Franziska Mueller is a Research Scientist at Google Zurich , specializing in Augmented Perception . Prior to joining Google, she earned her Ph.D. in Computer Science at Saarland University under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Christian Theobalt, focusing on real-time hand reconstruction from RGB and depth images. Ph.D. in Computer Science (2016-2020) at Saarland University Master’s and Bachelor’s in Computer Science at Saarland University Research visits at Stanford University (2018) and Reality Labs Research (2019) Her research emphasizes the integration of model-based techniques and machine learning components for real-time 3D hand pose estimation, occlusion handling, and hand-object interaction tracking. Key contributions include methods for single-camera reconstruction and datasets like HandSeg. Scientific Awards : Dr. Eduard Martin Award (2021) Google PhD Fellowship (2017) Günter-Hotz-Medal (2016) Bachelor Award (2015) Völklinger Abiturpreis (2012)
Dr. phil. Stefan Ladwig is a researcher at the Institute for Automotive Engineering (Institut für Kraftfahrzeuge) at RWTH Aachen University, specializing in traffic psychology, user acceptance, and human-machine interaction for automated driving systems. His work addresses psychological and ergonomic aspects of emerging mobility technologies, including seating ergonomics, trust-building mechanisms, and communication strategies for autonomous delivery robots. Research Focus: Automated driving, interior design psychology, driver/passenger behavior, and safety requirements. Projects: Lead roles in UrbANT (autonomous delivery robot) and SteeringBow (dynamic driving experience). Collaborations: Affiliated with Aldenhoven Testing Center, Future Mobility Partnership e.V., and innocam.NRW. Ladwig’s recent publications examine rotated seating positions, visual dominance in speed adaptation, and trust-relevant driving scenarios, reflecting his interdisciplinary approach to optimizing human-vehicle interactions. His work spans ergonomics, energy management, and behavioral interventions to enhance safety and usability in next-generation mobility solutions.
Jihyun Lee is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering at the Schulich School of Engineering, University of Calgary. She was awarded the Anna Boyksen Fellowship by the Technical University of Munich Institute for Advanced Study (TUM-IAS) in 2021, hosted by Prof. Michael Zäh. Doctorate in Mechanical Engineering from University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (2016) Prior post at Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (2016-2019) Her research focuses on mechatronics, robotics, manufacturing automation, and control systems , with applications in machine tools, additive manufacturing, and precision measurement. She integrates artificial intelligence and optimization to enhance industrial automation. Recent publications highlight work on vibration control , sensor fusion , and flexible manufacturing systems . Her team explores dynamic modeling , nanocomposite sensors , and human-in-the-loop robotics for industrial and marine applications. 2020 Remote Teaching Award, Schulich Engineering 2020 Early Achievement Award, Association of Korean-Canadian Scientists and Engineers 2018 Best Achievement Award, KIMM She supervises doctoral and master’s students at the University of Calgary, emphasizing hands-on experience and MATLAB/Python simulation skills in her lab. Her work bridges quantum logic and industrial robotics through interdisciplinary collaborations.
Sarah Pink is a leading Professor at Monash University , holding a joint appointment across the Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture and the Faculty of Information Technology . She serves as Director of the FUTURES Hub and Emerging Technologies Research Lab , focusing on human futures in digital and net zero transitions. PhD in Social Anthropology, University of Kent Honorary Doctorates from Malmö and Halmstad Universities Fellow, Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia Her research spans design anthropology, emerging technologies, automated decision making, and future mobilities . Recent work examines: AI ethics in clean energy Smart homes for seniors Automated mobility futures Selected 2025 article trends show focus on technological ethics, urban data systems, and human-machine interaction across 6 subfields including automated decision making and sensory design. Major awards: CIOB Award for Best International Paper (2016) Asia Pacific Eldercare Innovation Gold (2021) Good Design Awards (2023) As research director for Monash Grid Innovation Hub and Human-Centred Computing , she leads projects funded by Australian Research Council, EU, and national research councils across five countries. Her lab engages 20 active projects and 20+ industry partners globally.
Thomas Grote is a Research Fellow at the University of Tübingen's Ethics and Philosophy Lab within the Cluster of Excellence 'Machine Learning: New Perspectives for Science'. His research focuses on philosophical and ethical dimensions of artificial intelligence, particularly interpretability, fairness, and reliability in medical and social contexts. He co-supervises the Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung-funded project 'Certification and Foundations of Safe Machine Learning Systems in Healthcare' and co-organizes the 'Philosophy of Science Meets Machine Learning' conference series. Research Focus Grote's interdisciplinary work bridges philosophy of science and applied AI ethics. Key areas include: Methodological foundations of AI ethics and epistemology Clinical reliability and safety of ML systems Fairness metrics in sociotechnical healthcare systems Interpretability requirements for medical AI Computational psychiatry and evolving mental health frameworks His recent publications demonstrate strong emphasis on healthcare applications, with critical analyses of reliability in foundation models, ethical paradigms for LLMs, and rethinking evaluation methodologies at the epistemology-ethics interface.
