We are pleased to share that Vivian’s Master’s thesis has been accepted and was presented at the ACM International Conference on Interactive Media Experiences (IMX 2026) in Athlone, Ireland.

The work investigates how multimodal haptic feedback can be used to simulate material textures in Extended Reality (XR), helping virtual objects feel more realistic and immersive. Conducted in collaboration with Jonathan Valgaeren, the research explores how different forms of haptic feedback influence users’ perception of virtual materials and contributes to the broader field of immersive interactive experiences.

Research Topics

  • Extended Reality (XR)
  • Multimodal haptics
  • Virtual material perception
  • Human–computer interaction
  • User-centered evaluation

Although Vivian’s current PhD research focuses on a different area, we were delighted to support the publication and dissemination of this excellent Master’s thesis work. Research contributions often continue to create impact long after a project has formally concluded, and this publication is a great example of that.

The work was presented at ACM IMX 2026, providing an opportunity to engage with the international XR and interactive media research community and to share the results with researchers working on immersive technologies.

We would like to congratulate Vivian on this achievement and acknowledge everyone who contributed to the project, including Jonathan Valgaeren, Marlon R., Carlos Rodriguez-Guerrero, and all participants who took part in the user studies.

Special thanks go to Maria Torres Vega for her supervision of the original thesis and for her continued support in bringing this work to publication and helping prepare the conference presentation.

Read the paper through the following link.

Congratulations to Vivian on this publication and presentation milestone. We wish her continued success in her PhD research and look forward to seeing the impact of her future work.