I’m Benjamin, an HCI researcher working with Prof. Dr. Susanne Boll in the Interactive Systems group at OFFIS – Institute for Information Technology, Oldenburg, Germany. My research focuses on mobile outdoor navigation in all it’s facets. I design and develop interaction concepts for users with special needs or for users in special situations like cycling. Further, I study how unobtrusive observation techniques can be created, improved, and applied in these settings.
Portfolio
So far, I’ve done many interesting projects of which a Top 3 selection is presented in the following. I love to build and prototype things. For more cool stuff, visit the separate portfolio page.
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Virtual Observer The Virtual Observer is an unobtrusive, logging-based observation framework for mobile applications. I’ve studied several techniques how valuable insights can be extracted from the recorded logging data. |
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Tacticycle The Tacticycle is a bicycle which encourages the exploration of unknown environments. Two actuators in the handle bar present the direction to a set destination and highlight nearby points of interest. |
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PocketNavigator The PocketNavigator is a navigation application for pedestrians. In addition to visual feedback it also provides tactile cues. This allows to follow a route without looking at the screen. |
Review Activities
I like to do reviews. I always feel honoured to read unpublished work and give my best to provide helpful comments for improvement.
- Mobile HCI: 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010
- CHI: 2013, 2012, 2011
- IUI: 2013, 2012
- INTERACT: 2013, 2011
- UbiComp: 2013, 2010
- DIS: 2012, 2010
- Other: Pervasive Health (2013), EICS (2012), UIST (2011), ICMI (2011), PerCom (2010)
Organised Workshops
I organised some interesting workshops. I think workshops are a nice format to exchange and discuss ideas.
- Need a Light? – Workshop on Mobile Light Information Displays, in conjunction with MobileHCI 2013, Website
- Research in the Large 3.0 (LARGE 3.0), in conjunction with MobileHCI 2012, Website
- Observing the Mobile User Experience (OMUE 10), in conjunction with NordiCHI 2010, Website
Teaching
I’m occasionally involved in some teaching activities. So far I did guest lectures or supported students in their practical assignments in the following courses.
- SoSe 13: Interaktive Systeme (Bachelor)
- SoSe 13: Projektgruppe Ambiwhere (Master)
- WiSe 12/13: Mensch-Maschine Interaktion (Master)
- WiSe 12/13: Praktikum Wearable Computing (Master)
- SoSe 12: Interaktive Systeme (Bachelor)
- WiSe 11/12: Mensch-Maschine Interaktion
- SoSe 11: Pervasive Interaction Lab
- WiSe 10/11: Mensch-Maschine Interaktion
- SoSe 10: Praktikum Mensch-Maschine Interaktion
- WiSe 09/10: Mensch-Maschine Interaktion
- SoSe 09: Fortgeschrittenenpraktikum Mensch-Maschine Interaktion
Supervised Theses
I supervised the following Bachelor/Master/Diplomatheses.
- Geovisual analytics for lay users: A user-centred approach (Master thesis, 03/2013)
- PhysioLog: Betrachtung von Fußgängernavigation mit Hilfe von Sensordaten (Bachelor thesis, 10/2012)
- Konzeption und Entwicklung einer optimierten Kartendarstellung für Radfahrer (Diploma thesis, 10/2012)
- Storyteller: Ein unaufdringliches Werkzeug zum Erfassen von subjektiven Eindrücken (Bachelor thesis, 10/2012)
- Enlighten Me! Ein ambientes Licht-Display zur Bewegungsmotivation (Bachelor thesis, 09/2012, co-supervisor)
- Situational Awareness als Optimierungsansatz für die Experience Sampling Method (Bachelor thesis, 01/2012)
- Konzipierung und Entwicklung eines Aktivitätsmonitors zur Unterstützung einer Evaluation im mobilen Anwendungsszenario (Diploma thesis, 05/2010)
- Der taktile Kompass: Positionsfindung mittels vibro-taktiler Impulse des Mobiltelefons (Diploma thesis, 12/2009, co-supervisor)
