of Barcelona, Spain. Formerly Professor of Virtual Environments at UCL Computer Science, UK. VR researcher since early 1990s, spanning VR tech and studies of presence, body ownership and agency. Supervised 41 PhDs. Humboldt Research Award (2021); IEEE VGTC VR Academy (2022). Editor at Frontiers in VR. Co-founder of Kiin.tech.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Keynotes Opening Keynote Monday, November 16th, 2026 Kumiyo NakakojiTrustee\/Vice President, Professor, Future University of Hakodate, Japan Toward Experiential Coherence: A Theoretical Framework for Human-MR Interaction Design Abstract:MR research has largely asked how faithfully the virtual resembles the physical, and has measured its systems accordingly. In the course of building a series of interactive MR tools, … <\/p>\n

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