Dr. John McGowan is a Lecturer at the School of Computing Engineering and the Built Environment , Edinburgh Napier University. His work bridges Music Therapy , Interaction Design , and Assistive Technologies for autistic individuals. Research Focus: Development of the CymaSense application—a real-time 3D audio-visual tool for augmenting music therapy sessions. This research explores how interactive cymatics (sound visualization) can improve communication and social interaction for people on the autism spectrum. Research Trends: His publications emphasize multi-sensory environments , therapeutic software systems , and user-centered design for neurodiverse populations. Recent work addresses stress triggers in autistic adults using augmented reality and mobile technologies . Supervision: Co-supervised PhD projects on topics including auditory selective attention in mixed reality and adaptive sound design for video games . Grants: Secured funding from Edinburgh Napier University and Arts & Humanities Research Council ( Audio Mostly 2023 conference ). £5,000 grant (AHRC) for embodied music interaction research Labs: Affiliated with the Centre for Interaction Design , contributing to interdisciplinary projects in health technology and creative arts .
Prof. Vinod Namboodiri is the Forlenza Chair in Health Innovation and Technology at Lehigh University's Department of Computer Science & Engineering and College of Health. He leads the Accessibility and Assistive Technologies (ACCESS) Lab, focusing on computing technologies to address health disparities affecting people with disabilities. His NSF-funded research develops navigation solutions for individuals with disabilities, with emphasis on smart communities and built environment accessibility. He holds a Ph.D. from UMass Amherst and previously served as Full Professor/Associate Director at Wichita State University and Adjunct Senior Scientist at Envision Research Institute. His research spans assistive technologies, applied computer vision, and smart health systems. Notable work includes MABLESim (indoor accessibility simulation), NaVIP (visually impaired navigation), and economic analyses of accessibility investments. His publications explore both technical innovations and policy implications of assistive technologies. Prof. Namboodiri has received multiple awards for research, teaching, and innovation. His work bridges computer science with disability studies, emphasizing real-world impact through interdisciplinary collaboration. Current projects address indoor navigation systems, cost-benefit analysis of accessibility infrastructure, and human-agent interaction platforms for disability empowerment.
Dr. Yen-Ting (Allen) Yeh is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Saskatchewan, where he leads research in Human-Computer Interaction focusing on mobile interaction techniques, collaborative tools, and creative technologies. PhD, Cheriton School of Computer Science, University of Waterloo MS, Graduate Institute of Networking and Multimedia, National Taiwan University His research explores physical and cognitive human capabilities through: Innovative phone interaction methods (folding, dexterous gestures, side-touch expansion) Collaborative writing environments with privacy controls Creativity augmentation systems for 3D modeling Augmented reality and interactive fabrication tools Recent publications demonstrate strong focus on: Acoustic input techniques using finger snapping Motion-based creative reflection tools Dynamic gesture recognition systems Collaborative editing comfort optimization Scientific recognition includes: ACM Creativity and Cognition 2021 Honorable Mention The research group at the University of Saskatchewan's HCI Lab actively seeks students interested in phone interactions, human factors, AR/VR, collaborative tools, and creative arts applications.
NAKAJIMA, Tatsuo serves as a Professor at Waseda University's School of Fundamental Science and Engineering, Department of Computer Network Engineering. Holding a Doctor of Engineering from Keio University, he has been affiliated with Waseda since 1999 after positions at Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (1993-1999), Cambridge University, and Carnegie Mellon University. His academic profile shows substantial research output with 433 papers and 3,338 citations on Scopus, and 7,604 citations with an h-index of 42 on Google Scholar. Dr. Nakajima's research focuses on Distributed Systems, Embedded Systems, and Ubiquitous Computing, with particular emphasis on virtualization architectures for embedded environments. His work bridges theoretical computer science with practical applications in information appliances, operating systems, and persuasive computing technologies. He has developed innovative systems including SPUMONE (a composition kernel for multi-OS environments), SIGMA System, and SPLiT (a performance optimization library for multicore processors). Analysis of his 15 most recent publications reveals a consistent research trajectory centered on enhancing reliability, security, and performance of embedded and pervasive computing systems. His work shows increasing integration of human factors, particularly in sustainable behavior applications through persuasive technology. The research spans from low-level system architecture to user-centered applications, demonstrating both technical depth and practical relevance. Nokia Research Center, Visiting Research Fellow (2005.04) Dr. Nakajima's research has produced numerous practical frameworks including SPUMONE for multi-OS environments, SPLiT for performance optimization, and persuasive applications like EcoIsland for sustainable behavior. His work on kernel monitoring, anomaly detection, and self-healing systems demonstrates strong focus on system dependability. Current research appears directed toward integrating human factors with embedded systems, particularly in environmental sustainability applications. His laboratory work centers around the SPUMONE project, a virtualization layer for multi-core embedded systems that enables multiple operating systems to coexist with minimal engineering cost. This research environment supports exploration of resource management, security monitoring, and performance optimization in embedded contexts. The work has practical applications in information appliances, smart homes, and pervasive computing environments.
