Invited Talk by Michael Beigl (KIT) on June 05

Prof. Dr. Michael Beigl from KIT will give an invited talk on June 5th, 11-12, in Bld E1.7 001.

Designing and Building Wearables: From Open Platforms to Embedded Interaction
Thursday, 5th of June; 11:00-12:00; E1.7 001:

Wearables – intelligent devices worn on the body – open up new perspectives for human-computer interaction (HCI) and health monitoring. This talk will introduce different wearable systems, in particular OpenEarable. In the first part, I will present the technical basics of our OpenEarable wearable prototype, an advanced, highly integrated, Airpod-like ear-worn device with 8 integrated sensors capable of measuring dozens of body phenomena, following a modular and open-source concept and equipped with rich power edge intelligence in a wearable format – beyond being a headphone with hi-fi audio. I will then show how wearables can be used to manipulate multisensory experiences: from thermal feedback and relaxation promotion to haptic information such as ‘vibrating flight’. The third section focuses on novel interaction methods, including the use of the tensor tympani muscle for discrete inputs (EarRumble), tactile feedback with DragTapVibe, directed sound scapes (Ultrahear), and applications for resuscitation support. Finally, I will present health-related applications such as cough detection, teeth grinding, stroke symptom monitoring, dizziness detection, sports activity and exoskeleton use. The research presented provides insights into the potential of wearables for future HCI and health applications.

Bio
Michael Beigl is Professor of Pervasive Computing Systems at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Head of the TECO Research Laboratory and Vice Dean of the Department of Computer Science. He received his M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Karlsruhe (now KIT). Previously, he was Professor at TU Braunschweig from 2006-2010, Visiting Associate Professor at Hide Tokuda Labs, Keio University, Japan in 2005, and Research Director of TECO, University of Karlsruhe, Germany from 2001-2005. Since 2014, he leads a national competence centre for big data AI, the Smart Data Innovation Lab (SDIL), and the state competence centre for big data AI in Baden-Württemberg, the Smart Data Solution Center (SDSC-BW), and since 2023, he is co-spokesman of the HealthTech Centre at KIT. His research interests evolve around the fusion of humans and computers, with a special interest in wearable sensor/actuator systems, human-computer interaction, and the fusion of artificial and human intelligence with computer systems. Contact him at beigl@kit.edu.