Hi, I'm Shwetha!

I'm a HCI interactive systems researcher and PhD candidate at the University of Michigan School of Information.
I'm advised by Dr. Michael Nebeling and a member of the Information Interaction Lab!
Previously, I completed my undergrad in Computer Science at UMich with a minor in Art & Design.

My research develops novel interactions with emerging technologies, such as augmented reality (AR) and generative AI (GenAI), that support meaningful use while safeguarding privacy. I currently pursue these goals in two directions:
(1) Designing and developing AR interfaces that can adapt to users' and bystanders' privacy needs across contexts;
(2) Providing users with granular controls and lightweight interaction techniques to align these systems to their goals.

During my PhD, I've interned at Microsoft Research, Meta Reality Labs, and received the Rackham Predoctoral Fellowship at UMich. I'm happy to chat with anyone pursuing similar opportunities or share my application materials!

Enabling Privacy-Friendly AR Experiences

As we approach the everyday usage of AR, novel privacy concerns arise (e.g., environmental sensing techniques capturing sensitive physical areas or bystanders without their consent). To mitigate these risks, my PhD work establishes a foundation for adapting AR interactions to minimize exposure of sensitive data and guide the development of privacy-friendly AR interfaces.

Privacy Equilibrium: Balancing Privacy Needs in Dynamic Multi-User Augmented Reality Scenarios

UIST 2025

Shwetha Rajaram, Jiasi Chen, Michael Nebeling

Exploring the Design Space of Privacy-Driven Adaptation Techniques for Future Augmented Reality Interfaces

CHI 2025, Honorable Mention

Shwetha Rajaram, Macarena Peralta, Janet G. Johnson, Michael Nebeling

Reframe: An Augmented Reality Storyboarding Tool for Character-Driven Analysis of Security & Privacy Concerns

UIST 2023

Shwetha Rajaram, Franziska Roesner, Michael Nebeling

Eliciting Security & Privacy-Informed Sharing Techniques for Multi-User Augmented Reality

CHI 2023

Shwetha Rajaram, Chen Chen, Franziska Roesner, Michael Nebeling

Customizing Interactions with XR and GenAI-Enabled Systems

With wearable intelligent systems that support task continuity across settings (e.g., AR devices, AI-enabled smart-glasses), users’ goals and their perceptions of privacy risks can frequently evolve. Through internships and other projects, I developed interaction techniques that allow users to rapidly align context-aware systems to their goals.

Gesture and Audio-Haptic Guidance Techniques to Direct Conversations with Intelligent Voice Interfaces

CHI 2025

Shwetha Rajaram, Hemant Bhaskar Surale, Codie McConkey, Carine Rognon, Hrim Mehta, Michael Glueck, Christopher Collins

BlendScape: Enabling End-User Customization of Video-Conferencing Environments through Generative AI

UIST 2024, Honorable Mention

Shwetha Rajaram*, Nels Numan*, Balasaravanan Thoravi Kumaravel, Nicolai Marquardt, Andrew D. Wilson

SpaceBlender: Creating Context-Rich Collaborative Spaces Through Generative 3D Scene Blending

UIST 2024

Nels Numan*, Shwetha Rajaram*, Balasaravanan Thoravi Kumaravel, Nicolai Marquardt, Andrew D. Wilson

Paper Trail: An Immersive Authoring System for Augmented Reality Instructional Experiences

CHI 2022

Shwetha Rajaram, Michael Nebeling

XRStudio: A Virtual Production Technology Probe for Immersive Instructional Experiences

CHI 2021

Michael Nebeling, Shwetha Rajaram, Liwei Wu, Yi Fei Cheng, Jaylin Herskovitz

MRAT: The Mixed Reality Analytics Toolkit

CHI 2020, Best Paper

Michael Nebeling, Maximillian Speicher, Xizi Wang, Shwetha Rajaram, Brian Hall, Zijian Xie, Alexander Raistrick, Michelle Aebersold, Edward Happ, Jiayin Wang, Yanan Sun, Lotus Zhang, Leah Ramsier, Rhea Kulkarni