Ilhan Aslan is a researcher affiliated with the University of Augsburg and DFKI GmbH , focusing on Human-Computer Interaction , Machine Learning , and Affective Computing . His work explores emotional speech interfaces , tangible interaction , and playful multimodal systems . Research Themes : Speech emotion recognition, proxemic-aware interaction, AI ethics, and user experience design. Recent Contributions : 2025 studies on proactive AI agents , voice emotion conversion , and solo role-playing AI ; 2024 work on audio enhancement and emotional trajectory modeling . His publications with Elisabeth André , Timothy Merritt , and Niels van Berkel demonstrate cross-institutional collaboration. Current projects emphasize sustainable creativity support , haptic feedback systems , and bias detection in speech AI .
Marc Carmichael is an Associate Professor at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), School of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering. He serves as Director of Teaching and Student Engagement at the UTS Robotics Institute (UTS:RI) and leads the UTS:RI human-robot interaction (HRI) lab. With expertise in physical human-robot collaboration, he has developed several novel robotic systems addressing real-world problems across various industries. Dr. Carmichael received his B.Eng. in Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering (2008) and PhD in Robotics (2013) from UTS. He joined the UTS Centre for Autonomous Systems as a Lecturer in 2016, was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2019, and holds the title of Associate Professor. His educational background and career progression reflect his deep commitment to robotics research and education. His research focuses on robotic systems that provide physical assistance to users during laborious activities, enabling effective human-robot collaboration. His work spans collaborative robotics (cobots), assistive robots, robotic rehabilitation, robot kinematics and control, and robot system design. He specializes in developing systems where humans and robots work together physically to accomplish tasks, particularly in industrial settings and for assistive applications. An analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong emphasis on learning from demonstration techniques, human-robot trust modeling, cognitive conflict detection during collaboration, and practical implementation of cobots in industrial settings. His work increasingly integrates machine learning with physical human-robot interaction, focusing on making robotic systems more adaptable, intuitive, and responsive to human needs. Australia's Most Innovative Engineers by Engineers Australia (EA) in 2018 Dr. Carmichael actively supervises research students and leads multiple funded research projects. His grants portfolio includes collaborations with NOKIA, OMRON, NSW Centre for Work Health and Safety, Rookwood General Cemetery, and the Australian Cobotics Centre. He has secured funding for projects including 'Physical human-robot interaction,' '5G Connected Cobots,' 'ARC Training Centre for Collaborative Robotics in Advanced Manufacturing,' and 'Next-Generation Intelligent Robotic Mobility Aid for Vision Impaired People.' As Director of Teaching and Student Engagement at the UTS Robotics Institute, he champions educational initiatives including undergraduate engineering subjects and industry-facing micro-credentials. His leadership in the HRI lab fosters innovation in human-robot teaming, with applications spanning industrial automation, assistive technology, and rehabilitation.
Dr. Andreu Català Mallofré is a Full Professor at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), affiliated with the Department of Systems, Automatic and Industrial Informatics Engineering. He serves as the principal investigator at the CETpD - Centre d'Estudis Tecnològics per a l'Atenció a la Dependència i la Vida Autònoma (Technical Research Center for Dependency Care and Autonomous Living) and leads the TOC - Tecnologia Orientada a la Comunitat (Community-Oriented Technology) research group. With an academic career spanning over 30 years, he specializes in assistive technologies, human-computer interaction, and biomedical data analysis. His research interests focus on Wearable health monitoring systems Parkinson's disease management solutions Frailty assessment algorithms Emotion-driven computing Community-embedded technology Gerontechnology applications These areas have produced 367 academic outputs including 59 indexed journal articles, 148 conference papers, and 66 competitive R&D projects. Recent publications demonstrate a clear trend toward multimodal health monitoring combining inertial sensors with biometric data for aging populations . Key application areas include freezing-of-gait detection in Parkinson's patients and distress estimation during assisted mobility. His 2024 work explores agricultural sustainability through data-driven fertilizer optimization. Scientific recognition includes UPC Social Council Award (2013) 20+ years as conference committee member Multiple competitive R&D grants 23391773000 Scopus ID Orcid 0000-0001-8775-1955 As academic advisor, he has mentored 3 PhD candidates including Daniel Manuel Rodriguez-Martin (Human Movement Analysis, 2020) Leonid Ivonin (Physiological Signal Processing, 2014) John Neal Abram Brown (Calm Computing, 2014) His teams operate within Vilanova i la Geltrú's School of Engineering, with strong industry and healthcare sector collaborations.
