Spatialization

Abstract

Spatialized user interfaces incorporate spatial metaphors to structure and represent the objects and operations of an application. Examples include desktop or room metaphors and virtual cities or landscapes. Spatialized user interfaces proliferated over the past few years, first popularized by spatialized operating systems and then spreading into virtual reality and multimedia gaming worlds as well as shared work spaces for CSCW. The awareness of the potential benefits of spatialization is growing, but there is a lack of systematic treatments.