Katerina Stepanova

profile

Position:

Phd Student

Contact:

erstepan [at] sfu.ca
http://ispace.iat.sfu.ca/person/Katerina-Stepanova

Affiliations:

Biography

Katerina grad­u­ated from the Cognitive Science pro­gram with hon­ours from SFU and con­tin­ued into a grad­u­ate pro­gram at iSpace lab where she com­pleted her MSc and con­tin­ued into PhD program.

She strives to under­stand how the immer­sive powers of modern tech­nol­ogy can be lever­aged to help people become more con­nected with them­selves, each other and the world around them.  Through an embod­ied cog­ni­tion and phe­nom­e­no­log­i­cal lens, she explores the pos­si­bil­ity of cre­at­ing trans­for­ma­tive and inti­mate expe­ri­ences with the use of Virtual Reality and biofeed­back, and study­ing them in con­trolled lab con­di­tions as well as in a public set­ting in a form of art installations.

She is fas­ci­nated by dif­fer­ent ways of cre­at­ing knowl­edge in art, sci­ence and human­i­ties, and as such engages with a vari­ety of quan­ti­ta­tive and qual­i­ta­tive method­olo­gies, such as research through design, exper­i­men­tal design, phys­i­o­log­i­cal mea­sures, behav­ioural mea­sures, obser­va­tional stud­ies, micro-phenomenology, hermeneu­tic phe­nom­e­nol­ogy, autoethnog­ra­phy, and close reading.

Outside the lab she explores the out­doors by climb­ing moun­tains, biking, kayak­ing and snow­board­ing, find­ing her inspi­ra­tion in expe­ri­enc­ing a con­nec­tion with the spec­tac­u­lar nature of British Columbia, or prac­tis­ing yoga or swing danc­ing to foster bodily aware­ness which in turn informs her research.

Projects

Virtual Transcendent Dream

Virtual Transcendent Dream

Flying dreams have the potential to evoke a feeling of empowerment and self-transcendent emotions (STEs). However, these exceptional dreaming experiences remain infrequent. Since Virtual reality (VR) also has the potential to support profound emotional experiences, we are interested in investigating if a dream-inspired VR flying experience could make the benefits of a flying dream more accessible....

By pinyao liu, bernhard riecke, katerina stepanova & alex kitson Read more
Breath of Light

Breath of Light

One must first come to know, through observing oneself — just what one does with breathing. - Elsa Gindler Breath of light is a generative interactive installation, exhibited at the 13th Shanghai Biennale. The installation aims to foster a feeling of connection and awareness through the process of breathing synchronization. Each of the two participants generates their own light with their breat...

By pinyao liu, bernhard riecke, katerina stepanova & john desnoyers stewart Read more
Body RemiXer

Body RemiXer

Extending Bodies to Stimulate Social Connection in an Immersive Installation Body RemiXer connects bodies through movement. It is an experiential projection based Virtual Reality installation that explores novel forms of embodied interaction between multiple participants where their bodies mix into a shared embodied representation producing a playful interaction that aims to support the feeling o...

By john desnoyers stewart, katerina stepanova, bernhard riecke & patrick pennefather Read more
Connecting through JeL – bio-responsive VR for interpersonal synchronization

Connecting through JeL – bio-responsive VR for interpersonal synchronization

Can a bio-responsive generative art installation foster interpersonal synchronization and connection? JeL is a bio-responsive, immersive, interactive, generative art installation designed to encourage physiological synchronization between the immersants. In this project, we will be exploring how novel forms of interaction can be included in immersive technology to foster the feeling of connection...

By katerina stepanova, john desnoyers stewart, alex kitson, bernhard riecke, philippe pasquier & patrick pennefather Read more
Connected through "AWE": creating immersive experiences for social connection

Connected through "AWE": creating immersive experiences for social connection

Do you get enough “awe” in your life? In our busy day-to-day lives, we often take our experiences for granted. While we have the technology to connect with one another, like smart phones, we don’t necessarily get outside with nature, or stargaze. Such activities may consist of common awe-inspiring moments, and we now understand that feeling awe is associated with all sorts of social and well...

