Dominique GROUX-LECLET is an HDR Lecturer at the University of Picardie Jules Verne, affiliated with the Robotic Perception Team (UR 4290) within the MIS laboratory. With over 25 years of research experience in Computer Environments for Human Learning, their work emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches and participatory design methodologies. Research focuses on developing accessible virtual environments through two primary initiatives: E-Cathédr@le program : Designing personalized navigation systems and educational scenarios for Serious Games PHARES project : Creating multisensory (haptic) interfaces to make 3D cultural heritage accessible to visually impaired users Key research domains include: Context-aware adaptive systems Knowledge representation for virtual environments 3D navigation modeling User-centered design for accessibility Haptic interaction technologies
Augusto Esteves is an Assistant Professor at Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, specializing in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and eXtended Reality (XR). He leads an interdisciplinary research group of ten students and researchers, focusing on innovative interaction techniques for future computing systems. Research Focus: Human-Computer Interaction, eXtended Reality, Gaze Interaction, Smartwatch Interfaces, Energy Communities, Biomechanics, Digital Health, Tangible Interaction His recent publications demonstrate strong engagement with gaze-driven interfaces, cross-reality interaction patterns, and accessibility in immersive technologies. Articles from 2024-2025 explore biofeedback systems, mental health interventions, and XR applications for marginalized user groups. Notable Awards: Best Short Paper (ETRA '24), Best Paper (UIST '15), Best WiP (SustainIT '17), Design United Research Award, Dutch Design Week Exhibition Esteves' work bridges academic research with practical applications, evidenced by collaborations with Samsung Electronics, NVIDIA, European Research Council, and FCT funding. His lab benefits from access to the Interactive Technologies Institute and Associate Laboratory of Robotics and Engineering Systems, equipped with AR/VR headsets, eye-trackers, and physical prototyping tools.
Prof.dr.ir. J.L. Herder serves as a Full Professor in Mechatronic Systems Design within the Mechanical Engineering school at Delft University of Technology. His research focuses on developing innovative mechatronic systems with distinctive environmental interactions, particularly Interactive Mechanisms and Distributed Mechatronics . His research spans compliant mechanisms, static/dynamic balancing, parallel kinematics, and distributed actuation/sensing. Key application areas include precision engineering, robotics, rehabilitation systems, high-tech manufacturing, and MEMS. Recent work demonstrates significant advancements in metamaterials, variable-stiffness elements, and chiral structures for negative compressibility. His publication trends reveal dominant focus areas: Metamaterials and auxetic structures (40% of recent output) Compliant mechanism design (30%) Stiffness optimization and neutral stability (20%) Medical and precision applications (10%) Major scientific recognition includes: ASME GM/Freudenstein Young Investigator Award (2000) Four Best Paper/Application Awards (2009-2016) Multiple international honors for mechanism design Herder actively supervises graduate research (21 supervised works documented) and secures significant industry partnerships, notably the Swiss-Delft watch collaboration. His leadership extends to editorial roles in IEEE/ASME Transactions and keynote presentations on medical device design and micromechanisms. Current projects emphasize distributed sensing/actuation in compliant structures for microscale applications.
Chiara Micheli is an Adjunct Professor at the Department of Mechanical, Energy, Management and Transport Engineering (DIME) and a Research Fellow at the Department of Naval, Electrical, Electronic and Telecommunications Engineering (DITEN) within the University of Genoa. She teaches Electronics (course code 72350) for Mechanical Engineering undergraduates in the 2024-2025 academic year. Her research integrates interdisciplinary expertise in: Electronic skin development , focusing on piezoelectric polymers and viscoelastic properties for tactile sensing Robotics and control systems , including haptic feedback mechanisms and precision motion algorithms Mechatronic integration for applications in prosthetics and human-machine interfaces Recent publications demonstrate a consistent focus on material behavior modeling, sensor validation, and real-time control systems. Her work bridges experimental mechanics with applied robotics, emphasizing human-centric applications like adaptive grasping and slippage prevention.