Holly A. Yanco, Ph.D. , is a Professor of Computer Science at the University of Massachusetts Lowell (UML), where she also serves as the Distinguished University Professor and Director of the New England Robotics Validation and Experimentation (NERVE) Center . She founded the Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) Laboratory at UML in 2001, fostering interdisciplinary research in robotics, assistive technology, and artificial intelligence. Education: Dr. Yanco earned her B.A. in Computer Science from Wellesley College , followed by an M.S. and Ph.D. in Computer Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) . Research Interests: Her work spans human-robot interaction , robotics education , assistive technologies , urban search and rescue (USAR) , and multi-modal interfaces . She has led collaborative initiatives such as Artbotics , integrating art and robotics in K-12 and college curricula, and Pyro , a Python-based robotics platform recognized as Premier Courseware of 2005 . Grants & Funding: Her research has been supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) , U.S. Army Research Office , Microsoft Research , and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) . Notable grants include an NSF CAREER Award (2005) and leadership roles in DARPA’s Fast Lightweight Autonomy (FLA) program . Awards & Recognition: Dr. Yanco has received teaching awards from UMass Lowell and MIT , served as General Chair of the 2012 ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction , and held leadership roles in AAAI’s Executive Council (2006-2009) . Lab & Outreach: The HRI Lab engages students from high school to Ph.D. levels, emphasizing K-12 outreach through Botball tournaments , STREAM teacher workshops , and the Artbotics program in collaboration with The Revolving Museum .
Thomas Ploetz is an Adjunct Professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology. His work focuses on sensor-based human activity recognition, wearable computing, and computational behavior analysis with applications in healthcare, smart homes, and education. He leads interdisciplinary research integrating machine learning, IoT systems, and human-centered design. His research interests include improving activity recognition robustness through synthetic data generation, developing explainable AI for time-series analysis, and advancing healthcare technologies like diabetic foot ulcer monitoring systems. He explores ethical implications of wearable sensing in diverse populations, including underrepresented groups. Key contributions include IMUTube (virtual sensor data generation), ProxiCycle (cyclist safety monitoring), and DISCOVER (smart home activity recognition framework). His work addresses challenges in data scarcity, domain adaptation, and long-term system maintenance in pervasive computing environments. He has been awarded grants such as the GVU/IPaT Research and Engagement Grant (2020), and his research appears in top venues like UbiComp and ISWC. He actively contributes to the wearable computing community through conference organization and editorial work.
Dr. Anil Ufuk Batmaz is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering at Concordia University. His research focuses on Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Human-Computer Interaction, with emphasis on interaction techniques, immersive analytics, and motor skill training systems. He holds a BSc in Electrical and Electronics Engineering (2007-2011), an MSc in the same field (2011-2013), and a PhD in Biomedical Engineering (2015-2018). His work bridges engineering and cognitive science, investigating how visual and haptic feedback impact user performance in immersive environments. Research interests include: 3D interaction techniques for mid-air tasks Effects of display technologies on motor coordination Hybrid UI design for mixed reality systems Training systems for precision tasks using VR Recent publications emphasize evaluation of AR/VR interfaces in healthcare, sports training, and collaborative environments. His work has appeared in venues like IEEE TVCG, ACM CHI, and ISMAR, addressing challenges in spatial navigation, error feedback, and system reliability.
