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Nicolas Villar
nvillar[at]microsoft.com

Photo credit: Dave Molyneaux

Nicolas Villar is a Post Doc Researcher in the Sensors and Devices Group, part of the Computer Mediated Living Group of Microsoft Research in Cambridge, UK.

I was previously at the Lancaster University Computing Department, where I worked as a Research Associate and PhD student in the Embedded Interactive Systems research group. During that time I had the good fortune to be involved in a number of very interesting collaborative projects, including the Equator IRC, Pin&Play, Smart Surroundings and Smart-Its.


Research Interests

The scope of my work is the development of novel user interface technologies and new interaction techniques that aim to minimize the complexity of human-computer interaction and improve the experience of working and playing with technology.

I am particularly interested in the use of embedded systems - microcontrollers, wireless communication, sensors and actuators - as building blocks in the design of interactive objects and user interface devices that are engaging, useful and usable.  

Other research interests include the need to reduce technical obsolescence and develop reusable technology by designing devices that are increasingly adaptable, upgradeable and modular so that they may remain useful beyond a single generation of a product lifecycle.


Previous Work

My PhD work was centred around the VoodooIO
development of VoodooIO: a novel platform for flexible user interfaces that allows end-users to compose and adapt physical control interfaces in a manner that is both versatile and simple to use. With VoodooIO, users can quickly put together fully functional interfaces out of a pliable substrate material and physical control devices such as buttons, switches, sliders and dials.

Every control is in fact a minimal computing device, equipped with small pin-like connectors at their base . By pinning a control into the substrate material, the control becomes connected to a power and communication network that is built into the substrate. Controls can be freely attached, detached and arranged in any orientation, even during use: physical attachment equals digital connectivity.

More information about VoodooIO, including videos and a list of relevant publications, can be found on the project website here.

Details of some of the other projects that I worked on and collaborations carried out during my time at the Lancaster University Computing Department can be found on my personal website there.


