Mr Howell Istance

My research interests lie primarily in the field of the human factors of interaction with computer interfaces using eye-gaze. The work is targeted at the needs of disabled users. I have worked for a number of years investigating ways to optimize interaction techniques for use with 2D desk top applications. More recently, my work has moved towards 3D gaze-based interaction techniques for use with large scale virtual environments and as well as internet-based virtual communities, such as SecondLife. I have a project currently running on this funded by DMU’s Institute of Creative Technologies (IOCT). This is a 3–year project with University of Tampere (UTA), IT University of Copenhagen and SpecialEffect (Oxford,UK) as partners. My PhD student, Steve Vickers, is funded full-time by this project.

I am also a member of COGAIN (COmmunication by GAze Interaction), the EU Framework 6 Research Network of Excellence.

Centre for Computational Intelligence.

Click here to view a full listing of publications and outputs for Howell Istance.

H. lstance, A. Hyrskykari, Gaze-Aware Systems and Attentive Applications, (chapter in) Gaze lnteraction and Applications of Eye Tracking: Advances in Assistive Technologies, lGl Global, New York, August 2011

H. lstance , A. Hyrskykari, L.lmmonen, S. Mansikkamaa, S. Vickers, Designing Gaze Gestures for Gaming: an lnvestigation of Performance. Proceedings of the ACM symposium on Eye tracking research & applications ETRA'10 ACM Press, New York, NY March 2010 

H. lstance, A. Hyrskykari, S. Vickers, T. Chaves (2009) For Your Eyes Only: Controlling 3D Online Games by Eye Gaze, Proceedings of 12lh lFlP conference on Human-Computer lnteraction: INTERACT 2009, Uppsala, Sweden,24-28th August 2009.

R. Bates, S. Vickers and H. O. Istance
Gaze interaction with virtual on-line communities: levelling the playing field for disabled users. Universal Access in the Information Society vol. 9, no. 3, 261-272

H. Istance, R. Bates, A. Hyrskykari, S. Vickers Snap clutch, a moded approach to solving the Midas touch problem. Proceedings of the ACM symposium on Eye tracking research & applications ETRA '08 ACM Press, New York, NY, 221-228. 2008.

• Human-computer interaction
• Eye gaze communication
• Accessible gaming
• Gaze interaction techniques
• Games and special needs education
• Gaze gestures
• Human performance modelling.

Undergraduate

• User Centred Web Interface Development
• Multimedia and Internet Technology
• Graphics and Interactive Modelling

Postgraduate

• Graphical Data - Interfaces, Visualisation and Representation
• Research Methods

• Creative Client Computing (1^st Year Undergraduate, DMU)
• C++ for Games (2nd Year Undergraduate, DMU)
• Introduction to Computer Graphics and Interactive Modelling (2nd Year Undergraduate, DMU)
• Research Methods and Statistics (Postgraduate, University of Tampere, Finland).

Global Research Award, Royal Academy of Engineering, 2008.

• Conference Co-Chair and Treasurer, ACM Eye tracking research & applications (ETRA) 2012, 2010
• Steering Board member: COGAIN European Union Network of Excellence (2004-2009).

Association of Computing Machines (ACM), member.

KTP Project No. 008844, DMU and Park Air Systems, Academic Advisor, 2013
Innovation Fellowship, UK Regional Development Fund, 2010, £16,000.

Stephen Ackland, (PhD, 1st Supervisor)

Kirsten Wahlstrom (PhD, 2nd Supervisor)

Mohammed Alazawi (PhD, 2nd Supervisor)

EU Framework 6, Network of Excellence 2004-2009, £180,000 (DMU element)
Royal Academy of Engineering Global Research Award 2008-2009 £40,000.

RIF project: Eye‐gaze interaction in support of education of children with physical disabilities, 2010, £10000.

• Visiting Professor at TAUCHI, Department of Computer Sciences, University of Tampere, (2008-2009)
• Conference Co-Chair ACM Conference Eyetracking Research and Applications ETRA 2010,2012
• Conference Chair, COGAIN Conference Communication by Gaze Interaction, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
• PhD External Examiner, Loughborough University, 2011, University of Tampere, 2006
• Book Reviewer, MIT Press, 2012
• Paper reviewer, Journal of Eye Movement Research, 2012
• Paper Reviewer, ACM ASSETS Conference, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
• Paper Reviewer, ACM Transactions on Interactive Intelligent Systems, 2011
• Paper Reviewer, ACM Transactions on Human Computer Interaction, 2011
• Paper reviewer, ACM Eyetracking Research and Applications Conference ETRA 2008, 2010,2012
• Paper reviewer, ACM Computer-Human Interaction Conference CHI 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
• Paper Reviewer for journal 'Presence: Teleoperators & Virtual Environments' (June 2008)
• Paper reviewer for the journal 'IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems & Rehabilitation Engineering' (June 2007)
• Key Note Speaker, ACM Eyetracking Research and Applications Conference, ETRA 2006, San Diego.