Dr. Michael Otto is affiliated with the University of Ulm, Department of Computer Science, within the Faculty of Engineering. His research focuses on virtual technologies for production planning, immersive virtual assembly assessments, and markerless motion capture systems. He has contributed to projects like ARVIDA (Cost-efficient motion capture systems) and INTERACT (Human-centered workplaces). His work bridges computer science, manufacturing systems, and human factors. Key contributions include developing frameworks for motion capture, virtual reality benchmarking, and augmented reality applications in industrial contexts. Notable achievements include receiving the Best Industrial Paper award (2015) for his work on ubiquitous tracking using depth cameras. His research addresses challenges in assembly planning, ergonomic assessments, and spatial interaction in manufacturing environments. Education/Background: Former External PhD Candidate at University of Ulm. Research Interests: Dr. Otto’s work emphasizes practical applications of virtual and augmented reality in manufacturing. He explores how technologies like markerless motion capture and immersive environments can optimize assembly processes, enhance worker ergonomics, and improve production verification workflows. His projects often involve interdisciplinary collaboration with industry partners. Articles Overview: His publications (2014–2025) span topics such as augmented reality visualization, motion tracking algorithms, and VR-based simulation tools. These contributions highlight advancements in scalable systems, sensor fusion, and human-motion analysis within industrial contexts.
Mike Rubenstein is an Assistant Professor with joint appointments in the Department of Computer Science and Department of Mechanical Engineering at Northwestern University. He holds the Lisa Wissner-Slivka and Benjamin Slivka Professorship in Computer Science and is affiliated with the Center for Robotics and Biosystems. His educational background includes a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Southern California, an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from USC, and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University. Prior to joining Northwestern, he completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard University's Self-Organizing Systems Research Group. Rubenstein's research focuses on advancing multi-robot systems to enable capabilities beyond traditional single robots, emphasizing parallelism, adaptability, and fault tolerance at scale (hundreds to millions of robots). His work spans swarm shape control, modular self-reconfigurable robotics, bio-inspired satellite constellations, and novel sensing for air vehicle swarms. Key themes include algorithmic control for large-scale systems and hardware innovations to overcome current limitations in swarm robotics. His advising has produced notable student achievements, including Petras Swissler's Best Student Paper Award at DARS 2021 and Drew Curtis's NDSEG Fellowship. Research trends across his publications reveal a consistent emphasis on scalability, real-world applicability, and bridging hardware constraints with algorithmic innovation in swarm systems. Rubenstein actively mentors graduate students and leads projects involving swarm robotics platforms like FireAnt and PCBot. His lab focuses on developing systems where simplicity in individual robots enables emergent complexity at the swarm level, with applications ranging from space exploration to medical imaging.
Lung-Pan Cheng is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering at National Taiwan University, where he leads the Human-Computer Interaction Laboratory. His research focuses on bridging the gap between physical and virtual realities through innovative interface technologies. Cheng's research expertise spans human-computer interaction, augmented/virtual reality, and tactile feedback systems. His work explores how people exist across three types of reality: physical reality governed by physics, imagined realities where things act by wishes, and programmable virtual realities. By examining the mismatches between these realities, Cheng develops novel interfaces, techniques, and devices that extend and interface these realities toward an ultimate unified experience. His recent publications reveal strong trends in haptic feedback systems, procedural generation in VR, and tangible interaction techniques. Cheng's work often involves creating physical props and mechanisms that enhance virtual experiences, with a particular focus on how humans can interact with and manipulate virtual objects through physical interfaces. His research has significant implications for VR training, gaming, and therapeutic applications. Best Paper Award at CHI 2022 for AirRacket: Perceptual Design of Ungrounded, Directional Force Feedback to Improve Virtual Racket Sports Experiences SIC People's Choice Award at UIST 2022 for Garnish into Thin Air Cheng has secured numerous research grants supporting his work in VR and haptic interfaces, with collaborations spanning multiple institutions. His laboratory develops working prototypes that demonstrate practical applications of his theoretical concepts, often resulting in award-winning publications at top HCI conferences. Current projects appear to focus on advanced fabrication techniques for interactive objects, perceptual illusions in VR, and novel haptic feedback mechanisms that don't require traditional grounded hardware. The Human-Computer Interaction Laboratory under Cheng's direction consists of graduate students and researchers working on various aspects of tangible and virtual interfaces. The team frequently publishes in premier venues like CHI, UIST, and IEEE VR, demonstrating consistent productivity and impact in the field. Current research directions include density-varying soft fabrication, polarized light mosaics, and systems for creating infinite virtual spaces within limited physical environments.