Publications

  • Nicolas Villar, Matt Jervis, Alexander Lang, Hans Gellersen
    "The ColorDex DJ System: A Novel Interface for Music Mixing"
    To appear in Proc. New Interfaces for Musical Expression (NIME'07).
    Download PDF
  • Nicolas Villar and Hans Gellersen
    "A Malleable Control Structure for Softwired User Interfaces"
    In Proc. Tangible and Embedded Interaction (TEI '07).
    Download PDF
  • Wolfgang Spiessl, Nicolas Villar, Hans Gellersen and Albrecht Schmidt
    "VoodooFlash: Authoring across Digital and Physical Form"
    In Proc. Tangible and Embedded Interaction (TEI '07).
    Download PDF
  • Nicolas Villar, Florian Block
    "Distributed and Adaptable Home Control." In Adj. Proc. ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology (UIST '06.) Montreux, Switzerland.
    Download PDF
  • Nicolas Villar and Hans Gellersen
    "The Friday Afternoon Project: A Two-Hour Prototyping Exercise"
    In proceedings of Mobile and Embedded Interactive Systems (MEIS'06). Dresden, Germany.
    Download PDF
  • Nicolas Villar, Kiel Gilleade, Devina Raymundy-Ellis and Hans Gellersen.
    “The VoodooIO Gaming Kit: A Real-Time Adaptable Gaming Controller.” In Proc. of Advances in Computer Entertainment (ACE '06).
    *     Best paper and demo awards at ACE '06!
    Download PDF
  • John Bowers and Nicolas Villar.
    “Creating Ad Hoc Instruments with PPP”. In Proc of. New Interfaces for Musical Expression (NIME ‘06), Paris, France. June 2006.
    Download PDF
  • Florian Block, Nicolas Villar, Mike Hazas, Dave Molyneaux and Hans Gellersen. "Locating Physical Objects on Interactive Surfaces"
    In proceedings of Mobile and Embedded Interactive Systems (MEIS'06). Dresden, Germany.
    Download PDF
  • William Gaver, John Bowers , Andy Boucher, Andy Law, Sarah Pennington , Nicolas Villar. "The History Tablecloth: Illuminated Domestic Activity". In Proc. of ACM DIS 2006.
  • Nicolas Villar, Adam Lindsay and Hans Gellersen.
    "A rearrangeable tangible interface for musical composition and performance." In Proc. of New Interfaces for Musical Expression (NIME '05), Vancouver, Canada. May 2005.
    Download PDF
  • Bayliss, A., Sheridan, J.G., & Villar, N.
    "New Shapes on the Dancefloor: Influencing ambient sound and vision with computationally-augmented poi". International Journal of Performance Arts and Digital Media. Intellect: Bristol. March 2005.
  • N. Villar, G. Kortuem, K Van Laerhoven and A. Schmidt.
    "The Pendle: A Personal Mediator for Mixed Initiative Environments" In Proc. of the IEE International Workshop on Intelligent Environments 2005.
    Download PDF
  • Keith Cheverst, Hee Eon Byon, Dan Fitton, Corina Sas, Chris Kray and Nicolas Villar. “Exploring Issues of User Model Transparency and Proactive Behaviour in an Office Environment Control System”. User Modeling and User-Adapted Interaction, special issue on Ubiquitous Computing and User Modeling
  • N. Villar, K. Van Laerhoven, H.-W. Gellersen. "A Physical Notice Board with Digital Logic and Display". In Adjunct Proceedings of the European Symposium on Ambient Intelligence 2004; ACM ISBN: 1-58113-992-6.
  • F. Block, A. Schmidt, N. Villar, H.-W. Gellersen. "Towards a Playful User Interface for Home Entertainment Systems." In Proc. of the European Symposium on Ambient Intelligence 2004; ISBN: 3-540-23721-6. Springer, pp. 207-217.
  • William W. Gaver, John Bowers, Andrew Boucher, Hans Gellersen, Sarah Pennington, Albrecht Schmidt, Anthony Steed, Nicolas Villar, Brendan Walker "The drift table: designing for ludic engagement." Extended abstracts CHI '04. Vienna, Austria. ACM Press. ISBN:1-58113-703-6.
  • K. Van Laerhoven, N. Villar and H.-W. Gellersen. "Multi-Level Sensory Interpretation and Adaptation in a Mobile Cube". In Proc. of the third workshop on Artificial Intelligence in Mobile Systems (AIMS), Ubicomp 2003. , ISSN 0944-7822. pp. 111-117. Seattle, WA.
  • K. Van Laerhoven, N. Villar, A. Schmidt, G. Kortuem and H.-W. Gellersen. "Using an Autonomous Cube for Basic Navigation and Input". In Proceedings of ICMI/PUI 2003. ISBN: 1-58113-621-8; ACM Press. Vancouver, Canada. 2003, pp. 203-211.
  • N. Villar, A. Schmidt, G. Kortuem and H.-W. Gellersen. "Interacting with Proactive Community Displays" Computers & Graphics Magazine, Vol. 27, No. 6, 2003.
  • K. Van Laerhoven, N. Villar and H.-W. Gellersen. "Pin&Mix: When Pins Become Interaction Components." In Proceedings of the Workshop on Real World User Interfaces (PI03) at the Fifth International Symposium on Human Computer Interaction with Mobile Devices and Services (MobileHCI 2003), September 2003, Udine, Italy.
  • K. Van Laerhoven, N. Villar, A. Schmidt, H.-W. Gellersen, M. Hakansson, and L. E. Holmquist. "Pin&Play: The Surface as Network Medium" In IEEE Communications Magazine, April 2003, Vol.41 No.4., ISSN: 0163-6804, IEEE Press, pp. 90-96.
  • K. Van Laerhoven, N. Villar, M. Hakansson, and H.-W. Gellersen. "Pin & Play: Bringing Power and Networking to Wall-Mounted Appliances". In Proceedings of the 5th IEE International Workshop on Networked Appliances, Liverpool, UK, ISBN 0-7803-7686-2, IEEE Press, 2002, pp. 131-137.

Exhibits and Installations

 

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