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Lars Linsen is a full Professor of Computer Science at the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität (WWU) Münster, leading the VISualization & graphIX (VISIX) group. His primary affiliation is the Institute of Computer Science within the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science. He holds adjunct professorships at Jacobs University, Bremen, and has held previous academic roles including Full Professor at Jacobs University (2012–2017) and Associate/Assistant Professor roles in Germany and the U.S. His research focuses on interactive visual analysis, medical visualization, and scientific visualization, with applications in life sciences and engineering. Education: PhD (Dr.-Ing.) in Computer Science from Universität Karlsruhe (2001), M.Sc. (Diplom) in Computer Science (1997), B.Sc. (Vordiplom) in Computer Science (1994). Awards: IEEE Visualization Design Contest Winner (2008, 2022, 2018), Preis des Fördervereins des Forschungszentrum Informatik (2002). Research Highlights: Develops visualization tools for medical imaging (e.g., mass spectrometry imaging, MRI data analysis) and physical simulations (e.g., wildfire spread analysis, asteroid impact modeling). Active in EU-funded projects like Pig-Pro-QuO (surface coatings) and cells-in-motion initiatives. Supervised over 20 PhD/MS advisees, including notable graduates in medical visualization and simulation ensemble analysis. Publications: Over 100 peer-reviewed articles in top venues like IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics, Computers & Graphics, and EuroVis. Key works include SciVis contest-winning wildfire analysis frameworks and medical visualization tools for stenosis detection. Teaching: Offers courses on visualization, computer graphics, and computational science. Actively involved in thesis supervision and curriculum development at both WWU Münster and Jacobs University. Grants & Collaborations: Principal investigator on DFG-funded projects (e.g., hemodynamics simulations, ensemble visualization) and industry collaborations (e.g., Tascon GmbH for coating quality analysis). Member of the Cells-in-Motion Interfaculty Centre and CDH board at WWU.
Prof. Torsten Wolfgang Kuhlen serves as a Universitätsprofessor at RWTH Aachen University, leading the Teaching and Research Area for Virtual Reality and Immersive Visualization within the Department of Computer Science. He is affiliated with Chair of Computer Science 12 (High Performance Computing), the Visual Computing Institute, and remains an integral part of the RWTH IT Center where his research group operates one of the world's largest Virtual Reality laboratories including the 30 sqm aixCAVE visualization chamber. The group maintains strong connections with Computational Science & Engineering Division, National High Performance Computing Center for Computational Engineering Science (NHR4CES), and VR in Science and Industry Network NRW e.V. Prof. Kuhlen's research spans virtual reality, immersive visualization, and multimodal 3D user interfaces with applications across simulation science, production technology, neuroscience, and medicine. His work combines basic research on advanced methods and algorithms with interdisciplinary collaborations involving RWTH Aachen institutes, Forschungszentrum Jülich, and industry partners. Recent publications demonstrate strong focus on audiovisual perception, immersive analytics, collaborative virtual environments, and practical VR applications in education and manufacturing. His research group has produced significant work on listening effort in virtual environments, immersive authoring techniques, and VR applications for scientific visualization. Notable projects include VRScenarioBuilder for automated vehicle testing and applications in monitoring additive manufacturing processes. The group actively participates in major conferences including IEEE VIS and EuroVis, with several award-winning contributions. Prof. Kuhlen has advised PhD students including Martin Bellgardt who recently completed his doctoral degree on "Increasing Immersion in Machine Learning Pipelines for Mechanical Engineering". The research group maintains state-of-the-art VR infrastructure including the aixCAVE facility which is open to all RWTH research groups.
Boris Murmann is Professor at Stanford University, specializing in integrated circuit design, mixed-signal computing, and energy-efficient AI hardware. His research advances neural interface technologies, analog design automation, and tinyML systems. Recent work develops ultra-low-power neural recording ICs for brain-computer interfaces, RRAM-based memory systems, and open-source semiconductor design frameworks. Publications demonstrate innovations in compressive sensing for neural data, hardware-algorithm co-design, and reinforcement learning for analog circuit synthesis. Significant contributions include Medusa (TinyML processor), EMBER (RRAM macro), and methodologies for coarsely-quantized computer vision and analog design automation.
