I took part in the innovation conference “Re-think AI: KI neu denken” at the Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg (H-BRS), where researchers and practitioners came together to discuss how AI is reshaping fields like social work and health care. I helped showcase demonstrations of several robotic systems from the Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Autonomous Systems (A2S). I found the dialogue with visitors about the mismatch between how AI and robotics are used today and how people would like to see them used especially interesting, and this reinforced for me that the real challenge is not whether to adopt AI, but how we design and deploy it effectively and reponsibly to align with social needs. See the press release from A2S for more information, and visit the gallery for photos from the event.
I gave a talk within the context of “Arbeit im Wandel” (which translates roughly to “work in flux”) for the Department of Social Policy and Social Security Studies at the Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg (H-BRS), where I presented aspects of my doctoral research on assistive systems for supporting people with mild cognitive impairments in the workplace. I found it extremely valuable to discuss the broader societal and ethical questions that arise when deploying such technologies in real-world contexts.
I spent a short research stay at the University of Augsburg, where I engaged with the Human-Centered AI (HCAI) laboratory on how to apply qualitative research to the design of assistive technology. During a guest presentation, I showed how user studies can be used to inform the development of cognitive assistance systems, especially in translating observed user needs into concrete system requirements. The discussions throughout the visit gave me space to further reflect on some of the challenges of conducting research with people with cognitive impairments.
I helped lead a demonstration session on wearable sensors during Tech4Cognition at the University of Applied Sciences Niederrhein, as well as showed our assistive systems to visitors at one of the stands. Moreover, participating in the workshops on AI gave me valuable insights into how this rapidly developing technology can be applied to real-world health care settings. It was great to see such a strong turnout and exchange ideas with stakeholders, which speaks to how important such events are for bridging research and practice. See the full press release (in German) and the accompanying video.
I guided guests through the Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Autonomous Systems (A2S) laboratories at the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences (H-BRS) during the event Transfer Impulses at H-BRS. It was exciting to demonstrate ongoing projects in AI, autonomous systems and robotics, and to discuss how these technologies can be applied in practice. Talking with participants gave me fresh insights into how research is perceived outside the laboratory and inspired ideas for making our work even more accessible and engaging.
I was co-author for a paper titled “Integrating uncertainty-aware stress detection with spoken dialogue-based interaction for human-centered stress management”, which was published at the AHFE International Conference on Intelligent Human Systems Integration (IHSI 2026). The work presents a stress management system that combines physiological computing, machine learning and dialogue-based interaction.
I was in Amman for four days to take part in running the DI-TECH robotics hackathon at the German-Jordanian University. Students began with tutorials on Python, ROS and Git, then quickly moved on to designing and testing their own robotics applications in simulation. The students were all extremely engaged and enthusiastic. I enjoyed helping them gain hands-on experience and build confidence in applying robotics concepts to tackle practical challenges.
I helped organize and present an exhibition for the Center for Assistive Technologies (ZAT) Rhein-Ruhr at the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences (H-BRS), giving visitors a firsthand look at various cognitive assistive systems. We demoed a digital reading system, the therapeutic ichó-Ball, the RUBY doll for dementia support and social robots like QTrobot, Pepper and NAO. Talking with visitors gave me fresh insights into how the design of assistive technologies affect users’ trust and perception of the system. For more information, see the full press release.
I published an extended abstract titled “Towards Intelligent Adaption in Cognitive Assistance Systems through Physiological Computing” at the 27th International Conference on Multimodal Interaction (ICMI ’25). This work shows my doctoral research in which I am desining physiologically adaptive cognitive assistance system to support individuals with mild cognitive impairment in work settings.
The Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences (H-BRS) held a research development camp, in which I helped lead our student research assistants in the development of a prototype data acquisition system for the Center for Assistive Technologies (ZAT) Rhein-Ruhr. For more information, see the full press release (in German).
I was a co-author on a recently published white paper with the title ZAT: Guidelines for Research Data in Research and Development Processes of Pro-adaptive Cognitive Assistive Technologies (Pro-CAT).
I was fortunate to be able to represent Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences at the Prisitna.Innovate.Healthcare hackathon, in which we acted as a Challenge Owner together with the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg. I guided teams as they tackled our challenge to build a collaborative “Virtual Lab”. It was inspiring to see the students’ creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving skills, whilst developing solutions that could have real-world impact.
For more information, see the full press release (in German).
I participated in a workshop hosted at the University of Duisburg-Essen to discuss guidelines for research data in the development of pro-adaptive cognitive assistive technologies. For more information, see the full press release (in German).
In December, I visited proWerk Bethel’s sheltered workshops located in Eicheneck and Quellenhofweg 25. We discussed the potential of social robots to provide cognitive support for the workers during their everyday tasks. For more information, see the full press release (in German).
This year, I visited REHACARE and MEDICA in Düsseldorf together with other members of the Center for Assistive Technologies (ZAT) Rhein-Ruhr. The former focuses on rehabilitation, prevention, inclusion and care and the latter on medical technology and health care. The aim of the visit was to gain insight into the current landscape for assistive technologies and form connections between academia and industry. For more information, see the full press release (in German).
Following the UbiComp/ISCW 2024 conference, I was fortunate to be able to join a tour through the Human-Centred Computing (HCC) laboratory at Monash University, where I met with Prof. Dr. Kimbal Marriott and Prof. Dr. Kirsten Ellis from the Monash Assistive Technology and Society (MATS). We discussed how assistive technologies can be used to support individuals with disabilities.
I also used the opportunity to visit the laboratory I previously worked in during my studies at the University of Melbourne, the Human Robotics Laboratory, as well as the Endeavour Exhibition, where engineering students demonstrate the various projects that they are working on. It was exciting to see familiar scenes and faces.
For more information, see the full press release (in German).
I presented a paper at the XAI for U workshop, which is part of the UbiComp/ISCW 2024 conference, with the title “Time for an Explanation: A Mini-Review of Explainable Physio-Behavioural Time-Series Classification”.
I participated in a workshop hosted at the University of Duisburg-Essen to discuss corpus infrastructure and data management for pro-adaptive cognitive assistive technology (pro-CAT). For more information, see the full press release (in German).
Moin! I was in Hamburg for the DAAAP-Netzwerktreffen event, in which representatives from industry, academia and sheltered workshops gathered together to exchange ideas on the applications of assistive technologies. For more information, see the full press release (in German).
I have always been fascinated by the potential of human-like robots to promote human flourishing. To explore this interest further, I have decided to pursuing a doctorate at the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences (H-BRS) in Germany. My research will focus on the applications of physiological computing to socially assistive robots and be conducted as part of the project Center for Assistive Technologies (ZAT) Rhein-Ruhr.
I was invited to give a talk about physiological computing and its applications to assistive robotics for the course Human-Centered Interactions in Robotics at the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences (H-BRS).
At the end of 2022, I graduated from the University of Melbourne with a Master of Engineering (Mechatronics), awarded with Distinction. This also marks the end of my role as a staff member, where I acted as a research assistant for the Human Robotics Laboratory and a robotics demonstrator for the Engineering Modelling and Design subject.
I wrote a reflection on my time at the University of Melbourne.