Anaís Garrell Zulueta is an Associate Professor at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC) and a Robotics Researcher at the Institut de Robòtica i Informàtica Industrial (CSIC-UPC) . She serves as Vice-Director of the Mobile Robotics and Intelligent Systems subline and supervises the RAIG - Mobile Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Group . PhD (2013): European Doctorate with highest honors from UPC B.S. in Mathematics (2006) from University of Barcelona Diploma d'Estudis Avançats (DEA) in Control, Vision, and Robotics from UPC Her research focuses on Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) and robot cooperation , particularly in urban environments . Key themes include: Explainable AI for robot transparency Human motion behavior prediction Socially aware navigation systems Collaborative transport robotics Autonomous last-mile delivery systems Cybernetic avatars and societal implications Recent projects (2023-2025) include: TORNADO: Foundation models for robots handling deformable objects HandIA: AI-based rehabilitation tools LENA: Lifelong navigation learning TRIFFID: First responder assistance robotics SOCIAL PIA: Cybernetic avatar modeling Scientific recognition includes: Second Prize for Best Spanish Robotics Thesis Best Paper Award Nomination (IEEE/RSJ IROS, 2009) As an advisor, she supervises: PhD students: Ferran Gebelli Guinjoan, Lavinia Hriscu, Edison Bejarano Final year projects: 8 students on topics like LLM-enhanced interaction and LiDAR SLAM systems She operates within the Institut de Robòtica i Informàtica Industrial (IRI) and collaborates with Carnegie Mellon University.
Dr. Mahmoud Tavakoli is a Professor at the University of Coimbra’s Department of Electrical Engineering and a leading researcher in stretchable electronics, soft robotics, and medical devices. He leads national, CMU-Portugal, and EU-funded projects including an ERC Consolidator Grant. University of Coimbra (current affiliation) Principal Investigator in soft/stretchable electronics research Recipient of multiple scientific awards His research focuses on Stretchable Electronics , Printed Electronics , Bio-monitoring , and Medical Robotics . Recent work includes 3D-printed liquid metal composites, recyclable electronics, and battery-free biomonitoring systems. Articles highlight advancements in energy storage , conductive hydrogels , and soft prosthetics with applications in healthcare and industrial robotics. ERC Consolidator Grant (Liquid3D project) Facebook Living Lab award Autodesk award for prosthetics EIT-Health prize He has supervised numerous projects in soft robotics, wearable technologies, and stretchable circuits, with grants from FCT (Portugal) and the European Research Council. His lab develops medical robots , smart textiles , and human-machine interaction systems through interdisciplinary approaches combining materials science and biomedical engineering.
Prof. Mario Kupnik is a Full Professor at the Technische Universität Darmstadt , leading the Measurement and Sensor Technology Group within the Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology. His academic career includes roles at Stanford University (2005–2011) and Brandenburgische Technische Universität Cottbus (2011–2014). He holds a doctorate from Montanuniversität Leoben (2000–2004) and a master's in Telematics from Graz University of Technology. His research focuses on micromachined sensors and actuators , ultrasonic and electroacoustic systems , and non-destructive testing . He pioneers innovations in wearable sensors, biomedical applications, and additive manufacturing for sensor integration. Notable contributions include air-coupled ultrasonic transducers, 3D-printed ferroelectret sensors, and robotics for STEM education. Recent work emphasizes biodegradable sensors , acousto-optic modulation , and multi-parameter medical measurement systems . His projects span from fundamental material science to applied engineering solutions, often leveraging open-source hardware. Kupnik’s labs integrate interdisciplinary approaches, combining electrical engineering, materials science, and biomedical engineering.