Jan Borchers is a full professor of computer science and head of the Media Computing Group, an endowed Chair in the Computer Science Department at RWTH Aachen University. He serves as deputy member of the Faculty Council for Mathematics, Computer Science and Natural Sciences (2024-2026) and previously headed the Computer Science Department's Examination Board from 2015 until February 2025. Borchers established his research group in 2003, pioneering modern HCI academic research and teaching in Germany, and opened Germany's first Fab Lab in 2009. Borchers received his PhD 'summa cum laude' in computer science from Darmstadt University of Technology in 2000. Before joining RWTH Aachen, he held faculty positions at Stanford University and ETH Zurich. His PhD thesis, 'A Pattern Approach to Interaction Design,' became the first book to bring design patterns to HCI. His research focuses on Human-Computer Interaction with particular interest in new user interfaces for soft robotics, textile user interfaces, 3D printing and personal fabrication, augmented reality, wearable and tangible computing, interfaces for software development, deceptive patterns, and interactive guides and exhibits. He is a member of ACM, SIGCHI, SIGCHI Germany, and GI, and introduced the Interactivity format to the CHI conference in 2005. Recent publications reveal a strong emphasis on deceptive patterns/dark patterns in UI design, textile interfaces, and the impact of generative AI on creative teamwork. His work spans from fundamental research in interaction techniques to practical applications in smart homes, accessibility, and children's interfaces, with a consistent focus on usability and user-centered design. IDC 2025 Best Work in Progress: 'If They Have No Choice, They'll Accept!' CHI'25 Student Games Competition Winner: 'The Deceptive Dungeon' RWTH-Wissenschaftsnacht 2024 Best Science Slam: 'Usability: 4 Prinzipien guter User Interfaces' Multiple CHI/UIST Honorable Mentions and Best Paper awards spanning two decades Author of influential books including 'A Pattern Approach to Interaction Design' and 'Arduino In A Nutshell' Borchers has provided extensive consulting, training, and user interface design services to major clients including AirBus, Apple, ARD, Bayer, Children's Museum Boston, Daimler, Handelsblatt, OTIS, Scout24, TEDx, and Deutsche Telekom. He actively organizes the Computer Science Department's weekly Faculty Lunch since 2003 and coordinates the department's public relations and web presence since 2010. He leads the Media Computing Group, which has become a leading German lab in terms of archival publications at CHI, the top international conference in HCI. Since March 2025, he serves as faculty patron for TechLabs Aachen, a student initiative providing practical digital skills training.
John Nassour is a Researcher at the Technical University of Munich's School of Computation, Information and Technology, affiliated with the Chair of Cognitive Systems. He holds engineering degrees from Tishreen University (electronics), a Master's in intelligent systems from University of Cergy-Pontoise/École Nationale Supérieure de l'Électronique, and a joint PhD from University of Versailles/TUM. His interdisciplinary research focuses on computational cognitive systems applied to robotics, including wearable devices, humanoid robots, soft robotics, and robot learning for locomotion/manipulation. Before joining TUM in 2020, he was a lecturer/researcher at Chemnitz University of Technology. He teaches courses in cognitive systems, neuro-inspired engineering, and soft robotics.
Prof. Dr. Janick Edinger is a Professor of Distributed Operating Systems at the Department of Informatics, Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Natural Sciences, University of Hamburg, Germany. He leads a research group focused on distributed, context-aware, and adaptive computing systems, with a strong emphasis on edge computing, computation offloading, and assistive technologies. Education: PhD in Computer Science, University of Mannheim Studies at National Taiwan University Studies at University of Alberta, Canada Research stays at University of British Columbia, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and Georgia State University, USA His research explores how edge computing and computation offloading can enable efficient, privacy-preserving processing of sensor and video data close to their sources, particularly in dynamic environments. He investigates the integration of autonomous and heterogeneous systems—such as drone fleets and mobile devices—into scalable middleware platforms for real-time monitoring and decision-making in logistics and industrial operations. His work also emphasizes societal impact, contributing to accessible routing, adaptive interfaces, and crowd-sourced mapping. The recent publications reflect a strong trend in edge computing, federated learning, privacy-preserving analytics, and assistive technologies. Topics include WebAssembly-based offloading, emotion prediction via eye tracking, real-time traffic detection, and predictive maintenance in Industry 4.0, showcasing a blend of foundational systems research and applied human-centered computing. Scientific Awards: PerCom 2021 Mark Weiser Best Paper Award Best Paper Award at IEEE PerCom 2021 for 'Voltaire: Precise Energy-Aware Code Offloading Decisions with Machine Learning' Prof. Edinger actively advises students and leads research projects involving grants and collaborations. His team includes PhD candidates and researchers working on middleware, edge systems, and context-aware applications. He has served on conference program committees, such as shadow PC member for EuroSys 2021, and publishes in top venues including IPDPS, PerCom, CHIIR, and COMPSAC. Labs and Teams: He leads the Distributed Operating Systems research group at the University of Hamburg, where he mentors students and collaborates on projects involving edge computing, IoT, and adaptive systems.
