Category Archives: News

ASSETS 2026 Brings the International Accessibility Research Community to Porto

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Between October 25 and 28, the 28th edition of the International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2026) brought to Porto the leading international forum dedicated to research on digital accessibility and inclusive technologies for people with disabilities and older adults. Since 1994, the conference has brought together researchers, academics, students, and practitioners from around the world to present and discuss innovative scientific work in computing, accessibility, and assistive technologies. This year’s event attracted 343 participants, including 274 attending in person, representing 24 countries.

The conference opened on Sunday, October 25, with workshops and the Doctoral Consortium, followed by three days of scientific sessions featuring paper presentations in two parallel tracks. This edition introduced a new distinction recognizing the social impact of research, with papers nominated in this category alongside the traditional honorable mentions.

The opening session on October 26 featured a keynote by Jacob O. Wobbrock, Professor at the University of Washington, entitled “Twenty-Five Years, Five Projects, and Five Reflections on Accessible Computing”. A leading figure in the field, known among other contributions for the ability-based design approach, Wobbrock was also honored this year with the ACM SIGACCESS Award for Outstanding Contributions to Computing and Accessibility.

The scientific program highlighted the breadth and multidisciplinary nature of accessibility research. Sessions addressed topics including user-created assistive technologies, computing education, critical disability theory, accessibility of data visualizations and documents, image and video accessibility, audio description, mobility and physical exercise, virtual and extended reality, co-design, music, art and creativity, workplace accessibility, health, ageing, and everyday life. Neurodiversity, including ADHD, dyslexia, and autism, was also strongly represented.

Artificial intelligence featured prominently throughout the conference, covering topics ranging from alternative text generation and audio description using large language models to interactions between deaf users and AI systems, as well as the use of voice assistants by older adults. A dedicated session explored experiences with AI. Several experience reports were written in the first person by researchers living with disabilities, giving voice to those conducting research from lived experience.

The conference also showcased contributions from researchers affiliated with Portuguese institutions. These included work by Hugo Nicolau, Isabel Neto, and Tiago Guerreiro from the University of Lisbon, such as SL4Fun, a collaborative game designed for hearing and deaf or hard-of-hearing children in bilingual classroom settings, and a study on artistic expression by people with motor disabilities using a robotic arm guided through augmented reality.

The program further included three poster and demonstration sessions, the Student Research Competition for undergraduate and postgraduate student projects, and the SIGACCESS Annual Meeting, held before the closing ceremony on October 28.

Overall conference organization was led by Stephanie Ludi (University of North Texas) and Hugo Nicolau (University of Lisbon), with Stacy Branham, Foad Hamidi, Mingming Fan, and Jenny Waycott serving as Program Chairs. Local arrangements in Porto were coordinated by Daniel Mendes and Letícia Seixas Pereira, faculty members of the Department of Informatics Engineering (DEI) at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FEUP), who served as Local Arrangements Chairs. Teresa Matos, a guest lecturer at DEI and a doctoral student, also joined the organizing team as Student Volunteer Chair.

Accepted papers, as well as poster and demonstration abstracts, experience reports, and Student Research Competition contributions, are archived in the ACM Digital Library.

 

Porto Hosted the 12th IEEE International Smart Cities Conference

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The city of Porto hosted the 12th edition of the IEEE International Smart Cities Conference (ISC2 2026) from 27 to 30 October, the flagship annual event of the IEEE Smart Cities Technical Community. The conference brought together around 250 participants, including researchers, engineers, industry professionals, students, and representatives of public institutions, to share knowledge, present cutting-edge research, and discuss solutions to the challenges facing contemporary cities.

Under the theme “Shaping Sustainable Futures”, the 2026 edition received technical sponsorship from the IEEE Portugal Section and was co-organised by the Artificial Transportation Systems and Simulation Technical Activities Subcommittee of the IEEE ITS Society. The event was chaired by Rosaldo Rossetti, faculty member of the Department of Informatics Engineering (DEI) at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FEUP), and Sara Paiva, faculty member at the School of Technology and Management of the Polytechnic Institute of Viana do Castelo. The research units SYSTEC, CITTA, LIACC, and ADiT-Lab were also involved in the organisation.

