Patrick Franczak

Papers

Total Citations

207

H-Index

About

Patrick Franczak is a leading researcher in virtual reality (VR), with a primary focus on enhancing user immersion and the psychological sense of "presence" within digital environments. His most influential work, the 2017 paper *"These are not my hands!"* (207 citations), fundamentally advanced our understanding of body ownership illusions in VR. Franczak demonstrated that accurately rendering a user’s own hands—tracking their real-time pose and position—dramatically increases the feeling of actually "being there" in the virtual world. This contribution has become a cornerstone for designing more convincing and effective VR interactions, influencing everything from therapeutic rehabilitation to immersive training simulations. By bridging the gap between physical and digital embodiment, Franczak’s research has helped transform VR from a visual spectacle into a truly embodied experience, setting new standards for how developers create believable, user-centered virtual spaces.