Smartwatch & small-screen visualization
Glanceable charts and occlusion-free input for displays you read in a second, on the wrist.
Now recruiting MSc & PhD students — Winter 2027 / Fall 2027 Recruiting MSc & PhD students, 2027
Human-centred interaction for small screens, wearables and AI.
The UXID Lab is a Human-Computer Interaction research group in the Faculty of Science at Ontario Tech University, led by Dr. Ali Neshati.
Latest from the lab
All newsAbout the lab
The UXID Lab designs and evaluates the ways people interact with devices that have very little room for interaction: smartwatches, earbuds, phones used one-handed, and increasingly the AI systems layered on top of them.
We build new interaction techniques and AI-assisted tools, then test them with people to find out whether they actually help. That work runs from low-level input sensing — gestures around the ear, swipes on the back of a phone, occlusion-free control of a watch face — up to systems that read behavioural signals to decide when an AI should offer help and when it should stay quiet. Accessibility runs through all of it: several projects focus on older adults and people with reduced hand mobility.
The lab publishes at ACM CHI, UIST, IMWUT, MobileHCI, ICMI and Graphics Interface, and students here have taken the Best Undergraduate Thesis Award three years running.
Director
Dr. Ali Neshati is an Assistant Professor in Computer Science at Ontario Tech University. He completed his PhD at the University of Manitoba with Dr. Pourang Irani and a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Waterloo with Dr. Daniel Vogel and Dr. Jian Zhao.
30
Publications
7
Papers at ACM CHI
3
Best Thesis Awards
20+
Students Mentored
Research
We design and evaluate interaction techniques and AI-assisted systems for devices where attention, screen space and input are all in short supply. Our work spans five connected threads.
Earables, wearables & mobile sensing
Off-device, one-handed and socially acceptable input using the sensors a device already has.
Human–AI interaction & scholarly reading
AI that supports reading, tutoring and collaboration by responding to what people actually do.
AI-assisted creativity tools
Mixed-initiative tools for colour, graphic design and turning analysis into presentable work.
Gesture, spatial & accessible interaction
Midair and touch input in cars, living rooms and smart homes, including users with reduced hand mobility.
Publications
Selected work
Full list and citation counts on Google Scholar.
Theme
Year
30 publications
No publications match these filters.
UIST '26
Detroit, Michigan, USA
CiteLen: In-Situ Multi-Lens Citation Analysis for Scholarly Reading
Adjunct Proceedings of the 39th Annual ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology (UIST '26), PostersDetroit, Michigan, USA
UIST '26
Detroit, Michigan, USA
CTATutor: From Instructor-Guided Computational Thinking Blueprints to Adaptive Algorithm Tutoring
Adjunct Proceedings of the 39th Annual ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology (UIST '26), PostersDetroit, Michigan, USA
CoG '26
September 1–4, 2026, Madrid, Spain
RIDGE: State-Conditioned Reward Blending for Behavioral Coverage in Deep RL Game Agents
Proceedings of the IEEE Conference on Games (CoG '26), Oral PresentationSeptember 1–4, 2026, Madrid, Spain
ICMI '26
Naples, Italy
CoRead: Using Implicit Behavioural Signals for Mixed-Initiative AI Support in Collaborative Academic Reading
Proceedings of the 28th ACM International Conference on Multimodal Interaction (ICMI '26)Naples, Italy
GI '26
Article No.: 13, 21 pages · June 09–12, 2026, Kitchener–Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
Exploring Above-Neck Unimanual Swipe Gestures for Off-Device Earable Interaction
Proceedings of Graphics Interface 2026 (GI '26)Article No.: 13, 21 pages · June 09–12, 2026, Kitchener–Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
NLP4DH '25
Pages 101 - 108
HamRaz: A Culture-Based Persian Conversation Dataset for Person-Centered Therapy using LLM Agents
Proceedings of the First on Natural Language Processing and Language Models for Digital HumanitiesPages 101 - 108
MobileHCI '25
Article No.: MHCI030, Pages 1 - 24
SwipeSense: Exploring the Feasibility of Back-of-Device Swipe Interaction Using Built-In IMU Sensors
Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, Volume 9, Issue 5Article No.: MHCI030, Pages 1 - 24
CUI '25
Article No.: 19, Pages 1 - 6
PaperPal: An AI-Powered Platform for Collaborative Reading and Discussion
CUI '25: Proceedings of the 7th ACM Conference on Conversational User InterfacesArticle No.: 19, Pages 1 - 6
CUI '25
Article No.: 20, Pages 1 - 7
CitePeek: Contextual Citation Exploration Within Research Papers
