Research Topics & Projects
The Human-Centered Technology (IHTE) research group at Tampere University advances human–technology interaction, design, and innovation by bridging research and practice.
Our multidisciplinary work combines technical expertise with humanistic, and design perspectives to create interactive systems that are meaningful, enjoyable, and sustainable.
User Experience and Sustainability
Humans are encompassed by technological products and services that shape how we live, work and connect. Ensuring smooth, meaningful human-computer interaction (HCI) and creating delightful user experiences helps improve people’s quality of life. At the same time, we face urgent challenges in making our lifestyles and the wider world sustainable. The IHTE research group advances human-centred technology with a strong focus on sustainability and long-term societal impact.
Design Research
Our primary approach is design research, specifically research‑through‑design. We conduct design work using human‑centred methods such as interviews, observations and surveys, followed by co‑design, workshops and user evaluation studies. The outcomes generate theoretical contributions in the form of design guidelines and new models of user experience and human–technology interaction (HTI).
Multidisciplinary Projects
Our research is multidisciplinary, combining technical expertise with psychological, sociological, and design insights. Projects are carried out in cooperation with industry partners as well as other academic research units. The majority of our funding is externally sourced and obtained through competitive mechanisms, including the Academy of Finland, Business Finland, the European Union, and various national funding bodies.
Selected Publications in 2025*
Ahtinen, A., Chowdhury, A., Karhu, N. et al. Robotour for Seniors – A Co-Learning Model to Enhance Robot Literacy among Older Adults in the Care Home Context. Int J of Soc Robotics 17, 1201–1220 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12369-025-01277-8
Aino Ahtinen, Salla Jarske, Aparajita Chowdhury, Hilla Kiuru, Paula Vasara, Heli Valokivi, Harri Siirtola, and Roope Raisamo. 2025. The Myth Buster Robot: Supporting Older Adults’ Robot Literacy through Robot-Assisted Data Privacy Learning Application. In Proceedings of the 34th IEEE International Conference on Robot and Human Interactive Communication (RO-MAN ’25). IEEE, x–y
Nasim Beheshtian, Aino Ahtinen, and Kaisa Väänänen. (2025) Exploring Social Robot-based Games for Enhancing Sustainable Living at Home: A Co-design Study with Families with Children. Proceedings of International Conference on Computer-Human Interaction Research and Applications (CHIRA) 2025. Marbella, Spain, October 20.-21., 2025. Springer CCIS. Forthcoming.
Aparajita Chowdhury, Ana Carrasco, Florian Müller, Aino Ahtinen, Kaisa Väänänen, Albrecht Schmidt, and Jan Leusmann. Context is Cue-cial: Assessing the Interpretation of Social Signals from Non-Anthropomorphic Robots in Different Contexts. In 17th International Conference on Social Robotics + AI (ICSR+AI 2025). Springer Nature. Forthcoming.
Salla Jarske, Sanna Raudaskoski, Kirsikka Kaipainen, & Kaisa Väänänen. (2025). Situations of Group-Robot Interaction : The Collaborative Practice of “Robot Speak”. Social Interaction. Video-Based Studies of Human Sociality, 8(1). https://doi.org/10.7146/si.v8i1.149434
Salla Jarske, Kirsikka Kaipainen, Aino Ahtinen, Jari Varsaluoma, and Kaisa Väänänen. (2025) How Could Social Robots Support Societal Participation? Findings from Five Design Workshops with Young People. International Journal of Social Robotics 17(4): 563-585.
Emma Kirjavainen, Matilda Kalving, Siiri Paananen, Ashley Colley and Jonna Häkkilä. Engaging Citizens in Robot Dog Interaction in Smart Cities – Perceptions in Public Spaces. In (Eds.) Suoheimo, M. & Häkkilä, J., Rethinking Engagement: New approaches for engagement and participation via technology and design. Routledge. Forthcoming.
Maria Komal and Kaisa Väänänen. (2025) Advancing Understandability and Transparency of Urban AI through Interactive Public Displays. Proceedings of OzCHI’25 conference, Sydney, Australia, November 29. – December 3., 2025. ACM. Forthcoming.
Matilda Kalving and Kaisa Väänänen. 2025. Navigating Friction between GenAI and Creative Professionals: Recognising Stop Signs and Surfacing Values. In DIS ‘25: From Dead-Ends to Dialogue: Third Workshop on GenAI & Design Research -workshop, July 5–9, 2025, Funchal, Portugal. 5 pages.
Jouko Makkonen, Markus Laine, Kirsikka Kaipainen, and Kaisa Väänänen. 2025. Advancing neighbourhood communality with intelligent technologies in Nordic Superblocks. In D. Cushing, V. Garcia Hansen, G. Amayo Caldwell, & M. Foth (Eds.), Human-Building Interaction: The Nexus of Architecture, Building Science & Interaction Design. Springer. Forthcoming.
Jouko Makkonen, Elina Alatalo, and Kaisa Väänänen. (2025) Designing Future Community-Centric Intelligent Neighbourhood Technologies with Young People. Proceedings of Mobile and Ubiquitous Multimedia, MUM’25. Enna, Italy, December 1.-4., 2025. ACM. Forthcoming.
Nur Samancioglu, Raúl Castaño-Rosa, Kaisa Väänänen, and Maria Komal. 2025. The role of smart meter feedback in enhancing inhabitants’ energy efficient behaviour in residential buildings. Energy and Buildings, Volume 351, 2026, Article 116689. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2025.116689
Samancioglu, N., Väänänen, K., & Castaño-Rosa, R. (2024). Aligning smart home technology attributes with users’ preferences: a literature review. Intelligent Buildings International, 16(3), 129–143. https://doi.org/10.1080/17508975.2024.2418648
Guna Spurava, Jari Varsaluoma, Kaisa Väänänen. (2025) Challenges to Meaningful Youth E-Participation in Political Decision-Making in Finland. Interacting with Computers, Volume 37, Issue 4, July 2025, Pages 210–220, https://doi.org/10.1093/iwc/iwae028
Kuijer, L., Kaipainen, K., Bidwell, N. J., Fiedler, M., Friday, A., Hassenzahl, M., … Väänänen, K., Sari, E. R., & Shakeri, G. 2025. Once Upon a Time When HCI Prioritised Environmental Sustainability: Reflections on a Collection of Fictions. In Proceedings of the Extended Abstracts of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA ’25). ACM, NY, Article 641, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1145/3706599.3716223
Kaisa Väänänen, Nur Samancioglu, Jouko Makkonen, Raul Castano De la Rosa, Anniina Autero, and Sofie Pelsmakers. A framework of engaging smart technologies for citizen participation in the lifecycle of sustainable built urban environments. In (Eds.) Suoheimo, M. & Häkkilä, J., Rethinking Engagement: New approaches for engagement and participation via technology and design. Routledge. Forthcoming.
Veronika Žigraiová, Aparajita Chowdhury, Aino Ahtinen, & Kaisa Väänänen. (2025). Trust in warehouse automation: A generational study of workers and automated guided vehicles. In HHAI 2025: The 4th International Conference Series on Hybrid Human-Artificial Intelligence. Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence and Applications. https://doi.org/10.3233/FAIA250630
Last updated 10th of November 2025.
*Note: This is not a complete list of all 2025 publications, as it is maintained manually and may not be comprehensive. It highlights a selection of recent and relevant works. For a full, up-to-date record, please check the work: researchportal.tuni.fi
Is your research missing from this list? Send your publication to Matilda.