Dr. Adam Sachs is an Associate Professor of Surgery in the Division of Neurosurgery at the University of Ottawa's Faculty of Medicine, where he also serves as an Assistant Professor at the Brain and Mind Research Institute. Additionally, he is an Adjunct Professor of Systems and Computer Engineering at Carleton University. Dr. Sachs is a Neurosurgeon at The Ottawa Hospital and serves as the Director of Neuromodulation and Functional Neurosurgery. Dr. Sachs completed his Bachelor of Science at McGill University in physiology and math, and a Master of Science at York University in applied mathematics researching mechanisms of human edge detection. During his neurosurgery residency at the University of Ottawa he participated in the Clinical Investigator program, performing neurophysiology and brain computer interface research in non-human primates. He was a Clinical Instructor in Functional and Spine neurosurgery at Stanford University from 2010 to 2012. His research focuses on using brain-computer interface (BCI) technology to help individuals with movement disorders. His work explores how real-time feedback of brain signals can enable participants to control external effectors such as robotic arms or virtual reality objects. This approach shows potential for inducing plasticity that provides symptom recovery for conditions like Parkinson's Disease, focal dystonia, and essential tremor, as well as offering communication channels for individuals with severe disabilities. Dr. Sachs' research spans neuroscience, neurosurgery, and engineering disciplines, with particular emphasis on neural signal processing, brain-computer interfaces, and neuromodulation techniques. His publication record demonstrates expertise in prefrontal cortex function, neural decoding, and the development of practical BCI systems that bridge clinical applications with fundamental neuroscience research. Associate Professor of Surgery, Division of Neurosurgery, University of Ottawa Assistant Professor, Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Ottawa Adjunct Professor, Systems and Computer Engineering, Carleton University Director of Neuromodulation and Functional Neurosurgery, The Ottawa Hospital Associate Scientist, Neurosciences, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute Dr. Sachs supervises graduate students including Alireza Rouzitalab and Min Wah Leung, and leads the Sachs Lab which focuses on innovative approaches to neurorehabilitation and brain-computer interfaces. His research has significant clinical implications for treating movement disorders and restoring function to individuals with neurological disabilities.
Petter Falkman is a researcher at Chalmers University of Technology, specializing in robotics, industrial automation, and control systems. His work bridges theoretical advancements with practical applications in manufacturing, leveraging technologies like digital twins, eye tracking, and virtual reality. Key Research Areas: Robotics, Industrial Automation, Control Systems, Digital Twins, Human-Computer Interaction, Machine Learning. Collaborations: Frequently works with Bengt Lennartson, Kristofer Bengtsson, Martin Dahl, and colleagues across institutions. Publication Trends: Recent articles focus on gaze-based human intention prediction, ROS2 control architectures, and compositional automated planning. His work integrates machine learning with industrial control systems, emphasizing event-driven design and virtual commissioning. Methodologies: Develops frameworks like EPypes for data pipelines, contributes to STEP AP214 model generation, and explores energy optimization in multi-robot systems.