Justin Quinn is a Senior Lecturer and Director of the Centre for Engineering and Renewable Energy at Ulster University's School of Computing, Engineering and Intelligent Systems, based at the Derry~Londonderry campus. His work bridges computational intelligence with advanced manufacturing, focusing on defect detection in 3D printing and haptic feedback systems. Current active projects include Hartree Northern Ireland (Principal Investigator, 2023–2026) and Local Industrial Decarbonisation Plan for NI (Co-Investigator, 2024). His research interests span: Smart manufacturing and IoT applications Finite element analysis and defect detection Spiking neural networks for FPGA deployment Visio-tactile sensors in haptic feedback Composite material optimization Recent publications highlight trends in industrial technology, including collaborations with researchers like Coleman, Kerr, and Magee. His scientific awards include the Innovation Voucher (IV1013087) for pressure ulcer prevention innovation. As an educator and researcher, he contributes to Ulster University's leadership in engineering and renewable energy, aligning projects with UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Dr. Patricia Flanagan is a Lecturer at the University of New South Wales in the School of Art and Design, Faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture. She serves as co-director of the Interactive Media Lab and Lead Researcher for Wearables at the Creative Robotics Lab. Previously, she established the Wearables Lab at the Academy of Visual Art at Hong Kong Baptist University in 2009. Her international exhibition portfolio includes prestigious venues such as the Hong Kong Heritage Museum, Taipei Museum of Contemporary Art, and Kunstraum Kreuzberg/Bethanien Berlin, and she represented Oceania at the Tournai Contemporary Textiles Biennial in Belgium. Dr. Flanagan holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Public Art from the University of Newcastle Australia, a Master of Fine Arts in Public Art and New Artistic Strategies (1st class) from Bauhaus University Weimar Germany, a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Sculpture from the University of Newcastle Australia, and an Associate Diploma in Arts (Fashion Production, Custom Clothing) with honors from TAFE NSW. Her research investigates hybrid practices emerging at the intersection of digital technologies and traditional art and design practices. Specializing in new materials, wearables, and generative design, her work includes critical and speculative wearables, site-specific sculptural installations, social sculpture, and performance installations. Her practice combines hand-crafted art and design practices with digital technologies through a systems thinking approach. Current research projects include Landrelations (National Tour), Brigalow Belt Arts Project, Femufacture, The Peripatetic Institute for Praxiology and Anthropology, The Haptic InterFace Project, and Research Creativity – Praxis. Dr. Flanagan's recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on the intersection of craft, technology, and embodied experience. Her work explores how digital technologies can be integrated with traditional craft practices, particularly in the realm of wearables and interactive installations. She investigates how these hybrid practices can create new forms of expression, environmental awareness, and cross-cultural understanding. Among her notable awards and fellowships are the Powerhouse, Sydney Museum of Applied Arts and Science Visiting Research Fellowship, Centre for Mobilities Research at Lancaster University Visiting Fellowship, Max Fabre Foundation Award for Environmental Awareness, and selection to represent Oceania at the 7th International Contemporary Textile Triennale in Tournai, Belgium. Dr. Flanagan actively supervises research students in areas including Art and Design, Textiles, Wearables, Tangible Embodied HCI, Future Materials, Generative Design, and Environmental Humanities. She is on the steering committee for the World Craft Council affiliated Knowledge House of Craft and is the founding member of TTIGOC (Tracing the Intangible Gestures of Craft), a collaboration with Chinese ethnic minority master craftspeople and researchers at GYPEC Guiyang, China. Her current PhD students include Syna Chen, Jingwen Yuan, and Jaiying Qian, all working on innovative projects at the intersection of craft, technology, and human experience.