Fabrizio Falchi is a researcher at the Artificial Intelligence for Media and Humanities (AIMH) Lab of the Institute of Information Science and Technologies (ISTI) within Italy's National Research Council (CNR). He also maintains an associate position at the Biorobotics Institute of Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna. His work focuses on developing advanced multimedia retrieval systems, with the VISIONE platform being his most notable contribution, which has won international competitions including the Video Browser Showdown in 2024 and placed second in 2023. Falchi's educational background includes: Ph.D. in Information Engineering from University of Pisa (Italy) Ph.D. in Informatics from Faculty of Informatics of Masaryk University of Brno (Czech Republic) M.B.A. from Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna in Pisa His research spans deep learning, convolutional neural networks, deep features extraction, similarity search algorithms, distributed indexing systems, multimedia information retrieval, computer vision applications, and peer-to-peer systems. Falchi has made significant contributions to fine-grained visual understanding, cross-modal retrieval (particularly image-text matching), and robustness of deep learning systems against adversarial attacks. His work demonstrates a strong focus on practical applications of these technologies, particularly in video retrieval systems and safety monitoring solutions. Analysis of Falchi's recent publications reveals a strong focus on video and image retrieval systems, with the VISIONE platform being central to his work. His research shows increasing emphasis on fine-grained understanding in computer vision, cross-modal retrieval, and addressing practical challenges like cross-resolution face recognition. Recent work demonstrates innovation in making these systems more efficient through techniques like knowledge distillation (ALADIN) and leveraging virtual worlds for training data. His publications consistently bridge theoretical advances with practical applications in surveillance, safety monitoring, and multimedia search. Falchi's work has received significant recognition: Best paper award at CBMI 2024 for 'Is ClLIP the main roadblock for fine-grained open-world perception?' VISIONE 2024 won the Video Browser Showdown competition in Amsterdam VISIONE obtained second place at Video Browser Showdown 2023 in Bergen Best Paper Award for 'Learning Safety Equipment Detection using Virtual Worlds' at CBMI 2019 Falchi collaborates extensively with researchers at ISTI-CNR, particularly within the AIMH Lab. His work on VISIONE involves collaboration with Giuseppe Amato, Paolo Bolettieri, Fabio Carrara, Claudio Gennaro, Nicola Messina, Lucia Vadicamo, and Claudio Vairo. As co-chair of Ital-IA 2023, the 3rd National Conference on Artificial Intelligence, he plays an active role in the academic community. He is a member of ACM (since 2012), the Computer Vision Foundation, the Italian Association for Computer Vision Pattern Recognition and Machine Learning (CVPL), and the CINI Lab on Artificial Intelligence and Intelligent Systems. Falchi is a key member of the Artificial Intelligence for Media and Humanities (AIMH) Lab at ISTI-CNR, where he leads research on video retrieval systems. The lab has developed the award-winning VISIONE platform, which combines multiple scientific results in content-based video retrieval. His team focuses on developing systems that enable users to search for target videos using textual prompts, drawing objects and colors, or images as query examples. The lab's work demonstrates strong interdisciplinary collaboration, bridging computer science with practical applications in media, safety monitoring, and urban environments.