“ISC2 2026 sought to foster dialogue between research, industry, and public institutions in order to accelerate the transition towards smarter, more resilient, and more sustainable cities. Bringing this international community together in Porto represented an opportunity to showcase the scientific and technological contributions being developed in Portugal in this field.” – Rosaldo Rossetti, General Chair of ISC2 2026

The conference began with a full day of workshops and tutorials, addressing emerging topics such as sustainable mobility, urban digital twins, agentic artificial intelligence, preventive digital health, smart water management, and urban climate neutrality. This was followed by three days of scientific sessions organised around ten thematic tracks, reflecting the multidisciplinary nature of smart and sustainable cities. The programme included oral presentations, poster sessions, thematic panels, and technology demonstrations. Highlights included the panels “From Sensors to Data” and “Smart and Sustainable Campus”, as well as a demonstration of a connected autonomous vehicle showcasing some of the latest urban technology applications.

ISC2 2026 also featured four keynote lectures delivered by internationally recognised experts. Henish Balu, Head of Data and Artificial Intelligence at Porto Digital, explained how the city uses digital platforms to support urban decision-making. Susana Sargento, Professor at the University of Aveiro and researcher at the Institute of Telecommunications, discussed advances in cooperative autonomous mobility, from research to deployment in real-world scenarios. Meanwhile, Chris Mi, Distinguished Professor at San Diego State University, explored emerging energy-conversion solutions for artificial intelligence data centres. Surekha Deshmukh, Vice President of the IEEE Technology for Sustainable Climate Matrix Organization (TSCMO) and executive at Tata Consultancy Services, examined the economic, social, and environmental impacts of data centres on the cities of the future.

Beyond its scientific programme, ISC2 2026 provided several opportunities for networking and international collaboration through a social programme that included a welcome reception and a gala dinner with an awards ceremony.

The conference was held at the renovated Abel Salazar Building of the University of Porto, one of the city’s most emblematic historic landmarks. Inaugurated in 1935, the building combines neo-classical architecture with Art Deco elements and hosted all scientific sessions and social activities of the conference.

ISC2 2026 concluded on a highly positive note, marked by the scientific quality of its programme, the excellence of its organisation, and the collaborative atmosphere fostered throughout the four-day event. The conference contributed to strengthening international dialogue on the future of smart and sustainable cities.

FEUP Hosted the 22nd European Informatics Leaders Summit in Porto

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The Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FEUP) hosted the 22nd edition of the European Informatics Leaders Summit (ECSS) from 26 to 28 October, organised by Informatics Europe and co-organised by FEUP’s Department of Informatics Engineering (DEI). The summit brought together around 130 participants to discuss current strategic and policy issues in research and education and to foster collective action at both institutional and public policy levels.

Unlike a scientific conference focused on the presentation of research papers, ECSS served as a forum for strategic reflection on the future of Informatics and the institutions that shape its development.

The 2026 edition was chaired by Ana Paiva, a faculty member at FEUP’s DEI and a member of the Informatics Europe Board, who highlighted the importance of the event in “bringing together those who lead Informatics research and education across Europe, promoting the exchange of experiences, and collectively reflecting on the choices that will shape the future of the discipline.” “It was a privilege to host this discussion in Porto and at FEUP,” she stated.

The origins of the summit date back to 2005, when heads of European computer science departments met at ETH Zurich to discuss common challenges and the need for a European voice for the field. That first summit led to the creation of Informatics Europe, which has organised the event annually ever since. Informatics Europe brings together around 200 member institutions in more than 30 countries and, according to the association, connects over 50,000 researchers. It promotes cooperation among institutions and contributes to policy discussions related to education, research, and the societal impact of Informatics.

According to Rui Calçada, Dean of FEUP, “hosting ECSS 2026 placed FEUP at the centre of the European debate on the future of Informatics and the role of universities in digital transformation. At a time of major scientific, educational and technological challenges, this meeting provided an opportunity to strengthen European cooperation and promote innovation grounded in scientific rigour, ethics and societal benefit.”

