On-Going Projects:
Augmentative and Alternative Communication Reality (AAC-Reality)
Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation, 8/2024-8/2026
The project hypothesizes that augmented reality (AR) can revolutionize communication and social interaction, particularly for individuals with aphasia, intellectual disability, or those on the autism spectrum. While augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) technologies are crucial for many people, they suffer from poor design due to lack of user involvement. This project aims to address this by developing a participant-driven methodology to collect user data. The goal is to create AAC-Reality, an AR framework to enhance face-to-face communication and social interaction, and to assess its effectiveness through practical demonstrations.
Digital Tools for Supporting Participation, Functional Ability, and Client-Centered Services
European Social Fund Plus, 4/2024-10/2026
The project aims to enhance the inclusion and capabilities of persons with intellectual disabilities through engaging and enabling technologies, which are co-designed with users. The key goals include to facilitate daily routines and manage sensory overload. The project builds on insights from our previous projects in well-being technology initiatives and involves collaboration with multiple stakeholders.
The project is carried out in collaboration with Satakunta University of Applied Sciences. See project website: https://www.roboai.fi/tutkimus-ja-tuotekehitys/projektit/tota-teknologialla-osallisuutta-toimintakykya-ja-asiakaslahtoista-palvelua/
Reliable Electronics for Tomorrow’s Active Systems
European Commission (RISE, H2020), 2/2020-7/2025
This project creates an international and inter-sectoral network of academic and industrial members (organizations from Finland, France, Poland, UK, and China). We work through a series of workshops and secondments and develop novel tools for agile design, testing, analysing, and improving the reliability of new devices in various demanding applications and environments, e.g., automotive user experiences, active safety systems, and assisted living.
See project website: https://reactivetoo.org/
Clothing-Integrated Interface (ClothFace) and Applications
Research Council of Finland, 9/2020-8/2024
This project focuses on battery-free radiofrequency identification (RFID) technology that turns our everyday clothing into intelligent user interfaces. Garments are using our mobile devices as digital getaways that can communicate with digital devices around us and connect to games and extended reality environments through touch and gestures.
EVIL-AI – the Identification and Mitigation of the Negative Effects of Artificial Intelligence Agents
Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation, 9/2024-8/2028
The project investigates manifestations of malicious artificial intelligence (AI), such as chatbots, physical artefacts as agents, and metaverse avatars. We specifically examine different encounters between humans and AI agents, from virtual reality to the physical world, and study the development of malevolence in AI agents and various risk scenarios, such as phishing and spreading misinformation, where AI agents are harnessed for malicious purposes.
This project is a collaboration with research groups of Prof. Henri Pirkkalainen and Prof. Pekka Abrahamsson.
Participation Through Intelligent Clothing
Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation, 10/2022-10/2024 (personal grant for doctoral studies, Tiina Vuohijoki)
This project explores how smart clothing can aid individuals in their daily lives by promoting participation and social inclusion. Based on multidisciplinary workshopping activities, the concept creation for participatory smart clothing is undertaken. This two-fold project then develops fabrication methodologies for handcrafted and customizable low-energy consumption technology and showcases tangible prototypes for aided participation.
Recent Projects:
Participation Possibilities Through Technology (TEKOS)
Finland Ministry of Education and Culture, 1/2021–12/2023
In this project, we created a multidisciplinary national TEKOS network around smart clothing and furniture. This network unites researchers, educators, students, and professionals from technology, speech therapy, occupational therapy, and special education. Together, our aim is to create more participation opportunities for individuals with special needs.
A Novel Combination of Mobile Robots and Passive RFID for Ensuring Functioning of Critical Care Environments During Major Crises
Research Council of Finland, 11/2020-11/2023
This project established clothing-integrated and healthcare environment-embedded passive RFID solutions and utilized data fusion for supporting mobile robots with the passive RFID data. Through this, we employed mobile robots to accomplish optimized routine work tasks and various critical supplementary missions during crises. The carefully selected project collaboration team enabled high social impact of the research, as their substance skills guided the development towards the real-life needs of healthcare environments.
New Technologies for the Assessment and Monitoring of Brain Health
European Regional Development Fund, 10/2021–8/2023
The aim of the project was to establish a research and development platform for new brain function monitoring systems and methods. At the same time, with the large collaboration network, competence was developed to apply electroencephalogram measurements to versatile application areas, such as neurofeedback games and mobile game controlling.