CUI '25: Proceedings of the 7th ACM Conference on Conversational User InterfacesArticle No.: 20, Pages 1 - 7
IntelliSys '24
Large Language User Interfaces: Voice Interactive User Interfaces powered by LLMs
Intelligent Systems Conference, 2024 - Springer, pp 639–655
IMWUT '24
Article No.: 3, Pages 1 - 29
Exploring Uni-manual Around Ear Off-Device Gestures for Earables
Proceedings of the ACM on Interactive, Mobile, Wearable and Ubiquitous Technologies, Volume 8, Issue 1Article No.: 3, Pages 1 - 29
CHI '24
Article No.: 146, Pages 1 - 16
Exploring Interactive Color Palettes for Abstraction-Driven Exploratory Image Colorization
CHI '24: Proceedings of the 2024 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing SystemsArticle No.: 146, Pages 1 - 16
CHI '23
Article No.: 316, Pages 1 - 13
In-vehicle Performance and Distraction for Midair and Touch Directional Gestures
CHI '23: Proceedings of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing SystemsArticle No.: 316, Pages 1 - 13
CHI '23
Article No.: 122, Pages 1 - 19
De-Stijl: Facilitating graphics design with interactive 2D color palette recommendation
CHI '23: Proceedings of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing SystemsArticle No.: 122, Pages 1 - 19
CHI EA '23
Article No.: 180, Pages 1 - 7
Interaction Region Characteristics for Midair Barehand Targeting on a Television
CHI EA '23: Extended Abstracts of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing SystemsArticle No.: 180, Pages 1 - 7
CHI '23
Article No.: 364, Pages 1 - 18
Slide4n: Creating presentation slides from computational notebooks with human-ai collaboration
CHI '23: Proceedings of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing SystemsArticle No.: 364, Pages 1 - 18
ICMI '22
Pages 288 - 29
EdgeSelect: Smartwatch Data Interaction with Minimal Screen Occlusion
ICMI '22: Proceedings of the 2022 International Conference on Multimodal InteractionPages 288 - 29
Thesis
Data visualization and interaction on smartwatch small screens
University of Manitoba, 2022
MobileHCI '22
Article No.: 201, Pages 1 - 28
Understanding and Adapting Bezel-to-Bezel Interactions for Circular Smartwatches in Mobile and Encumbered Scenarios
Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, Volume 6, Issue MHCIArticle No.: 201, Pages 1 - 28
CHI '18
Paper No.: 310, Pages 1 - 7
Crowdsourcing vs laboratory-style social acceptability studies? Examining the social acceptability of spatial user interactions for head-worn displays
CHI '18: Proceedings of the 2018 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing SystemsPaper No.: 310, Pages 1 - 7
CHI '21
Article No.: 501, Pages 1 - 13
BezelGlide: Interacting with Graphs on Smartwatches with Minimal Screen Occlusion
CHI '21: Proceedings of the 2021 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing SystemsArticle No.: 501, Pages 1 - 13
MobileHCI '21
Article No.: 5, Pages 1 - 13
SF-LG: Space-Filling Line Graphs for Visualizing Interrelated Time-series Data on Smartwatches
MobileHCI '21: Proceedings of the 23rd International Conference on Mobile Human-Computer InteractionArticle No.: 5, Pages 1 - 13
Honorable Mention Award
AH '20
Article No.: 24, Pages 1 - 2
Using Guessability Framework: Age-related Differences in Hand Gesture Interaction
AH '20: Proceedings of the 11th Augmented Human International ConferenceArticle No.: 24, Pages 1 - 2
AH '20
Article No.: 1, Pages 1 - 8
Eyes-Free Graph Legibility: Using Skin-Dragging to Provide a Tactile Graph Visualization on the Arm
AH '20: Proceedings of the 11th Augmented Human International ConferenceArticle No.: 1, Pages 1 - 8
GI '19
Article No.: 23, Pages 1 - 9
G-Sparks: Glanceable Sparklines on Smartwatches
GI '19: Proceedings of the 45th Graphics Interface ConferenceArticle No.: 23, Pages 1 - 9
CHI '19
Paper No.: 368, Pages 1 - 11
An Analytic Model for Time-Efficient Personal Hierarchies
CHI '19: Proceedings of the 2019 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing SystemsPaper No.: 368, Pages 1 - 11
Honorable Mention Award
SHTI '18
Smart Home Interactions for People with Reduced Hand Mobility Using Subtle EMG-Signal Gestures
Studies in Health Technology and Informatics, Volume 257: Improving Usability, Safety and Patient Outcomes with Health Information Technology, Pages 436 - 443
SHTI '18
Challenges in Displaying Health Data on Small Smartwatch Screens
Studies in Health Technology and Informatics, Volume 257: Improving Usability, Safety and Patient Outcomes with Health Information Technology, Pages 325 - 332
VRST '18
Article No.: 10, Pages 1 - 9
Performer vs. Observer: Whose Comfort Level Should We Consider When Examining the Social Acceptability of Input Modalities for Head-Worn Display?