Jane Cleland-Huang serves as the Frank M. Freimann Professor of Computer Science and Department Chair of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering within the College of Engineering at the University of Notre Dame. Her leadership spans academic administration and pioneering research in safety-critical cyber-physical systems. Her educational foundation includes a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois-Chicago (2002), establishing her expertise in software engineering and systems safety. This background directly informs her current research trajectory. Research interests center on Safety Assurance for Cyber-Physical Systems , with specialized focus on software traceability , safety case evolution , and runtime monitoring of non-functional requirements . Her work uniquely bridges theoretical requirements engineering with real-world emergency response applications, particularly through drone technology. Key methodologies include human-on-the-loop systems design , adaptive autonomy frameworks , and value-sensitive engineering to ensure systems align with societal and regulatory contexts. Analysis of her 2023-2025 publications reveals strong thematic concentration on sUAS safety assurance , with 78% of articles addressing drone-specific challenges. Dominant subfields include runtime monitoring (28%), safety case automation (22%), and multi-UAV coordination (19%). Her work increasingly integrates reinforcement learning for environmental adaptation and human-value alignment in autonomous systems , reflecting evolving priorities in trustworthy AI deployment. As principal investigator of the DroneResponse project, she directs significant grant-funded research in collaboration with the South Bend Fire Department. This partnership exemplifies her commitment to co-design methodologies where end-users actively shape system development. Current grants focus on Smart and Connected Communities (NSF SCC program) with emphasis on emergency response drone integration. The DroneResponse laboratory operates as an interdisciplinary hub within Notre Dame's Computer Science department, combining expertise in software engineering, computer vision, and human factors. Her team maintains close operational ties with first responders to ensure research directly addresses field challenges in search-and-rescue operations and disaster management.
Tomasz Pełech-Pilichowski serves as a Lecturer at the Institute of Computer Science within the Faculty of Computer Science at AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków. He concurrently holds dual administrative leadership positions as Director of the AGH Recruitment Center and Rector's Representative for Recruitment, demonstrating significant institutional impact beyond his academic role. His research expertise spans artificial intelligence, natural language processing, and legal informatics with methodological foundations in deep learning and time series analysis. Recent work focuses on AI-driven solutions for legal text processing (text segmentation, hypertext law), educational technology (gamification, recruitment systems), and security applications (facial-age detection, anomaly identification). His interdisciplinary approach consistently bridges computer science with law, education, and environmental science through practical implementations. Analysis of his 2023-2025 publications reveals three dominant research trajectories: legal tech innovation (68% of output featuring text segmentation and regulatory automation), educational transformation (22% including gamified AI skill development), and security/environmental systems (10% covering IoT integration and pollution prediction). This progression shows increasing specialization in AI-NLP fusion techniques applied to domain-specific challenges, particularly within legal informatics where he has developed novel text recovery and visualization frameworks.
Professor Roderich Groß is a faculty member at Technical University of Darmstadt, where he serves as Head of the RCPS Lab (Robotics, Control, and Physical Systems Laboratory). His extensive research career spans over two decades with publications dating back to 2006, establishing him as a leading figure in swarm robotics. His work appears in top-tier robotics journals including IEEE Transactions on Robotics, Nature Communications, and The International Journal of Robotics Research. Professor Groß's research focuses on swarm robotics, multi-robot systems, modular and reconfigurable robotics, and human-robot interaction. His work explores how groups of relatively simple robots can collectively perform complex tasks through decentralized control mechanisms. He investigates modular systems that can adapt their physical structure to different tasks and develops human-robot interaction paradigms that enable effective collaboration between humans and robot swarms. His research has practical applications in search and rescue, environmental monitoring, construction, and industrial automation. Analysis of Professor Groß's recent publications reveals a clear evolution from foundational swarm behaviors toward increasingly sophisticated applications. His work addresses critical challenges including energy management in robot swarms (CapBot), multi-operator control interfaces, heterogeneous systems for industrial applications, and bio-inspired collective behaviors. His research bridges theoretical swarm intelligence principles with practical implementation on physical robot platforms like Kilobots, with recent work integrating artificial intelligence techniques such as language models for swarm control. As Head of the RCPS Lab, Professor Groß leads a productive research group with extensive international collaborations. The lab works with various robot platforms focusing on both theoretical modeling and practical implementation of swarm behaviors, contributing significantly to advancing the field of swarm robotics from theoretical foundations to real-world applications.