Strategy, AI and Ethics at the Heart of the Programme

The summit opened with remarks from Rui Calçada, Dean of FEUP; João Cardoso, Head of DEI; and Jean-Marc Jézéquel, President of Informatics Europe. The Strategy Workshop, co-chaired by Ana Paiva and Jean-Marc Jézéquel and dedicated to the theme “Beyond Plans: Strategy and Impact in Academia”, served as the programme’s central thread. It began with two talks, focusing on the evolution of scientific publishing and peer review, and on the digital transformation of universities through digital twins. These were followed by the interactive session “Doing Strategy in Academia: From Plans to Impact”, during which participants worked on defining and implementing strategies for their institutions.

The summit keynote was delivered by Gitta Kutyniok, holder of the Bavarian AI Chair for Mathematical Foundations of Artificial Intelligence at LMU Munich, consultant at the DLR-German Aerospace Center, and Adjunct Professor of Machine Learning at the University of Tromsø. Her presentation, entitled “Towards Reliable and Sustainable AI: Foundations and the Future of Informatics”, explored the challenges of reliability and sustainability in artificial intelligence.

The thematic workshops complemented the programme. In cybersecurity, a panel examined the relationship between formal university education and informal learning through CTF competitions and online communities, while also discussing whether AI accelerates learning or reduces deeper understanding. Digital ethics focused on inclusive and ethical interfaces, presenting cases involving social media manipulation, dark patterns in cookie consent notices, exploitation of personal data, and disinformation. In the area of computing education research, participants discussed the role of AI in higher education, collaboration between academia and industry, and students’ transition into higher education. Finally, open science was addressed through the lens of open-source software, including its recognition in research assessment, teaching, infrastructures, and institutional policies.

The first day concluded with a welcome reception featuring remarks by Rodrigo Passos, Councillor of the Porto City Council responsible for Digital Transformation and Citizen Services, as well as Sports, Youth and Associations. The municipality’s presence reinforced the city’s connection to an event that brought together the European Informatics community and reflected Porto’s commitment to innovation and digital transformation.

ECSS 2026 was supported by ARMIS Group and Retail Consult (Silver sponsors), and by Deloitte, Critical TechWorks, INESC TEC, Sonae, Synopsys, and the UZH Department of Informatics (Bronze sponsors).

More information: https://www.informatics-europe.org/ecss-2026

DEI Talks | “Graph-Based Approaches to Biological Systems: Applications in Neuroimaging and Molecular Networks” by Tiago Azevedo

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On 7 October, Tiago Azevedo, a Research Associate at the Department of Computer Science and Technology and Research Fellow at Hughes Hall, University of Cambridge, will be the guest speaker of the DEI Talks series, presenting “Graph-Based Approaches to Biological Systems: Applications in Neuroimaging and Molecular Networks.” The session will take place in room B006 at 14:30 and will be moderated by Professor Rosaldo Rossetti (DEI).

An alumnus of DEI-FEUP, Tiago completed his Integrated Master’s Degree in Informatics and Computing Engineering in 2015 under the supervision of Professor Rosaldo Rossetti. Following his studies in Porto, he continued his academic journey at the University of Cambridge, where he earned his PhD and currently conducts his research. This will be an excellent opportunity to learn about the career path of a former DEI student who is now contributing to advances in artificial intelligence applied to some of the most significant challenges in health and biology.

About the DEI Talk:

“Biological systems can be represented as networks in which nodes correspond to brain regions, genes, or proteins, and edges capture functional, statistical, or potentially causal relationships. In this talk, I will discuss how graph-based methods can be used to model such systems, focusing first on a deep graph neural network architecture for learning spatio-temporal dynamics from resting-state functional MRI data.
I will then turn to molecular networks, briefly discussing previous work on multilayer modelling of the human transcriptome (i.e., gene expression). The main focus will then be my current work on causal discovery and stability analysis in high-dimensional proteomic data, motivated by Parkinson’s disease. Specifically, I will describe how traditional causal graph estimation and consensus analysis can be used to identify molecular relationships and communities that are robust to variation in the data.”

