Completed Projects

We investigate how humans process information, relevant for the effective control of machine systems, such as vehicles. Machines extend our physical capacity to sense and interact with our environments. For example, collision avoidance systems in an aircraft allow the pilot to be aware of fast moving traffic before they are even within range of human sight. Meanwhile, the pilot selectively relies on information provided by the system, to determine and execute the appropriate combination of actions, necessary for effectively maneuvering of the aircraft. [more]

The aim of the group is to study novel algorithm for autonomous machines (robots) that are able to sense the environment, reason about it, and take actions to perform some tasks in cooperation with humans. The driving vision behind our research is to allow in the future robots to aid humans, for example to reduce physical effort and risks in industrial environment, help prevention and reaction in emergency situations as natural disasters, and in general simplify tasks of everyday life. [more]

In the Perception and Action in Virtual Environments research group, our aim was to investigate human behavior, perception and cognition using ecologically valid and immersive virtual environments. Virtual reality (VR) equipment enables our scientists to provide sensory stimulus in a controlled virtual world and to manipulate or alter sensory input that would not be possible in the real world. More specifically, VR technology enables us to specifically manipulate the visual body, the contents of the virtual world, and the sensory stimulus (visual, vestibular, kinesthetic, tactile, and auditory) while performing or viewing an action. [more]

Interaction with the social and spatial environment are fundamental components of daily life. Previous research mainly examined both domains separately. However, social and spatial processes interact. For example, joint actions happen within space and social factors such as personal distance are expressed spatially. The goal of this group is to examine social and spatial cognition and importantly the relation between both. Specifically, we investigate representations underlying navigation, action perception and execution, and the representational overlap between human bodies, social properties, and space. [more]

VR-HYPERSPACE IMPROVES PASSENGER COMFORT IN CRAMPED AIRCRAFT CABINS [more]

The motivation for the Virtual Tübingen project was the desire to create a natural, realistic and controllable virtual environment for the investigation of human spatial perception. The goal of this project was to create a highly realistic model of the city of Tübingen, through which one can move in real time. The project was built on the expert knowledge in the fields of virtual reality and navigation that has been developed in our department beetween 1995-2000. [more]