Of Affordance Opportunism in AR: Its Fallacies and Discussing Ways Forward

Research output: Contribution to conferencesPaperContributedpeer-review

Abstract

This position paper addresses the fallacies associated with the improper use of affordances in the opportunistic design of augmented reality (AR) applications. While opportunistic design leverages existing physical affordances for content placement and for creating tangible feedback in AR environments, their misuse can lead to confusion, errors, and poor user experiences. The paper emphasizes the importance of perceptible affordances and properly mapping virtual controls to appropriate physical features in AR applications by critically reflecting on four fallacies of facilitating affordances, namely, the subjectiveness of affordances, affordance imposition and reappropriation, properties and dynamicity of environments, and mimicking the real world. By highlighting these potential pitfalls and proposing a possible path forward, we aim to raise awareness and encourage more deliberate and thoughtful use of affordances in the design of AR applications.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Publication statusAccepted/In press - 26 Apr 2025
Peer-reviewedYes

Workshop

Title1st International Workshop on XR Interactions within the Physical World
SubtitleBeyond Glasses: Future Directions for XR Interactions within the Physical World
Abbreviated titleXR-PHY 2025
Conference number1
Duration26 April 2025
Website
Degree of recognitionInternational event
LocationPACIFICO Yokohama
CityYokohama
CountryJapan

Keywords

Keywords

  • augmented reality, mixed reality, affordance, Opportunistic Design, UX