Copy That! Proxies of Virtual and Real Objects in XR

Many XR applications use proxies (copies) of objects to represent and manipulate those objects. Proxies can be copies of real objects, such as digital twins. Or copies of virtual objects, such as worlds in miniature or minimaps that model at a smaller size all or part of full-sized environments in games. Proxies can be especially useful for interacting with individual objects that are hard to select because they are occluded, distant, or appear small. I will present an overview of proxies in XR user interfaces, including interaction techniques that rely on them. I will describe a testbed that our lab has developed to explore the pros and cons of temporary proxies that are created just when needed and destroyed after use versus permanent proxies that persist even after they are used.