Research in the field of human-computer interaction (HCI) has contributed significantly to the global triumph of computer science. Important milestones in HCI range from the invention of the computer mouse and the first graphical user interfaces to the integration of touchscreens in smartphones and the latest developments in the fields of virtual reality and artificial intelligence.

At the heart of our research at the University of Wuppertal (BUW) is the goal of putting technology at the service of people. Our research aims to increase productivity and efficiency, simplify the operation of technology and improve safety. Our HCI team is dedicated to researching both the individual and societal impact of technology, and uses this knowledge to optimize systems. For example, to personalize systems and to ensure that people with disabilities can also participate in social life.

HCI is by nature an interdisciplinary discipline that combines technical and mathematical approaches from computer science with insights from psychology, sociology and communication sciences. As a design-oriented science, HCI is also closely related to design.

At the University of Wuppertal (BUW), we focus in particular on controlling, explaining and co-designing the techniques of artificial intelligence and machine learning. This research is motivated by the history of HCI. History shows that understanding the needs of users is central to the development of hardware and software. Our research in HCI is therefore concerned with measuring and improving aspects such as efficiency, effectiveness and satisfaction.

The following computer science chairs and research groups are active in the “Human-Computer Interaction” focus area:

Designing trustworthy artificial intelligence (Prof. Hendrik Heuer)

and in cast:

Didactics of computer science

Media informatics

As part of the research program, principles of trustworthy artificial intelligence are developed, technically implemented and tested together with users in practical fields of application. A particular focus is on social media and how they can be improved.