By bernhard riecke, denise quesnel, katerina stepanova, alex kitson, ivan aguilar, john desnoyers stewart, noah miller, pinyao liu & patrick pennefather Read more
Virtual Earthgazing - towards an overview effect in Virtual Reality

Virtual Earthgazing - towards an overview effect in Virtual Reality

How can we use immersive VR to give people pivotal positive experiences without having to send them out into space?   “We went to the Moon as technicians, we returned as humanitarians” reflected Edgar Mitchell after his space flight. This describes the overview effect – a profound awe-inspiring experience of seeing Earth from space resulting in a cognitive shift in worldview, le...

By bernhard riecke, katerina stepanova, denise quesnel, alex kitson, ivan aguilar & mirjana prpa Read more
Lean and Elegant Motion Cueing in VR

Lean and Elegant Motion Cueing in VR

How do we best design locomotion interfaces for VR that provide "enough" physical motion cues (vestibular/proprioceptive) while still being effective, affordable, compact, and safe? Despite amazing progress in computer graphics and VR displays, most affordable and room-sized VR locomotion interfaces provide only little physical motion cues (e.g., vestibular & proprioceptive cues). To provide...

By bernhard riecke, ernst kruijff, daniel feuereissen, alex kitson, timofey grechkin, markus von der heyde, jake freiberg, abraham hashemian, thinh nguyen vo & katerina stepanova Read more
Immersive & Embodied Teleoperation Interfaces

Immersive & Embodied Teleoperation Interfaces

Developing virtual interfaces for embodied tele-operation and locomotion. How can we best design and implement an embodied telepresence system for tele-robotics, so we can safely explore remote, hard-to-reach, or potentially hazardous areas or situations? The goal of the "TeleSpider" project is to design and implement a telepresence system where users can remotely operate a robotic spid...

By bernhard riecke, alex kitson, abraham hashemian, markus von der heyde, katerina stepanova, amber choo & derek chen Read more
Spatial Updating With(out) Physical Motions?

Spatial Updating With(out) Physical Motions?

How important are physical motions for effective spatial orientation in VR? Most virtual reality simulators have a  serious flaw: Users tend to get easily lost and disoriented as they navigate. According to the prevailing opinion, this is because physical motion cues are absolutely required for staying oriented while moving. In this study, we investigated how physical motion cues contribute ...

By bernhard riecke, markus von der heyde, salvar sigurdarson, daniel feuereissen, daniel sproll, andrew milne, alex kitson & katerina stepanova Read more