About the Speaker:

“Tiago Azevedo is a research associate at the Department of Computer Science and Technology and a research fellow at Hughes Hall, at the University of Cambridge, where he broadly likes to research applications of artificial intelligence in the medical and biological domains.
His current position, funded under the Sustaining Innovation Postdocs (SIPD) programme by Astex Pharmaceuticals, centres on applying machine learning to better understand Parkinson’s disease. Specifically, uncovering biologically grounded patient subtypes by integrating multi-modal data. Prior to his current focus on Parkinson’s disease, Tiago worked on cancer models using Raman spectroscopy histology data as part of CHARM, one of the first ever European Innovation Council Transition Challenges projects funded by the EU. He also spent over a year as a senior research scientist at Arm, working on efficient probabilistic machine learning and graph neural networks.”

PhD Defense in Digital Media (PDMD) | ”Tecnologias Insurgentes a partir dos Afetos, Territórios e Desobediências Tecnopolíticas Negras, Feministas e Dissidentes no Brasil”

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Candidate:
Juliana Vieira Valentim

Date, Time and Location:
9 October 2026, 14:00, Sala de Atos, Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto

President of the Jury:

Professor Pedro Nuno Ferreira da Rosa da Cruz Diniz, Full Professor, Department of Informatics Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto

Committee Members:

Professor Leonor Graciela Natansohn, Associate Professor, Faculty of Communication, Federal University of Bahia, Brazil;

Professor Paulo Nuno Gouveia Vicente, Associate Professor with Habilitation, Department of Communication Sciences, NOVA School of Social Sciences and Humanities, NOVA University Lisbon;

Professor Maria João Lopes Antunes, Associate Professor, Department of Communication and Art, University of Aveiro;

Professor Carla Sofia Marques da Silva, Associate Professor, Department of Education Sciences, Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Porto;

Professor Pedro Jorge Couto Cardoso, Assistant Professor, Department of Design, Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Porto (Supervisor).

The thesis was co-supervised by Professor António Fernando Vasconcelos Cunha Castro Coelho, Associate Professor with Habilitation, Department of Informatics Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, and by Ricardo Manuel Coelho de Melo, Senior Researcher in the Human-Centred Design team at Fraunhofer Portugal AICOS.

Abstract:

Over the last decades, the consolidation of the corporate internet and the power of big tech companies have globally reconfigured the circulation of information, the mediation of labour, and the production of subjectivities, intensifying forms of value extraction centred on data, attention, and immaterial labour. In the Global South, these dynamics tend to deepen technological dependencies and historical asymmetries, while connectivity continues to be frequently portrayed as a universal driver of development and inclusion.

Situated within the Brazilian context, this thesis examines how community and autonomous networks, feminist infrastructures, and social technologies challenge prevailing meanings of connectivity, labour, and digital governance, shifting them from technicist and universalist frameworks towards territorialised practices oriented by autonomy, care, and social justice.

The central objective of this thesis is to understand the transformations in the politics of technology when it is articulated through feminist, decolonial, Black, and community-based epistemologies, and to analyse how such experiences reconfigure narratives and practices of technological appropriation by conceiving the internet as a contested territory and a space of power, grounded in the lived experiences and material realities of local communities.

Methodologically, the research adopts a qualitative, feminist, and decolonial approach, combining multi-sited fieldwork with interviews, participant observation, and the analysis of documents and materials produced by the initiatives studied. The analysis is conducted through a discursive-material perspective, articulating meanings, infrastructures, and forms of sociotechnical organisation.

The findings indicate that the experiences examined are not merely “solutions” to inequalities in access. Rather, they constitute insurgent technologies: sociotechnical arrangements that reshape who can define technological priorities, which scales matter, and which criteria of sustainability and legitimacy guide connectivity and, more broadly, the field of digital technology.

