I am currently working on a new R&D startup in stealth {📸⏩🎞️}, after exploring future-facing themes 2023-2024 on sabbatical. I am also a part-time visiting scholar at NYU, working with Andrew Chang on research related to signal processing in group videoconferencing.
Previously, I was working as research scientist at Meta Reality Labs (via CTRL Labs) on neuromotor interfaces, from July 2019 until I quit in December 2022, just after layoffs. My area of work was defining interaction models and iterative user studies for at-scale gesture detection and training: I got to bounce between neuroscientists/machine learning engineers, interaction prototypers, and UX researchers.

Research

I graduated with a PhD in May 2015 from the Dynamic Graphics Project in the University of Toronto’s Computer Science Department. My supervisor was Ravin Balakrishnan (Computer Science). My committee was composed of Daniel Wigdor (Computer Science), Derek Reilly (Computer Science) and Bruce Barton (Drama). My thorough academic CV is here.

PhD thesis: pdf (49 MB, 148 pages)
IMPROV REMIX – Video Manipulation Using Whole-Body Interaction To Extend Improvised Theatre

Publications

11.

CTRL-Labs at Reality Labs, Sussillo, D., Kaifosh, P., and Reardon, T. A generic noninvasive neuromotor interface for human-computer action bioRxiv preprint 2024.

10.

Chen, D., Freeman, D. and Balakrishnan, R. Integrating Multimedia Tools to Enrich Interactions in Live Streaming for Language Learning ACM CHI 2019.

9.

Freeman, D. and Balakrishnan, R. Improv Remix: Mixed-Reality Video Manipulation Using Whole-Body Interaction to Extend Improvised Theatre ACM DIS 2016.

Video on YouTube
Project Page

8.

Freeman, D., Jota, R., Vogel, D., Wigdor, D. and Balakrishnan, R. A Dataset of Naturally Occurring, Whole-Body Background Activity to Reduce Gesture Conflicts arXiv 2015.

Video on YouTube
Project Page

7.

Freeman, D., Santosa, S., Chevalier, F., Balakrishnan, R., and Singh, K. LACES: Live Authoring through Compositing and Editing of Streaming Video. ACM CHI 2014.

Video on YouTube

6.

Freeman, D., Chevalier, F., Lapierre, N., and Reilly, D. Tweetris: A Study of Whole-Body Interaction During a Public Art Event. ACM Creativity and Cognition 2013.
Emma Candy Award Winner 2013
Video on YouTube

5.

Freeman, D., Vennelakanti, R. and Madhvanath, S. Freehand pose-based Gestural Interaction: Studies and implications for interface design. IEEE IHCI 2012.

4.

Freeman, D., Hilliges, O., Sellen, A., O’Hara, K., Izadi, S. and Wood, K. The Role of Physical Controllers in Motion Video Gaming. ACM DIS 2012.

System Video (19.1 MB)
Presentation (53.2 MB)

3.

Freeman, D. and Balakrishnan, R. Tangible Actions. ACM ITS 2011.

Video (Youtube) Video (41 MB)

2.

Izadi, S., Kim, D., Hilliges, O., Molyneaux, D., Newcombe, R., Kohli, P., Shotton, J., Hodges, S., Freeman, D., Davison, A., and Fitzgibbon, A. KinectFusion: real-time 3D reconstruction and interaction using a moving depth camera. ACM UIST 2011.
10-Year Lasting Impact Award at UIST 2021

Video (Youtube)

1.

Freeman, D., Benko, H., Ringel-Morris, M., Wigdor, D. ShadowGuides: Visualizations for In-Situ Learning of Multi-Touch and Whole-Hand Gestures. ACM ITS 2009.

Video (Youtube) Video (45 MB)

Book Chapters

Reilly, D., Chevalier, F. and Freeman, D. 2014. Blending Art Events and HCI Research. In Interactive Experience in the Digital Age, Candy, L., Ferguson, S., Ed. Springer Books.

Professional Activities

Professional Service

Bowers, J., Taylor, R., Hook, J., Freeman, D., Bramley, C. and Newell, C. 2014. HCI: Human-Computer Improvisation. Workshop at Designing Interactive Systems 2014.

Anonymous Review for ACM CHI 2010-2014, as well as ACM ITS and UIST for some of those years. Reviewer for IJHCS.

Internships

Microsoft Research Cambridge in Computer-Mediated Living. Jan. 2011 – Apr. 2011

HP Labs India with the IMAGIN project. May. 2010 – Aug. 2010

Microsoft Research Redmond in Adaptive Systems and Interaction. Jan. 2009 – Apr. 2009

Teaching

As Lecturer:

CSC148: Introduction to Computer Science, Summer 2011

As Teaching Assistant:

At the University of Toronto:

• CSC 108, 180: Introduction to Computer Programming (Python)
• CSC 165: Mathematical Expression and Reasoning
• CSC 318: The Design of Interactive Computational Media
• SCI 199: Social Networks and Graph Theory

At Queen’s University:

• APSC 171/172: Engineering Calculus
• APSC 174: Engineering Linear Algebra

You can see my unpublished research project page here.