Maarten Houben

Maarten Houben is an Assistant Professor at Eindhoven University of Technology's Department of Industrial Design and the TU/e Expertise Center for Dementia & Technology. His research develops multisensory technologies to enhance wellbeing for vulnerable populations, particularly through tangible interfaces in dementia care.

Research focuses on participatory design methods for sensitive settings, soundscape design, and ethical frameworks for HCI research. Recent projects include tools for care transitions, interactive media facades, and collaborative cooking systems for people with dementia.

Honors include Best Paper awards at CHI and DIS conferences for work on everyday sounds in dementia care and foregrounding auditory experiences. Current supervision includes five PhD candidates exploring self-directed play, social connectedness, and technology implementation in dementia contexts.