Michael B. Chamunorwa is a Research and Design Engineer and PhD candidate at the University of Oldenburg's Department of Computing Science (School II), specializing in Media Informatics and Multimedia Systems. His research focuses on designing user interfaces embedded in everyday objects for smart home control, exploring embodied interaction and repurposing household items as smart home interfaces. He holds a Bachelor of Technology in Software Engineering and a Master's in Computer Science from the Namibia University of Science and Technology. Michael has taught as a tutor and project supervisor in courses such as 'Experiments and Studies' and 'Makers’ Lab - Things that Think', supervising projects like 'Rich Interactive Materials for Everyday Objects in the Home'. His work bridges theoretical research with practical applications, including developing tools for cultural preservation with marginalized communities in Namibia. Key research areas include tangible user interfaces, embodied interaction, and smart home systems. His projects often involve collaborations with industry-standard frameworks and have been published in venues like ACM International Conference on Mobile and Ubiquitous Multimedia (MUM) and Interactive Surfaces and Spaces. Michael's current PhD project investigates secondary affordances of everyday objects to enhance smart home user experiences. He has contributed to open-source tools like the 'Popup Observation Kit' for remote usability testing and the 'Sweet Spots' AR platform for interaction area visualization. He has been actively involved in the Virtual and Augmented Reality Lab (inf174) and the Makers’ Lab, emphasizing hands-on innovation in technology design. His work reflects a commitment to both academic rigor and real-world societal impact through technology.





