Unbounded: Object-Boundary Interaction in Mixed Reality
For MR interaction designers, this work provides a new design space and vocabulary for leveraging physical boundaries, though it is an early-stage conceptual framework without quantitative evaluation.
The paper introduces Unbounded, a Research through Design exploration of object-boundary interaction (OBI) in mixed reality, articulating a design space and demonstrating eight examples in productivity and art scenarios. Expert feedback broadens the conceptual scope and highlights implications for future MR design.
Boundaries such as walls, windows, and doors are ubiquitous in the physical world, yet their potential in mixed reality (MR) remains underexplored. We present Unbounded, a Research through Design inquiry into object--boundary interaction (OBI). Building on prior work, we articulate a design space aimed at providing a shared language for OBI. To demonstrate its potential, we design and implement eight examples across productivity and art exploration scenarios, showcasing how OBIs can enrich and reframe everyday interactions. We further engage with six MR experts in one-on-one feedback sessions, using the design space and examples as design probes. Their reflections broaden the conceptual scope of OBI, reveal new possibilities for how the framework may be applied, and highlight implications for future MR interaction design. https://www.zhuoyuelyu.com/unbounded