Speaker: Francisco Ortega, Visiting Assistant Professor, Computer Science Department, Florida International University

When: 11:00AM ~ 11:50AM, February 20, 2018

Where: CSBB130

Abstract: Gesture elicitation and recognition research are important due to the increase of new input modalities in order to improve 3D user interfaces, including virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). Understanding users’ interaction and behavior in 3D virtual environments (VEs), particularly in terms of the construction of gesture sets via user-elicitation and recognition of those gestures, present various challenges. This talk will describe solutions applied to those challenges, which includes: (a) gesture recognition using circular measurements (b) gesture elicitation aimed at 3D travel (c) describe legacy bias that occurs while conducting gesture elicitation and what efforts can be done to measure those. In addition, this talk will show early efforts to use immersive augmented and virtual reality to improve the recruitment and retention of Computer Science (CS) college students. These ideas include using 3D building-blocks programming and games in underrepresented populations.

Bio:Francisco R. Ortega earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science (CS) in the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and 3D User Interfaces (3DUI) from Florida International University (FIU), where he is currently a Visiting Assistant Professor. Broadly speaking, his research has focused on gesture interaction, which includes gesture recognition and elicitation. His main research area focuses on improving user interaction by (a) eliciting (hand and full-body) gesture sets by user elicitation, and (b) developing interactive gesture-recognition algorithms. His secondary research aims to discover how to increase interest for CS in non-CS entry-level college students via virtual and augmented reality games. His research has resulted in multiple peer-reviewed publications in venues such as ACM ISS, ACM SUI, and IEEE 3DUI, among others. He is the first-author of Interaction Design for 3D User Interfaces: The World of Modern Input Devices for Research, Applications, and Game Development book by CRC Press. Dr. Ortega serves as Vertically Integrated Projects coordinator that promotes applied research for undergraduate students across disciplines.
Dr. Ortega is committed to teaching and integrating research in the classroom. He has taught multiple courses including CS capstone, Programming II (Java), Programming III (C), Operating Systems, Principles of Relational Database Management Systems (graduate), Network Management and Control Standards (graduate), Net-Centric (using Python), Web Application Programming, Website Management, and Construction, Windows Programming (C#), Digital Forensics, Advanced Digital Forensics (graduate), Advanced Ethical Hacking (graduate), and Practical Applied Security (graduate).
As a principal investigator (PI), He has received $105,000 from NSF SBIR Phase IIA. Collaborations in my field play a key role in funding as well: He received $100,000 as a co-PI from Florida Center for Cybersecurity (FC2). He has also received a summer grant for $3,000 from Florida Consortium of Metropolitan Research Universities. In addition, I have been working to receive additional funding as an existing PI from NSF. This includes experience with undergraduate (REU) grants and membership fees for IUCRC Cake Center, a small grant from the NIH, and $10,000 that the National Institute of Drug Addiction (NIDA) has granted to aid with the development of a SBIR. I recently submitted a proposal as a PI to NSF IIS to quantify legacy bias and NSF MRI to create a gesture recognition instrument, among others.