معرفی
Anke Brocker is a Research Assistant at the Media Computing Group, Department of Computer Science, RWTH Aachen University. She works in Room 2.38 with office hours from 08:30-17:30 on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Her academic journey began with a Bachelor's thesis in 2015 followed by a Master's thesis in 2017, both at RWTH Aachen University.
Her research focuses on empowering novices through personal fabrication techniques, with particular emphasis on:
- Supporting children learning embedded coding
- Integrating multiple senses (including smell) into HCI experiences
- Designing tangible and shape-changing interfaces using soft robotics
- Developing electronic toolkits for novel user experiences
- Creating interfaces that enable users to build their own interactive systems
Brocker's publication record shows a clear trajectory in Human-Computer Interaction research, with increasing focus on soft robotics and tangible interfaces since 2018. Her work spans both theoretical investigations of user awareness with tangible interfaces and practical tool development like the SoRoCAD design system for pneumatic soft robotics and Flowboard for embedded coding education.
As an active member of the HCI community, Brocker has served as a reviewer for major conferences including ACM CHI, UIST, DIS, and TEI since 2020, demonstrating recognition of her expertise in the field.
She has supervised numerous Bachelor's and Master's theses on topics ranging from soft robotics design to smart jewelry and tangible interfaces, showing her commitment to mentoring the next generation of HCI researchers.