Kjetil Nordby is a Professor at the Oslo School of Architecture and Design (AHO), specializing in interaction design for maritime environments. He leads the Ocean Industries Concept Lab (OICL) and manages the OpenBridge Design System, an open-source framework for standardized ship bridge interfaces. Research focus: Augmented/Virtual Reality in maritime operations Key projects: OpenRemote (remote operation center UI), OpenAR (AR integration) Collaborations with institutions like Royal Institution of Naval Architects His work addresses cross-vendor interface consistency, safety-critical UX, and open innovation in maritime design. Recent publications explore AR/VR applications for navigation, collaborative workstations, and energy-conscious maritime systems. Scientific contributions include: 15+ peer-reviewed articles in journals like Journal of Marine Science and Engineering and Applied Ergonomics Book chapters on sensemaking in safety-critical maritime environments
Professor Kelly Lyons is a Professor at the Faculty of Information at the University of Toronto, cross-appointed to the Department of Computer Science. Her research focuses on service science, knowledge mobilization, social media, and data-driven innovation. Prior to academia, she held roles at IBM Toronto Lab's Centre for Advanced Studies. She has secured extensive funding from NSERC, IBM, and industry partnerships, and has advised numerous graduate students. Her work bridges interdisciplinary collaboration, emphasizing AI governance, digital economy impacts, and fostering Women in Technology initiatives. Research interests include the application of social platforms in service systems, data science for knowledge translation, and the societal implications of AI. Key projects involve analyzing gender dynamics in user reviews, open-source software structures, and pandemic-driven innovation trends. Her grants span data science, healthcare analytics, and smart city technologies. Publications span empirical studies on GitHub collaboration, AI governance frameworks, and biomedical knowledge systems. She received the Best Paper Award for 'The Effect of Collaborative Games on Group Work' (2015). Her teaching emphasizes service systems design and project management, with a focus on practical, interdisciplinary learning. Active in scholarly service, she chairs the Consortium for Software Engineering Research and serves on ACM-W's Executive Council. Collaborations include cross-institutional projects with University College London and UCL on AI governance frameworks. Her work extends to promoting STEM education and diversity in tech.
Narges Mahyar is an Associate Professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences (CICS) . She is currently on sabbatical with the Aviz team at the Inria Center, University of Paris-Saclay . Her research focuses on Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) , Information Visualization , and Digital Civics , aiming to empower communities through technology. Education: She holds a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Victoria, an MS in Information Technology from the University of Malaya, and a BS in Electrical Engineering from Tehran Azad University. She completed postdoctoral fellowships at the University of British Columbia (2014–2016) and the University of California San Diego (2016–2018). Research Interests: Her work addresses complex societal challenges like climate change, urban planning, and healthcare by designing inclusive technologies. Key areas include civic engagement, data visualization for equity, and integrating AR/VR for public participation. Notable projects include CommunityClick and RisingEMOTIONS , which enhance public input in decision-making. Publications & Awards: With over 50 publications, her work has received prestigious awards including Best Paper Awards at CHI 2023 , Eurovis 2022 , and CSCW 2020 . Her research emphasizes ethical design and inclusivity, particularly involving marginalized communities. Grants & Advising: She has secured grants totaling over $1.4 million, including NSF funding for projects like "Mapping Instability" . Advises PhD student Mahmood Jasim and collaborates with Ali Sarvghad and Pari Riahi on interdisciplinary research. Labs & Teams: Leads the HCI-VIS Lab at UMass, focusing on social computing and visualization. Collaborates internationally with teams like Aviz and Inria on civic tech initiatives.
Dr. Jie Li is a dual-career academic and creative professional with a PhD in Industrial Design Engineering from Delft University of Technology. As an HCI/UX researcher in industry and Adjunct Professor at multiple institutions, she bridges academia and practice through work on Extended Reality (XR) , Human-AI interactions , and user experience evaluation . Her ACM Interactions column 'Bits to Bites' explores interdisciplinary research methodologies. Education: MSc in Industrial Design Engineering, Delft University of Technology PhD in Industrial Design Engineering, Delft University of Technology (2019) Her research spans social VR platforms , AI-augmented cognition , and privacy-preserving emotion detection , with recent publications analyzing LLM-assisted game design , harassment detection in VR , and XR's impact on remote collaboration . She has received Best Demo Awards (2020, 2022) and the ACM Best Paper Award (2018). Notable trends in her work include emerging immersive technologies (XR, 6DoF displays), human-AI collaboration frameworks , and cross-domain applications from medical VR clinics to cultural heritage experiences . Her advocacy for synthetic UX research and asynchronous co-creation tools reflects industry-academia hybrid innovation. Scientific Awards: Best Demo Award (2020, ACM TVX/IMX 2020) Best Demo Award (2022, ACM Multimedia) ACM Best Paper Award (2018, ACM TVX) While maintaining active roles in CHI conference committees and guest lecturing , Jie also operates a Delft-based creative cake design business , demonstrating her commitment to interdisciplinary exploration and 'slash career' balance between technical research and artistic practice.