Eduardo Velloso is a Professor of Computer Science at the University of Sydney , focusing on interaction design for emerging technologies . His work explores novel user experiences through input modalities, interaction devices, and AI/ML integration in systems. Education: PhD in Computer Science (Lancaster University, UK), Bachelor in Computer Engineering (Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) Research Interests: Interdisciplinary work combining Human-Computer Interaction , Augmented/Virtual Reality , Eye Tracking , Wearable Computing , and Machine Learning . Publication Trends: Recent work addresses methodology in HCI , AR/VR applications , AI integration , and sensor-based interaction . Scientific Awards: Best Paper Award at CHI Best Paper Award at UIST Best Paper Award at TOCHI Best Paper Award at TEI Supervision: Actively supervises PhD students and collaborates with companies/government on projects like VR training systems and AI mediation tools . Labs/Teams: Affiliated with institutions in Australia (University of Sydney) and Brazil (PUC-Rio), with global co-authors in projects involving mixed reality , wearables , and AI ethics .
Linda Onnasch is an Assistant Professor at Humboldt Universität zu Berlin in the Department of Engineering Psychology since 2017. She specializes in human-automation and human-robot interaction, focusing on function allocation, automation reliability, anthropomorphism, and RoboEthics. She holds a PhD in Psychology from Technische Universität Berlin (2014) and a Diplom in Psychology from the same institution (2009). PhD in Psychology (2009-2014), Technische Universität Berlin Diplom in Psychology (2002-2009), Technische Universität Berlin Her research explores the impact of anthropomorphic robot design on trust and attention, flexible automation concepts, and ethical implications of human-robot collaboration. Recent work examines social loafing with robots, taxonomy development for interaction models, and the role of system transparency in trust recovery. Linda’s publications emphasize automation bias, human error identification, and empirical validation of human-robot interaction paradigms. She has contributed to journals like ACM Transactions on Human-Robot Interaction and Science Robotics , with a 2021 meta-analysis on anthropomorphism in robotics. HFES Europe Chapter Best Paper Award She has served as an ad-hoc reviewer for journals like IEEE Transactions on Human-Machine Systems and is a member of organizations including the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Europe Chapter and the German Association of University Professors and Lecturers (DHV).
Dr. rer. nat. Thomas Hermann is a faculty member at Bielefeld University's Faculty of Engineering, leading the Ambient Intelligence Group and coordinating the Computer Science program. He specializes in sonification, auditory data science, and smart environments. Head of Ambient Intelligence Working Group Computer Science Program Coordinator Member of multiple academic advisory boards His research focuses on interactive sonification for biomedical applications, quantum systems, and smart environments. Key projects include ECG sonification for cardiac diagnosis, real-time auditory feedback in swimming, and sonic interfaces for AR cooperation. Recent publications span 2025 with Python-based sonification tools ( pya AGen ), quantum system sonification, and ST-elevation myocardial infarction monitoring. He contributes to open-access supplementary materials and interdisciplinary workshops. As a researcher , Hermann develops practical sonification frameworks like Panson for facial behavior analysis, CardioScope for portable ECG monitoring, and Base Cube One for smart environments. His work bridges academic research with industry applications.
Jonas Kuhn is a professor at the Institute for Natural Language Processing (IMS) at University of Stuttgart. He is working at the interface between language and computers, combining linguistics and computer science. Kuhn's research interests span a wide range of computational linguistics topics including: Language models and spatial reasoning Analysis of large language models (LLMs) through linguistic theories Political text analysis and discourse networks Computational approaches to literature and cultural studies Retrieval-augmented language modeling Semantic change detection Dependency parsing and syntactic analysis His recent publications (2023-2025) focus on the intersection of neural language processing with fields as diverse as spatial reasoning, literary analysis, and political discourse. This reflects his interdisciplinary approach that bridges fundamental language research with practical technology development. As a faculty member at one of Germany's largest computational linguistics centers, Kuhn contributes to both fundamental research and technological development in language processing systems.
