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Human-centred computing

Our research specialises in small and large scale systems, data analytics at scale, multi-criteria optimisation, human/social computation, cyber threat modelling and predictive analytics.

Emerging technologies - in particular contemporary computational systems - have become ubiquitous and deeply integrated into our day-to-day life. The Human-Centered Computing research unit at Cardiff University (CHCC) examines the socio-technical impacts of emerging computing systems on individuals, communities and societies, and identifies ways that such innovations can be ethically designed to better support humans and our planet.

In addition, at CHCC we investigate hardware and software development issues. We combine hardware and software in the design of new interactions for users, which is geared towards enhancing positive experience (such as easy to use, easy to learn, utilising affordances, goal-driven), performance and accessibility.

At CHCC, we utilise the process of interaction design. This means:

  • understanding the context of use
  • gathering user requirements
  • designing alternative ideas
  • prototyping and evaluating new technologies by designing experiments
  • collecting and analysing data and iteratively improving the design
  • development and evaluation of systems through more participatory or inclusive design processes and user studies.

Our unit has extensive experience in utilising a variety of sensors in studying human behaviour, from embedded sensors on portable and wearable devices to eye trackers, and from portable EEG devices to motion capture devices. These technologies are evaluated in the wild, in the lab and in simulated environments combining a mix of lab and field-based methods.

Aims

We aim to expand our multi-disciplinary research collaborations nationally and internationally and grow to an internationally established research section in the next five to ten years. We hope to become the first established human-centered computing research group in Wales by 2025.

Research

We offer expertise in:

  • user-centered design, participatory design, value-sensitive design, inclusive design, user-interface design, ethical design
  • research methods in human-computer interaction
  • ubiquitous and pervasive computing Collaborative Systems and Social Computing
  • human communication with computing systems (utilising visual signal processing, computer vision and machine learning)
  • human perception and deception detection
  • multi-modal and multi-media interaction Interaction with large (geographic) data sets (through visualisation)
  • interaction design for privacy technologies
  • playful, mobile, embodied, tangible, robot and urban interactions
  • empirical, conceptual and theoretical understanding of the context of use (such as practices, collaboration, communication) and technology appropriation
  • design ethnography and short and long-term evaluations of technologies in situ
  • information and Communication Technologies for Development Design for safety in complex socio-technical systems
  • Sustainable Human-Computer Interaction
  • user modelling

Projects

Project name: Centre for AI, Robotics and Human-Machine Systems
Funded by: WEFO-ERDF
Investigators: Professor Stuart Allen (Co-principal Investigator) and Dr Parisa Eslambolchilar (Co-investigator)

Project name: Leverhulme International Fellowship
Principal Investigator: Dr Parisa Eslambolchilar

Project name: Utilising Augmented Reality to Improve Mobility in People with Low Vision
Funded by: Guide Dogs
Principal Investigator: Dr Parisa Eslambolchilar

Project name: Using digitally captured vital signs data from mobile devices to study clinical behaviour and inform clinical practice to maintain patient safety
Funded by: Welsh Government
Investigators: Dr Liam Turner (Principal Investigator)

Project name: The impact of mobile technology in hospitals on patient care management and clinical practice
Funded by: Welsh Government
Investigators: Prof Alison Bullock (Principal investigator) and Dr Liam Turner (Co- investigator)

Project name: International Technology Alliance in Distributed Analytics and Information Sciences.
Funded by: Ministry of Defense 
Investigators: Prof Alun Preece (Principal investigator), Dr Liam Turner (Co-investigator), Prof Roger Whitaker (Co-investigator)

Project name: Awareness and Monitoring of Personal Mobility to Improve Quality of Living at Home for the Elderly
Funded by: Welsh Government’s European Social Fund
Investigators: Dr Alia Abdelmoty

Project name: STAMINA: Strategies to Mitigate Nutritional Risks among mothers and infants under 2 years in low income urban households in Peru during COVID-19.
Funded by: UKRI GCRF/Newton Fund Agile Response
Investigators: Dr Emily Rousham (Principal investigator), Dr Nervo Verdezoto (Co-investigator

Project name: Understanding agricultural azole use, impacts on local water bodies and AMR: building an interdisciplinary evidence base in Devon and Bristol.
Funded by: Cabot Institute Innovation Fund (University of Bristol)
Investigators: Dr Susan Conlon (Principal investigator), Dr Nervo Verdezoto (Co-investigator))

Project name: Exploring antibiotic use practices in livestock production through a novel, game-based approach
Funded by: GW4 Alliance
Investigators Dr Matt Llloyd Jones (Principal investigator), Dr Nervo Verdezoto (Co- investigator)

Project name: Co-designing Community-based ICTs Interventions to Enhance Maternal and Child Health in South Africa
Funded by: UKRI GCRF/EPSRC
Investigators: Dr Nervo Verdezoto

Project name: New strategies to reduce anaemia and risk of overweight and obesity through complementary feeding of infants and young children in Peru.
Funded by: UKRI Newton Fund/MRC
Investigators: Dr Emily Rousham (Principal investigator), Dr Nervo Verdezoto (Co-investigator)

Meet the team

Lead researcher

Dr Parisa Eslambolchilar

Dr Parisa Eslambolchilar

eslambolchilarp@cardiff.ac.uk
+44 (0)29 2087 9346

Academic staff

Postgraduate students

Associated staff

Publications

Events

Our unit meets regularly on Thursdays at 10:00.

Seminars

During teaching terms we also have regular talks and seminars at Cybersecurity, Privacy and Human-Centred Computing Section on Wednesdays at 11:00.

To participate in any of these events please get in touch with us: eslambolchilarp@cardiff.ac.uk.

PhD and project supervision opportunities

All academic members of staff involved in the unit are open for PhD, MRes, MPhil, MSc or BSc project supervision. Please contact academic members of staff directly to discuss project ideas

If you are interested in doing a PhD with us and you are self-funded we have the following PhD ideas you can get involved in.

Schools

School of Computer Science and Informatics

Next steps