معرفی
Helmut Hlavacs is a Professor at the Faculty of Computer Science, leading the Research Group on Education, Didactics, and Entertainment Computing. His expertise spans serious games, game design, virtual reality, and health informatics. He has contributed to over 218 publications since 2005, focusing on topics like hedonic experiences in gaming, VR applications in therapy, and AI-driven behavior trees. His work intersects technology, education, and healthcare, with notable projects such as Conquer Catharsis (VR anxiety treatment) and PhyLab (VR physics experiments). Hlavacs has secured research funding for initiatives like Programmieren lernen durch Computerspielentwicklung and Dig-Equality FF, emphasizing digital equity and education. In 2019, he won the Best Poster Award at IFIP for his work on health data from serious games.
Research Interests:
- Serious Games for health and education
- Virtual Reality applications in therapy and learning
- Game design methodologies and AI-driven NPC behavior
- Psychological impacts of gaming and digital consumption
- Procedural content generation for games
Key Projects:
- Programmieren lernen durch Computerspielentwicklung (2008): Game-based learning for programming skills
- Dig-Equality FF (2020-2021): Digital competence promotion for equity
- TP1 PRECIOUS (2013-2016): VR conferencing and stress management
Grants and Advising: Hlavacs has advised on projects involving AI in military command systems, VR therapy for anxiety disorders, and participatory design of social media literacy tools. He collaborates internationally on topics like gamification for behavior change and multicultural health interventions.
Labs/Teams: His research group focuses on Serious Storytelling and Entertainment Computing, developing tools like the Prototypical game framework and InvisibleSound for blind musicians. Current work includes FiGHT (a web-based tool for eating disorder communication) and OutSmart! (a serious game for social media literacy).