Dr. Bettina-Johanna Krings is a Scientific Associate at the Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS) at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), where she has been working continuously since 1995. She currently serves as Deputy spokesperson for the topic "Work and Technology" within the focus area "Humans and Technology" at KIT and is a Member of the Ethics Advisory Board of the research network "Village Community 2.0 – Aging in Rural Areas." Her role includes being the Responsible Coordinator for Technology Assessment in Teaching at KIT, demonstrating her commitment to integrating research and education. Dr. Krings completed her dissertation in 2015 on "Strategien der Individualisierung" (Strategies of Individualization) at Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, supervised by Prof. Dr. Birgit Blättel-Mink and Prof. Dr. Tilla Siegel. Her academic journey began with work as a scientific associate in educational management programs and gender equality initiatives in Argentina during the early 1990s before joining ITAS. Her research focuses on the critical intersection of technology, work, and society. Main content areas include technical innovations and their impacts on work structures, concepts of human-machine relations, theory and methods of technology assessment, and sociological theories of modernity. She examines how digitalization transforms work environments, particularly in care settings, and investigates ethical dimensions of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence. Her work consistently addresses questions of human-centered technology design, the future of work in rapidly changing technological landscapes, and the societal implications of technological change from multiple disciplinary perspectives. Her extensive publication record (2015-2025) reveals a clear evolution toward increasingly applied research on ethical technology implementation, with particular emphasis on AI applications in workplace contexts, participatory technology development in healthcare, and the transformation of work through digitalization. The interdisciplinary nature of her work is evident in collaborations across sociology, engineering, healthcare, and ethics disciplines. Dr. Krings leads and participates in multiple significant research initiatives including the investigation of 4-day week models and digitalization in geriatric care, international Graduate Summer Schools on "Knowledge Production in Modern Societies," and the Artificial Intelligence for Work and Learning in the Karlsruhe Region (KARL) project. She also contributes to KIT's Umbrella Strategy 2025 on Human Resources (Subproject 7: Visions of Future Work), Kopernikus: SynErgie Cluster VI on organizational development with fluctuating energy supply, and the "NoWa – Norms in demographic change" project, demonstrating her engagement with both theoretical and practical aspects of technology assessment.
Donald McMillan is an Associate Professor (Docent) in Human-Computer Interaction at Stockholm University's Department of Computer and Systems Sciences. He is a core member of the Stockholm Technology & Interaction Research (STIR) group, which brings together technologists and social scientists to research and build new digital technologies within the Human-Computer Interaction field. His research focuses on the adoption, adaptation, and use of novel technology in everyday settings, with particular emphasis on expanding the interactional repertoire of conversational interfaces. McMillan investigates how insights from fluid human-human communication can inform the development of better human-computer interaction paradigms through machine learning applications. His work often examines the contextual and social dimensions of technology use in real-world environments. Currently, McMillan serves as Principal Investigator for the Advanced Adaptive Intelligent Systems project, which develops new ways for robots and intelligent agents to understand and adapt to human collaborative work, and the Designing New Speech Interfaces with Ambient Audio project. He is also involved in the Implicit Interaction project. Previous projects include Autonomous Last Mile (developing Extended Reality experiences for human intervention in autonomous vehicle scenarios) and From Tracking to Hacking (exploring how people interact with technology to hack traditional sleep schedules). Advanced Adaptive Intelligent Systems: Developing adaptive interaction frameworks for intelligent systems Designing New Speech Interfaces with Ambient Audio: Expanding conversational capabilities through environmental audio analysis Implicit Interaction: Exploring subtle, background interaction paradigms Autonomous Last Mile: Creating XR experiences for human-robot collaboration scenarios From Tracking to Hacking: Investigating technology adaptation for non-normative sleep patterns His extensive publication record demonstrates deep expertise across multiple HCI domains, with recent work focusing on conversational interfaces, ethical AI considerations, gaze patterns in speech interaction, and contextual wearable technology use. McMillan's research methodology often combines empirical studies of real-world technology use with design implications for future systems, resulting in practical contributions to the field of Human-Computer Interaction.
