Dirk Balfanz

Dr. Dirk Balfanz serves as Scientific Managing Director at the Centre for Cognitive Science, Technical University of Darmstadt since 2016. With a background in computer science and electrical engineering, he bridges cognitive science with interactive AI systems, focusing on human-robot interaction, explainable AI, and geospatial metadata. His leadership spans strategic development of cognitive science programs and third-party funding acquisition across multiple projects.

• Doctorate in Computer Science (2002), TU Darmstadt
• Diplom in Electrical Engineering (1992), University of Dortmund

His research explores the intersection of cognitive science and AI, particularly in situational autonomy, multimodal interaction, and human uncertainty detection. Current projects like WhiteBox and IKIDA investigate how probabilistic models and cognitive explanations can enhance AI transparency. Earlier work on geospatial metadata laid foundations for ISO standardization.

His recent publications in human-AI collaboration (15 articles) demonstrate expertise in interactive reinforcement learning, probabilistic movement primitives, and explanation generation for complex systems. Notable contributions include Bayesian fusion of human feedback and explainable linear programming in energy systems.