M. Fairhurst: Coordinating with others in time and through touch

Abstract
In this talk, I will present some of my recent studies investigating how we coordinate our movements in time with groups of others as well as my projects on virtual touch, both of which were particularly relevant given the context of COVID. I will propose that as a fundamentally social species, we are able to fulfill our need to feel connected to others by either inferring colocation in space or some form of joint action. Principally, my work investigates how we do this by using our senses to dynamically exchange social information with others. The work presented will highlight how these topics allow me to combine novel technologies. In the first half of the talk, I will show examples by presenting preliminary data from two group coordination studies, one using virtual reality and the other employing a Zoom-based version of the improvisational theatre Mirror Game combined with Motion Energy Analysis. I will then move onto discussing our recent and ongoing experiments that make use of both virtual reality and our mobile application "HandsOn" to probe individual touch behaviours and preferences. 

Website of Merle Fairhurst

Zoom link