Publications

Stepanova, E. R., Heyde, M. von der, Kitson, A., Schiphorst, T., & Riecke, B. E. (2017). Gathering and Apply Guidelines for TeleSpider Design for Urban Search and Rescue Applications on a Mobile Robot. In M. Kurosu (Ed.), Human-Computer Interaction. Interaction Contexts (HCI 2017) (Vol. 10272, pp. 562–581). Springer.
Stepanova, E., Quesnel, D., & Riecke, B. E. (2018). Transformative Experiences become more accessible through Virtual Reality. 1–3.
Stepanova, E. R., Quesnel, D., Kitson, A., Prpa, M., & Riecke, B. E. (2017, November). Virtual Reality as a Tool for Inducing and Understanding Transformative Experiences [Poster]. Psychonomic Society 58th Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Quesnel, D., Stepanova, E. R., Aguilar, I., Pennefather, P., & Riecke, B. E. (2018). Creating “AWE”: Combining artistic intuition and research-based design for an emotionally-profound art installation. 2018 IEEE Games, Entertainment, Media Conference (GEM) (full paper), Galway, Ireland.
Kitson, A., Buie, E., Stepanova, E., Chirico, A., Riecke, B. E., & Gaggioli, A. (2019). Transformative Experience Design: Using Interactive Technologies and Narrative to Support Transformative Experiences. ACM CHI 2019 Special Interest Group, 1–4.
Kitson, A., Stepanova, E. R., Aguilar, I., Wainwright, N., & Riecke, B. E. (2019, June). Transcending the Lab: Using Storytelling and Theatre Practices to Support Self-Transcendent Experiences in Virtual Reality [Talk]. 24th Annual CyberPsychology, CyberTherapy & Social Networking Conference (CyPsy24), Norfolk, VA, USA. https://easychair.org/my/conference.cgi?conf=cypsy24
Desnoyers-Stewart, J., Stepanova, E. R., Pasquier, P., & Riecke, B. E. (2019). JeL: Connecting Through Breath in Virtual Reality. Extended Abstracts of the 2019 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 1–6.
Wrainwright, N., Stepanova, E. R., Aguilar, I., Kitson, A., & Riecke, B. E. (2019, June). Transcending the Lab: Supporting Self-Transcendent Experiences in VR. Talk presented at the FCAT Undergraduate Conference, Surrey City Hall, BC, Canada. Retrieved from https://www.sfu.ca/fcat/events/ugc.html
Stepanova, E., Quesnel, D., Kitson, A., Prpa, M., Aguilar, I., & Riecke, B. E. (2018, June). A framework for studying Transformative Experiences through VR [Symposium presentation]. 23rd Annual CyberPsychology, CyberTherapy & Social Networking Conference, Gatineau, Canada. http://interactivemediainstitute.com/cypsy23/
Stepanova, E. R., Quesnel, D. T., & Riecke, B. E. (2019). Space - a Virtual Frontier: How to Design and Evaluate a Virtual Reality Experience of the Overview Effect Promoting The Feeling of Connectedness. Frontiers in Digital Humanities - Human-Media Interaction, 6(7), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.3389/fdigh.2019.00007
Desnoyers-Stewart, J., Stepanova, E. R., & Riecke, B. E. (2019, June 25). Body RemiXer [Curated & peer-reviewed Virtual Reality Exhibition]. Fun Palace Carnival of Mixed Realities, Center for Digital Media (CDM), Vancouver, BC, Canada. https://thecdm.ca/events/2019-06-25/the-fun-palace-carnival-mixed-realities
Stepanova, E. R., Quesnel, D. T., & Riecke, B. E. (2019). Understanding AWE: Can a virtual journey, inspired by the Overview Effect, lead to an increased sense of interconnectedness? Frontiers in Digital Humanities - Human-Media Interaction, 6(9), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.3389/fdigh.2019.00009
Kitson, A., Nguyen-Vo, T., Hashemian, A. M., Stepanova, E. R., & Riecke, B. E. (2017, November). A User Study Comparing Two Low-Cost Chair Interfaces for Embodied Virtual Locomotion [Talk]. Psychonomic Society 58th Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Stepanova, E. R. (2018). Virtual Reality as a Medium for Designing and Understanding Transformative Experiences: The Case of the Overview Effect [MSc Thesis, Simon Fraser University]. https://theses.lib.sfu.ca/4847/show
Stepanova, E. R., Desnoyers-Stewart, J., Riecke, B. E., & Pasquier, P. (2019, June 25). JeL – bio-responsive VR for interpersonal connection [Curated & peer-reviewed Virtual Reality Exhibition]. Fun Palace Carnival of Mixed Realities, Center for Digital Media (CDM), Vancouver, BC, Canada. https://thecdm.ca/events/2019-06-25/the-fun-palace-carnival-mixed-realities