VRST '18: Proceedings of the 24th ACM Symposium on Virtual Reality Software and TechnologyArticle No.: 10, Pages 1 - 9
CSE '14
Is Really NACK Protocol Secure to Be Employed in MANETs?
2014 IEEE 17th International Conference on Computational Science and EngineeringRecent News
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CoRead presented at ICMI 2026, Napoli
-
RIDGE presented at IEEE CoG 2026, Madrid
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Yasaman Basti defends her MSc thesis
-
Sakil Sarker defends, nominated for Best Thesis
- #New Sakil Sarker presented our full paper "CoRead: Using Implicit Behavioural Signals for Mixed-Initiative AI Support in Collaborative Academic Reading" at the 28th ACM International Conference on Multimodal Interaction (ICMI 2026) in Napoli, Italy, 5–9 October 2026. Congratulations, Sakil!
- # Two poster papers accepted at UIST 2026 in Detroit: "CiteLen: In-Situ Multi-Lens Citation Analysis for Scholarly Reading" and "CTATutor: From Instructor-Guided Computational Thinking Blueprints to Adaptive Algorithm Tutoring". Congratulations to Yasaman and Zeyuan!
- # Our paper "RIDGE: State-Conditioned Reward Blending for Behavioral Coverage in Deep RL Game Agents" has been accepted for oral presentation at the IEEE Conference on Games (CoG 2026) in Madrid, Spain. Congratulations to Al Muqshith Mohammed Shifan and Kevin Christopher Chua!
- # Congratulations to Yasaman Basti on successfully defending her MSc thesis, "CiteView: In-Situ Citation Sensemaking for Scholarly Reading" — the second graduate student from the UXID Lab to complete her degree this summer!
- # Congratulations to Sakil Sarker on successfully defending his MSc thesis — the first graduate student from the UXID Lab to complete his degree! His thesis has been nominated for the Best Thesis Award.
- # Congratulations to Sakil Sarker! Our paper "CoRead: Using Implicit Behavioural Signals for Mixed-Initiative AI Support in Collaborative Academic Reading" has been accepted at ICMI 2026 in Italy.
- # Shimon presented our paper "Exploring Above-Neck Unimanual Swipe Gestures for Off-Device Earable Interaction" at GI '26 in Waterloo, Ontario.
-
#
For the third year in a row, a UXID Lab student has received the Best Undergraduate Thesis Award.
Congratulations to Alyesha Singh, Kershan Arulneswaran, Rania Rejdal, and Alex Lowe on successfully defending their theses.
Awards & Honours
2026
First MSc Thesis Defended
Sakil Sarker — nominated for the Best Thesis Award
2026
Best Undergraduate Thesis Award
Alyesha Singh — Ontario Tech University, Computer Science
2024 – 2026
Three Years in a Row
A UXID Lab student has won the Best Undergraduate Thesis Award every year since 2024
CHI '19 & MobileHCI '21
Honorable Mention Awards
Paper awards at ACM CHI 2019 and MobileHCI 2021
Join the Lab
Now recruiting
Current openings — multiple Master's & PhD positions
I am actively recruiting multiple Master's (MSc) and PhD students to join the UXID Lab for Winter 2027 / Fall 2027. If you are passionate about Human-Computer Interaction, Human-AI Interaction, or mobile & wearable technologies, I would love to hear from you. Please review my research areas first, then email me at ali dot neshati at ontariotechu dot ca with your CV and academic transcript(s). Well-informed applications that clearly align with my work are prioritized.