By recentring the reproduction of life as an analytical and political horizon, these practices affirm embodied existence, the body and everyday life, as well as affect, ancestry, and relations of interdependence between humans and more-than-humans. In doing so, they reinscribe historical genealogies of Black, feminist, and dissident collective resistance into the digital sphere, extending them to contemporary struggles surrounding digital infrastructure, digital rights, and internet governance.

From this perspective, technology is understood as a relational practice shaped by race, gender, sexuality, class, and territory. The thesis therefore contributes to debates on digital decolonisation by demonstrating that alternative sociotechnical imaginaries, plural, situated, and collective, are already emerging and offering viable alternatives to the deepening crisis produced by colonial capitalism in the digital age.

Keywords: Digital Autonomy; Community Communication; Decolonial Feminism; Hackfeminism; Technological Sovereignty.

Creativity Talk 20 | “Creativity in Education: Are We Prepared for the Future?” by Denise Fleith

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The twentieth session of the Creativity Talks will feature Denise de Souza Fleith, Full Professor and Senior Researcher at the Institute of Psychology of the University of Brasília, as the keynote speaker.

The session will focus on “Creativity in Education: Are We Prepared for the Future?”. The presentation will be delivered in Portuguese and will take place online on October 8, 2026, at 17:30, moderated by Manuel Firmino Torres, Assistant Professor at FEUP’s Department of Informatics Engineering (DEI).

Learning to think and act creatively has become a fundamental requirement for personal, academic, and professional development in contemporary society. To address the challenges of the 21st century and prepare new generations for an increasingly complex and unpredictable future, it is essential that students see themselves as active participants in their own learning and believe in their capacity to contribute to collective well-being and the construction of a fairer and more sustainable society. This presentation aims to discuss the role of creativity in educational contexts in light of theoretical models, empirical evidence, and pedagogical practices grounded in scientific research. It seeks to examine the relationship between creativity and teaching and learning processes, identifying factors that foster or inhibit the expression of creative potential, as well as pedagogical practices and classroom climate characteristics that promote creativity among students and teachers. It is important to emphasize that creativity is not limited to inspiration or an innate gift; rather, it is a complex and dynamic phenomenon resulting from the interaction of personal, social, cultural, and historical factors. From this perspective, promoting creativity in education involves creating learning environments that value curiosity, autonomy, critical thinking, collaboration, and creative problem-solving, thereby better preparing individuals for the challenges of both the present and the future.

About the Speaker:

“Denise de Souza Fleith is a psychologist and holds a PhD in Educational Psychology from the University of Connecticut. She completed postdoctoral studies at the National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth in England and at the University of Minho in Portugal. She is a Full Professor and Senior Researcher at the Institute of Psychology of the University of Brasília, a researcher with the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), and a member of the Scientific and Technical Committee of the National Science for Education Network. She is a Fellow of the International Society for the Study of Creativity and Innovation and served as President of the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children (2021-2025).”

Watch on the CT’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f30JR_nHrDA

Schedule: Google Calendar

Creativity Talk 19 | “The Human Connection: The Essential Compass to Innovating Technologies That Matter” by Daniela Damian

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The nineteenth session of the Creativity Talks took place on September 21, 2026, at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FEUP) and featured Daniela Damian, Professor and ECS-CAPI Chair in Inclusive Science, Technology and Engineering (Lero Parnas Scholar) in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Victoria, as the keynote speaker. The session, moderated by Rui Maranhão, Full Professor at DEI, focused on the topic “The Human Connection: The Essential Compass to Innovating Technologies That Matter”.

In her presentation, Daniela Damian reflected on the growing importance of understanding users and their experiences in a world increasingly shaped by digital technologies and artificial intelligence. She highlighted that, although user-centered approaches are widely recognized in software engineering, human connection remains essential for developing inclusive technologies with meaningful impact. Drawing on several software engineering projects addressing societal challenges, she emphasized the importance of skills such as relationship-building, authentic empathy, perspective-taking, and cultural sensitivity, arguing that these competencies are fundamental to ensuring that technological innovation remains guided by dignity, equity, and human needs.