Dr. Jorge Juan Gil Nobajas is a Professor of Control Engineering and Robotics at Tecnun (School of Engineering, University of Navarra). His research focuses on robot control, haptic interfaces, and biomedical robotics, with a particular emphasis on stability analysis, haptic rendering algorithms, and mechatronic systems for medical and industrial applications. Research Interests: Robot control systems, haptic interface design, stability analysis in virtual environments, biomedical device development (e.g., bone drilling tools, allergy diagnostic systems), and mechatronic solutions for aerospace and rehabilitation. Publications: His work spans robotics, mechatronics, and biomedical engineering, with recent studies on collaborative haptic robots, automated disassembly of e-waste, and gravity compensation in rehabilitation systems. Patents: He holds international patents for haptic systems in surgical assistance and automated allergy testing.
Apoorva Kapadia serves as a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at Clemson University's College of Engineering. Joining the department in 2014 after previously working as a Lecturer in General Engineering at the same institution, Dr. Kapadia focuses on electrical circuits, control systems, robotics, and integrated system design while advising the Electrical & Computer Engineering Graduate Student Association. Dr. Kapadia's educational background includes a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Clemson University (with a graduate certificate in Engineering and Science Education), an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from Clemson, and a B.S. in Instrumentation Engineering from the University of Mumbai. Prior to doctoral studies, they worked as a Research Engineer in Brooklyn College's Biomimetic and Cognitive Robotics Laboratory. Research interests span novel robot manipulators , nonlinear control strategies , animated architecture , and robotics pedagogy . Their publication trends reveal deep specialization in continuum robotics, with significant contributions to variable-topology manipulators, teleoperation interfaces, and space robotics applications. Keywords across recent works emphasize biomimetics, adaptive structures, and control theory. Dr. Kapadia actively contributes to the academic community as an IEEE member (Robotics & Automation and Control Systems societies), reviewer for robotics journals, and participant in Clemson's Intelligent Materials, Systems and Environments (IMSE) Institute. Their work has received funding from NASA, DARPA, and NSF. Teaching remains central to their role, with development of laboratory manuals, lecture notes, and an online class development guide. Current advising includes graduate student association leadership, though specific student names aren't documented in public sources.
Danica Pišteková serves as a Lecturer and Studio Manager at the Department of Architectural Design within the Faculty of Architecture at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design Bratislava (AFAD). She leads the Architexture Studio: Body and Space, where she teaches architectural design, thesis consultations, and specialized courses on visual media in textile creation. Her academic background bridges fashion design and architecture, culminating in her ArtD. doctoral degree. Her research centers on soft architecture and the integration of textiles with spatial design, exploring how clothing principles can inform architectural envelopes. Pišteková investigates the liminal space between body and architecture through physical prototypes and digital interfaces, creating fluid, vulnerable, and haptic environments that challenge traditional architectural norms. Her work emphasizes material sensitivity, environmental responsiveness, and the cyclical nature of architectural transformation. Her projects consistently examine architecture as skin—unstable, living, and changing—through installations like Skin 2.0 (2025) using edible biomaterials and second-hand jackets, and Lunaria (2023) exploring material sensitivity to environmental changes. These works demonstrate her focus on temporality, decay, and the dissolution of boundaries between artificial/natural and human/other. Scientific recognition includes: CE FOR AR nominations (2017, 2019) Slovak Arts Council scholarships for international conferences Tatra Banka Foundation support for exhibitions As an advisor, Pišteková mentors numerous students across collaborative projects including Nebulae (2018) and Becoming Escargotapien (2019), securing grants from the Slovak Arts Council and Tatra Banka Foundation. Her Architexture Studio functions as a research laboratory investigating soft spatial systems through material prototyping, digital fabrication, and speculative design methodologies.