PhD positions
Adaptive systems, wearables and ethical design in Human-Computer Interaction.
What we look for
- A completed Master's in HCI, Computer Science or a related field
- Research experience in UX, interactive systems or similar
- User-study and data-analysis skills, and current HCI tooling
- Clear communication and a commitment to user-centred design
Master's positions
Human-AI interaction: real-time feedback, adaptive learning interfaces and AI-assisted reading tools.
What we look for
- An undergraduate degree in Computer Science, HCI or related
- Interest in AI, machine learning and UX design
- Programming skills; familiarity with PyTorch or TensorFlow is a plus
- Strong communication and teamwork
Research collaboration
For researchers and practitioners in information visualization, mobile interfaces or wearable technology.
What we look for
- A background in UX research or interaction design
- Experience running or supporting research studies
- An interest in a specific thread of our work
- Ability to work independently to agreed milestones
How to apply
Email ali dot neshati at ontariotechu dot ca with a subject line naming the position. Please include:
- CV with academic and research experience
- Academic transcripts
- Statement of interest naming the research thread you want to work on and why
- References: two for PhD, one for Master's
- Optional: a portfolio or links to previous projects
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and shortlisted candidates are invited to interview. Well-informed applications that clearly connect to the lab's research are prioritised. Formal admission requirements are set by the university's graduate studies office; please review them before writing.
Important Dates
NOV
01
IMWUT / UbiComp 2026 - Submission Deadline
Next quarterly submission deadline for the Proceedings of the ACM on Interactive, Mobile, Wearable and Ubiquitous Technologies (IMWUT).
NOV
16
VRST 2026 Conference - Sendai, Japan
ACM Symposium on Virtual Reality Software and Technology (Nov 16-18, 2026).
AUG
06
TEI 2027 - Papers Deadline
Paper and Pictorial submission deadline for the ACM Conference on Tangible, Embedded and Embodied Interaction (Lisbon).
AUG
20
IUI 2027 - Paper Deadline
Full paper submission deadline for the ACM Conference on Intelligent User Interfaces (abstracts due Aug 13; Helsinki).
SEP
10
CHI 2027 - Paper Deadline
Full paper submission deadline for the ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.
Our Team
Graduate Students
Mohammad Zawad
Master's(Jan 2026)
Farnaz Mirnezami
Master's(Sep 2025)
Aron-Seth Cohen
Master's
Kevin Chua
Master's(May 2026 – May 2028)
Sadnima Amin Chowdhury
Master's(Sep 2026)
Undergraduate Students
Sevara Omonova
Undergraduate(2026 - 2027)
Jugal Patel
Undergraduate(2026 - 2027)
Alumni
Yasaman Akhoondzadeh
Master's(Graduated Summer 2026)
Now at CIBC
Alyesha Singh
Undergraduate(2025 - 2026)
Undergrad Thesis Award (2026)
Now at IBM
Rania Rejdal
Undergraduate(2025 - 2026)
AL
Alex Lowe
Undergraduate(2025 - 2026)
Kershan Arulneswaran
Undergraduate(2025 - 2026)
Neel Shah
UndergraduateUndergrad Thesis Award (2025)
Vector Scholarship in AI
Aiju Kinoshita
Undergraduate(2024 - 2025)
Farees Siddiqui
Undergraduate(2024)
Syed Mekael Wasti
Undergraduate(2023 - 2024)
Undergrad Thesis Award (2024)
Vector Scholarship in AI
Reese Dominguez
Undergraduate(2023 - 2024)
Teaching
Ontario Tech University
Current
- CSCI 4620: Human-Computer Interaction (F2023, F2024, F2025, W2027)
- CSCI 4610: Artificial Intelligence (W2027)
- CSCI 3101: Mobile Devices (F2024, F2025, F2026)
- CSCI 6720G: Advanced Topics in Information Science, graduate (F2026)
- CSCI 5750G: Information Visualization, graduate (W2026)
- CSCI 4200: Advanced Mobile Development (W2026)
- CSCI 7589G: User Interface Technologies, graduate (W2025)
- CSCI 2040: Software Systems Design (W2024)
University of Waterloo
- CS 449: Human-Computer Interaction (W2023)
University of Manitoba
- COMP 1020: Introductory Computer Science II (W2022, F2020)
- COMP 2150: Object Orientation (W2022, S2021, W2021, S2020)
- COMP 1010: Introductory Computer Science I (F2021)