About the Speaker

Daniela Damian is a Professor of Software Engineering and the ECS-CAPI Chair in Inclusive Science, Technology, and Engineering at the University of Victoria. Over the years, together with her students, she has led empirical research on the human and social aspects of requirements engineering and software development, with a particular focus on teamwork, remote communication, and collaboration. She is the founder and Director of the INSPIRE:STEM for Social Impact Program at the University of Victoria, where diverse teams engage in community-driven, experiential-learning science and engineering projects with societal impact.

Daniela Damian has served as Program Chair for major Software Engineering conferences and was, among others, Co-Chair of the inaugural Conference on Software Engineering in Society (2014), RE 2019, and ICSE 2022. She has served on the editorial boards of IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering and currently serves on the Advisory Board of the Empirical Software Engineering Journal.

Her achievements have been recognized through several awards, including the 2019 Faculty of Engineering Teaching Award and the 2020 Provost’s REACH Award for Excellence in Teaching for Experiential Learning. In 2019, she received the Royal Society of New Zealand Catalyst: International Leader Award, and in 2024, she became a Lero Parnas Fellow. An ACM Distinguished Speaker, she was recently honored with the 2026 SIGSOFT Influential Educator Award.

Further information about her work and research can be found at danieladamian.ca, including her TEDxVictoria talk on the role of empathy in designing technology for a more diverse and compassionate world.

Free Software Festival 2026

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The Free Software Festival 2026 will take place on 26 September at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FEUP).

Organised by ANSOL (National Association for Free Software), the event will run from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and is part of the celebrations for Software Freedom Day.

With free admission and open to the entire community, the event aims to promote free and open-source software as a means of collaboration, knowledge sharing, and civic participation. The programme will feature short presentations, networking opportunities, and informal discussion sessions among participants.

The opening session is scheduled for 10:00 a.m.. Among the presentations already announced are “apt install comunidade”, focusing on dependency issues and critical bugs, presented by André Barbosa of Wikimedia Portugal, and “Which Side Are We On? Technopolitics, Free Software and What Lies Ahead”, presented by Ricardo Lafuente from D3.

During the afternoon, there will be spontaneous lightning talks, consisting of three-minute presentations by participants, as well as a session celebrating 25 Years of ANSOL, presented by Rúben Mendes. The programme will conclude with the unconference “Free Conversations”, designed to encourage community participation, followed by a social gathering at a venue yet to be announced.

Although participation is free, ANSOL requests that interested attendees complete the registration form in advance. Registration will help the organisers prepare the logistical arrangements for the event, including lunch and participant reception.

This year’s edition is once again supported by the Department of Informatics Engineering of FEUP.

PhD Thesis Defence in Digital Media (PDMD) | “Augmented Reality Adoption in Complex Manufacturing Systems: A Human-Centred Informational Approach”

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Candidate:
Filipa Rente Ramalho

Date, Time and Location:
21 July 2026, at 14:30, Sala Professor Joaquim Sarmento (G129), DECG, Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto

President of the Jury:
António Fernando Vasconcelos Cunha Castro Coelho (PhD), Associate Professor with Habilitation, Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto.

Members:

Gregorio Jean Varvakis Rados (PhD), Full Professor, Departamento de Engenharia do Conhecimento, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Brazil;

Paulo José Osório Rupino da Cunha (PhD), Associate Professor with Habilitation, Departamento de Engenharia Informática, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade de Coimbra;

Paula Cristina Gonçalves Dias Urze (PhD), Associate Professor with Habilitation, Departamento de Informática, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa;

Américo Lopes de Azevedo (PhD), Full Professor, Departamento de Engenharia e Gestão Industrial, Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto;

António Manuel Lucas Soares (PhD), Associate Professor, Departamento de Engenharia Informática, Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto.