Szilvia Ruszev serves as Senior Lecturer in Post Production at Bournemouth University's Faculty of Media and Communication, where she leads the Arts and Humanities Research Council-funded 'Shared Post-Human Imagination' project through the Centre for Intellectual Property Policy & Management (CIPPM). Appointed affiliate member of CIPPM in November 2024, she directs the MA Post Production Editing programme while bridging academic research with professional media practice. Her research spans cinema studies, new materialism, and digital media theory with particular focus on responsible AI development , representation politics (race/class/gender), and post-cinematic aesthetics . Methodologically, she employs creative-critical praxis through film editing, VR essays, and site-specific installations exhibited internationally at SIGGRAPH and Geneva International Film Festival. Key projects investigate networked capitalism's entanglement with media technologies and develop frameworks for ethical human-AI collaboration in media creation. Analysis of her publications reveals consistent engagement with embodied knowledge production , temporal perception , and materialist media criticism across digital platforms. Her work connects cinematic theory with contemporary issues of algorithmic governance, pandemic media ecology, and posthuman subjectivity through both scholarly outputs and artistic practice. Ruszev contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals for Gender Equality, Reduced Inequalities, and Quality Education through research on representation and inclusive media practices. Her teaching spans 10+ years across Film University Babelsberg, Cologne Film School, and Art Center College of Design, with PhD supervision focusing on editing theory, synthetic media, and practice-based research. As Principal Investigator for the BRAID initiative, she develops cross-sectoral relationships among AI developers, policymakers, and media practitioners. Her professional background includes 20+ years as film editor for Arte/ZDF documentaries and feature films awarded at Karlovy Vary IFF and shortlisted for the Academy Awards.
Tom Davis is an Associate Professor in Music and Audio Technology at The Media School, Bournemouth University , where he teaches on the BA Music and Sound Production degree. He is a practicing artist specializing in sound installation and live performance , with exhibitions across Europe and the United States. His research focuses on the interface between music and technology , including instrument building, technologically mediated improvisation, and enaction. Education: PhD in Sonic Art (Queen's University Belfast, 2008) PGCert in Education Practice (Bournemouth University, 2015) MA in Communication Media: Creative Sound Production (University of the West of England, 2004) BSc (Hons) in Physics with Music (University of Edinburgh, 2001) Research Interests span interdisciplinary domains such as Music Technology , Human-Computer Interaction , and Sonic Art , with a focus on enactive and postphenomenological frameworks. His work explores networked performance ecosystems , actuated instruments , and AI-mediated creativity . Publications and Research Trends reflect his expertise in digital music interfaces , human-AI collaboration , and cultural heritage digitization . Key themes include improvisational agency , assistive technology , and generative sound systems . Grants and Leadership: Davis leads projects like Shared Post-Human Imagination: Human-AI Collaboration in Media Creation (AHRC, 2024) and Improving Educational Outcomes for SEN Students (HEIF, 2017). He serves as an external examiner for institutions like London College of Communication (UAL) and contributes to peer review for journals and funding bodies. Labs and Collaborations: As an affiliate member of CIPPM (Centre for Intellectual Property Policy & Management) , he engages in cross-disciplinary research on emerging technologies and global IP policy .
Cheryl Akner-Koler is a Researcher at Konstfack University of Arts, Craft and Design , specializing in interdisciplinary design research that bridges Industrial Design , Culinary Arts , and Haptic Perception . She collaborates with institutions like Örebro University's School of Hospitality, Culinary Arts & Meal Science to explore sensory design applications. Key research areas: Haptics , Multi-sensory Design , Culinary Aesthetics , and Inclusive Technology . Co-developed the HAPTICA project (funded by the Swedish Research Council 2016–2019) to integrate tactile, taste, and somatic experiences across disciplines. Invented tactile aids (Distime, Monitor, Ready-Ride) for deafblind individuals, focusing on environmental perception and mobility. Recent work includes haptic attribute modeling for hybrid food design communities and anticipative co-creation methods for sustainable futures. Her publications span journals like The International Journal of Food Design and conferences such as E&PDE.