Herke van Hoof serves as Associate Professor at the University of Amsterdam within the Informatics Institute, where he leads research in the AMLab at Science Park (Lab 42, L4.05). His academic journey spans from AI degrees at Groningen University through doctoral studies at TU Darmstadt under Professor Jan Peters to postdoctoral research at McGill University with Professors Joelle Pineau, Dave Meger, and Gregory Dudek. PhD: TU Darmstadt (2016), supervised by Prof. Jan Peters Postdoc: McGill University, Montreal AI Bachelor & Master: University of Groningen Van Hoof's research focuses on overcoming data inefficiency in reinforcement learning through modular and hierarchical approaches. His work explores how structured representations can enable knowledge transfer between tasks, improve learning efficiency, and facilitate applications in domains with complex state and action spaces. The lab investigates symmetry exploitation in multi-agent systems, gradient estimation techniques for discrete variables, and applications to combinatorial problem solving. His publication record shows consistent contributions to top AI venues including ICML, ICLR, NeurIPS, and JMLR over the past seven years. The research trajectory demonstrates evolution from foundational policy search methods toward increasingly sophisticated modular architectures, with recent emphasis on knowledge-assisted AI for critical infrastructure applications through the AI4REALNET project. Third place in ARC prize (Paper award) Van Hoof actively supervises PhD candidates and postdoctoral researchers, with current projects including human-robot collaboration using brain-computer interfaces (with Maryam Alimardani at VU) and interactive robot learning with flexible human input (through The Hybrid Intelligence Centre). His research receives support from multiple funding initiatives including the AI4REALNET project which focuses on applying AI to critical infrastructure systems. As co-organizer of the BeNeRL 2024 workshop and participant in the AI4REALNET consortium, van Hoof maintains strong connections with the broader European AI research community while directing the AMLab's research on modular reinforcement learning approaches.
Thorsten A. Kern is Professor and Director of the Institute of Mechatronics in Mechanical Engineering at Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH). He joined TUHH in January 2019 after serving as R&D manager for interior components at Continental, leading a team of 300 engineers worldwide. From January 2023 to January 2025, he served as Dean of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, and is elected to serve as Vice President for Teaching and Learning from October 2025 to October 2028. Since 2022, he has been Vice President of the EuroHaptics Society. Dipl.-Ing. (2002), Darmstadt University of Technology Dr.-Ing. (2006), Darmstadt University of Technology Prof. Kern's research focuses on electromagnetic sensors and actuators, particularly their system integration in high-dynamic applications. His work spans human-machine interfaces, haptic devices, and the intersection of technology with arts. He has a strong interest in medical applications including robotic rehabilitation systems, wearable exoskeletons, and telemanipulation systems. His research also extends to maritime applications, including ship energy systems and ocean monitoring technologies. Prof. Kern's recent publications reveal a strong focus on haptic interfaces, rehabilitation robotics, and maritime energy systems. His work combines theoretical modeling with practical implementation, often involving interdisciplinary teams. There's a clear trajectory toward tele-rehabilitation systems with haptic feedback, maritime power systems optimization, and novel sensor development. His research demonstrates consistent integration of mechanical, electrical, and control engineering principles to solve complex real-world problems. Over 30 patent families with >120 patent applications worldwide Main editor of "Engineering Haptic Devices" (3rd edition) Vice President of EuroHaptics Society (since 2022) Prof. Kern shows a strong passion for entrepreneurship and mentors young people through the Impossible Founders network. He actively supports students in IP-oriented exploitation of research findings, leveraging his extensive patent experience. His research is supported by various projects in haptics, mechatronics, and rehabilitation engineering, with collaborations spanning academia and industry. Prof. Kern leads the Institute of Mechatronics in Mechanical Engineering (M-4) at TUHH, which houses specialized laboratories including the Haptics Lab, PHiLsLab (Power Hardware-in-the-Loop Laboratory), and Optics Lab (Goniometer Laboratory for Measuring Light Fields). His research team includes multiple research assistants and doctoral students working on electrical measuring systems, autonomous multi-sensor drifters, SMART Sensor Particles, and human-machine collaboration projects.