Abstract:

The ongoing digital transformation of industry has increased the complexity of manufacturing systems and intensified the informational nature of shop-floor work. Operators and frontline leaders increasingly operate in highly variable and demanding environments where performance depends not only on physical task execution but also on the ability to interpret and act upon heterogeneous information streams distributed across multiple systems and representations, under time pressure, safety constraints, and strong accountability for quality outcomes. In this context, Augmented Reality (AR) has been explored as an information mediation technology capable of delivering digital content at the point of work and reducing the friction associated with consulting screens, documentation, and supervisory support. However, despite extensive experimentation and a growing body of prototypes and pilots, AR adoption remains uneven and is often confined to isolated initiatives that fail to mature into scalable operational systems.

This thesis investigates AR adoption in complex manufacturing systems as a socio-technical and informational phenomenon, arguing that AR’s practical value depends on the informational conditions it can reliably sustain at the point of action: relevance, consistency, timeliness, and trustworthiness of mediated information. The research problem addressed is the lack of a consolidated, human-centred approach capable of explaining and supporting sustained AR adoption beyond technological maturity, explicitly incorporating mechanisms for structuring, governing, and maintaining AR content throughout its lifecycle.

The main objective is to understand how digital information management models and immersive technologies can be combined to create powerful cognitive tools that support worker action, learning, and collaboration on the shop floor. Specifically, the thesis aims to: (i) identify the key enablers and barriers influencing AR adoption in manufacturing; and (ii) derive essential requirements for effective and adoptable AR systems, while proposing an information management meta-model that enhances shop-floor communication and long-term sustainability of AR-enabled solutions.

The study follows a Design Science Research paradigm, integrating multi-site empirical evidence and longitudinal evaluation. Semi-structured interviews were conducted across multiple industrial organisations, complemented by participatory workshops and an automotive industrial use case involving the development and evaluation of an AR solution for in-line quality inspection. Qualitative data were analysed through systematic coding and thematic synthesis, ensuring traceability between empirical evidence, analytical interpretations, and the proposed artefacts.

The thesis delivers three main contributions: (1) a consolidated adoption model structuring AR enablers and barriers across technological, human, organisational, and informational dimensions; (2) a requirements catalogue for adoptable AR systems in complex manufacturing environments; and (3) a PPR-grounded information management meta-model, anchored in processes, products, people, and skills, formalising entities, relationships, and contextual integrity rules for content creation, validation, updating, and maintenance. Overall, the results show that AR programmes should be treated as information engineering and governance programmes, a critical condition to overcome the “pilot ceiling” and enable sustained adoption at scale.

Keywords: Augmented Reality; Human-Centred Manufacturing; Information Management; Technology Adoption.

DEI Talks | “The Cognitive and Human Factors of Formal Methods” by Prof. Shriram Krishnamurthi (Brown University)

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The talk entitled “The Cognitive and Human Factors of Formal Methods” will be given on 23 July at 11:00 am in room B025, moderated by Prof. Alexandra Mendes (DEI).

About the Talk:

“As formal methods improve in expressiveness and power, they create new opportunities for non-expert adoption. In principle, formal tools are now powerful enough to enable developers to scalably validate realistic systems artifacts without extensive formal training. However, realizing this potential for adoption requires attention to not only the technical but also the human side—which has received extraordinarily little attention from formal-methods research.
This talk presents some of our efforts to address this paucity. We apply ideas from cognitive science, human-factors research, and education theory to improve the usability of formal methods. Along the way, we find misconceptions suffered by users, how technically appealing designs that experts may value may fail to help, and how our tools may even mislead users.”

About the Speaker:

Shriram Krishnamurthi is a Professor of Computer Science at Brown University. With collaborators and students, he has created several influential systems like DrRacket, Margrave, Flapjax, LambdaJS, Flowlog, and Pyret. He has also written multiple widely-used books. He also co-directs the Bootstrap integrated computing outreach program. For his work he has received SIGPLAN’s Robin Milner Young Researcher Award, SIGPLAN’s Software Award (jointly), SIGSOFT’s Influential Educator Award, SIGPLAN’s Distinguished Educator Award (jointly), and Brown’s Wriston and Philip J. Bray teaching awards. He has authored over twenty papers recognized for honors by program committees. He has an honorary doctorate from the Università della Svizzera Italiana.