Prof. Nassir Navab is a full professor and director of the Chair for Computer Aided Medical Procedures & Augmented Reality at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) School of Computation, Information and Technology. He leads the Medical Augmented Reality summer school series and is a member of Academia Europaea. Education: Mathematics and Physics, Computer Engineering and Systems Control, PhD at INRIA/Paris XI Professional History: Postdoctoral research at MIT Media Lab; Distinguished Member of Technical Staff at Siemens Corporate Research (1993–2003); Full Professor at TUM since 2003 Leadership Roles: Board Member of MICCAI (2006–2012, 2014–2017); Editorial Board Member of IEEE TMI, MedIA, IJCV His research focuses on bridging medicine and computer science through Computer Vision , Medical Augmented Reality , and Robot-Guided Surgery . He pioneered digital surgical workflow modeling (2005) and robotic imaging (2012), with over 100 patents and 90,926 citations (h-index 129). Recent publications highlight AI-driven medical imaging trends, including ultrasound-CT registration , reinforcement learning for robotic sonography , and semantic scene graphs for operating room modeling . Collaborations span institutions like Johns Hopkins University and cover applications in ophthalmology , oncology , and orthopedic interventions . MICCAI Enduring Impact Award 2021 IEEE ISMAR Career Impact Award 2024 IEEE ISMAR 10 Years Lasting Impact Award 2015 Siemens Inventor of the Year 2001 16 Best Paper Awards at MICCAI He mentors teams advancing medical AI and surgical robotics , with labs like CAMP and NARVIS. His work also emphasizes medical education , including courses on Computer Science for Medical Students and Innovation in Healthcare .
Tony Tang is a tenured Associate Professor at the School of Computing and Information Systems , Singapore Management University , leading the RICELab (Rethinking Interaction, Collaboration and Engagement). His research spans Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW), and Ubiquitous Computing. Previously affiliated with the Faculty of Information at the University of Toronto and the Department of Computer Science at the University of Calgary , he has built a career focusing on technologies that enhance human-AI interaction, mixed-reality collaboration, and immersive analytics. Education : PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering (2010, University of British Columbia), MSc in Computer Science (2005, University of Calgary), BSc in Computer Science and Psychology (2002, Simon Fraser University) His research explores human-AI interaction (user intent expression, AI feedback), mixed reality interfaces for collaborative learning, and digital workrooms with large interactive surfaces. Recent work focuses on embodied AI agents, VR gesture design, and neurodiverse engagement in digital spaces. Key trends in his publications include immersive analytics , haptic feedback systems , and inclusive design for marginalized user groups. His work bridges theoretical insights from HCI with practical implementations in virtual and augmented environments. Grants & Funding : Current: SMU-SUTD Tier 1 Grant (S$100,000), NAVER ($1,250,000 over 5 years), Meta gift ($30,000) Past: SSHRC Partnership Engage Grant, NSERC Discovery Grant, GRAND NCE funding, MITACS Accelerate Program Scientific Awards : NSERC Post-Doctoral Fellow (2011) Eyes High Doctoral Recruitment Award (University of Calgary, 2010) Teaching & Supervision : Supervised 3 postdoctoral fellows, 26 graduate students, and 35 undergraduate students. Served as PhD Director at the University of Toronto. Developed frameworks for graduate student competencies and research proposal writing. Service & Leadership : General Co-chair for CSCW 2022 , Associate Editor for International Journal on Human-Computer Studies and HCI Journal . Held administrative roles including Associate Dean, Research at the University of Toronto (2020-2022). Labs & Teams : Leads the RICELab , which investigates novel interaction paradigms for collaboration and engagement. Collaborated on projects involving drones, 360 video systems, and haptic proxies.
Nassim Sehad is a Doctoral Researcher at Aalto University's Department of Information and Communications Engineering, focusing on immersive communication technologies and UAV applications. Their work intersects with 6G network development, digital twinning, and virtual reality systems. Honors include a Nokia Foundation personal grant for thesis work . Recent publications analyze generative AI for Internet-of-Senses, UAV control mechanisms, and real-time aerial video streaming challenges, reflecting interdisciplinary research in telecommunications and autonomous systems.