Desnoyers-Stewart, J., Stepanova, E. R., & Riecke, B. E. (2019, September 30). Body RemiXer [Invited Virtual Reality Exhibition]. Help my Grandma Day Launch, Surrey, BC, Canada.
Desnoyers-Stewart, J., Stepanova, E. R., & Riecke, B. E. (2019, November 7). Body RemiXer [Curated Virtual Reality Exhibition]. 2019 Provincial Summit on Aging, Richmond, BC, Canada.
Kitson, A., Stepanova, E. R., Hashemian, A. M., Riecke, B. E., Nagy, G., Choo, A., & Chen, D. (2016, May 14). TeleSpider: investigating motion-cueing interfaces for control of a remote robotic spider [Project exhibition]. Consumer Virtual Reality (CVR) conference, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Kitson, A., Hashemian, A. M., Stepanova, E. R., Kruijff, E., & Riecke, B. E. (2017). Comparing Leaning-Based Motion Cueing Interfaces for Virtual Reality Locomotion. Proceedings of IEEE Symposium on 3D User Interfaces 3DUI, 73–82. https://doi.org/10.1109/3DUI.2017.7893320
Desnoyers-Stewart, J., Stepanova, E. R., Riecke, B. E., & Pennefather, P. (2020, April). Body RemiXer [Curated Virtual Reality Exhibition]. Recto VRsa: Intenational Art and Virtual Reality Festival, Laval, France. https://rectovrso.laval-virtual.com/en/home/
Prpa, M., Stepanova, E. R., Schiphorst, T., Riecke, B. E., & Pasquier, P. (2020). Inhaling and Exhaling: How Technologies Can Perceptually Extend our Breath Awareness. Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 1–15. https://chi2020.acm.org/
Quesnel, D., Stepanova, E. R., Aguilar, I., Kitson, A., & Riecke, B. E. (2017). AWE [Invited Virtual Reality Exhibition]. TEDxSFU, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Quesnel, D., Stepanova, E. R., Aguilar, I., Kitson, A., & Riecke, B. E. (2017). AWE [Invited Virtual Reality Exhibition]. SPLASH, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Quesnel, D., Stepanova, E. R., Aguilar, I., Kitson, A., & Riecke, B. E. (2017). AWE [Invited Virtual Reality Exhibition]. TEDxEastVan, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Desnoyers-Stewart, J., Stepanova, E. R., Riecke, B. E., & Pennefather, P. (2020, July). Body RemiXer: : Extending Bodies to Stimulate Social Connection in an Immersive Installation. Siggraph 2020 Full Art Paper, Washington, DC, US.
Riecke, B. E., Stepanova, E. R., & Kitson, A. (2016, May). New response patterns in point-to-origin tasks depending on stimulus type and response mode [Talk]. International Meeting of the Psychonomic Society, Granada, Spain. https://youtu.be/miiPjAUb77Y
Kitson, A., Riecke, B. E., & Stepanova, E. R. (2015). Influence of Movement Expertise on a Virtual Point-to- Origin Task. 100–103. https://doi.org/10.1145/2790994.2791014
Stepanova, E. R., Desnoyers-Stewart, J., Pasquier, P., & Riecke, B. E. (2020). JeL: Breathing Together to Connect with Others and Nature. DIS ’20: Proceedings of the 2020 ACM on Designing Interactive Systems Conference, 641–654. https://doi.org/10.1145/3357236.3395532
Kitson, A. J., Stepanova, E. R., Aguilar, I. A., Wainwright, N., & Riecke, B. E. (2020). Designing Mind(set) and Setting for Profound Emotional Experiences in Virtual Reality. DIS ’20: Proceedings of the 2020 ACM on Designing Interactive Systems Conference, 655–668. https://doi.org/10.1145/3357236.3395560
Pennefather, P., Rizzotti, P., Desnoyers-Stewart, J., Stepanova, K., Riecke, B., Danenkov, L., Ryzhov, V., Saroyan, J., Beltran, W., & Chak, R. (2020). A Fun Palace: A Mixed Reality Event Through the Looking Glass of Cybernetics. Cybernetics and Human Knowing, 27(2), 61–80.
Kitson, A. J., Desnoyers-Stewart, J., Miller, N., Adhikari, A., Stepanova, E. R., & Riecke, B. E. (2020). Can We Trust What’s Real? Using Fiction to Explore the Potential Dissociative Effects of Immersive Virtual Reality. IEEE VR Workshop on Finding a Way Forward in VR Locomotion (Accepted). Ethics of MR’20  Workshop at ACM CHI 2020 (Exploring Potentially Abusive Ethical, Social and Political Implications of Mixed Reality Research in HCI), Honolulu, HI, USA.