VME4CHI at the University of Vaasa is a multidisciplinary research community focused on Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). It was established in 2022 as part of the VME Interaction Design Environment, which serves as a hub for exploring how humans interact with technology.

What is VME4CHI?

• Purpose: To bring together students, doctoral candidates, and researchers from various fields—such as cognitive science, design, communication studies, marketing, management, and information systems—to study and discuss topics related to HCI.
• Activities: The community meets every other month, both on campus and online, for presentations and discussions. These sessions often feature ongoing research projects, thesis work, and emerging trends in HCI.
• Some of the Topics we Cover include:
  • Human-AI and Human-Robot interaction
  • Embodied emotional experience
  • UX design and visual heatmaps using physiological measurement tools
  • Cognitive stress reduction in travel booking systems using biometric data
  • Inclusive design for apps (e.g., period trackers)
  • Eye-tracking studies and disability justice in digital service design
  • Participatory UX design workshops with teenagers
  • Experience of privacy and ethics in various design settings
  • Human-centered sustainable energy
  • Employee behaviour in remote meetings

Why It Matters

VME4CHI fosters collaboration across disciplines and encourages innovative approaches to designing and evaluating interactive systems. It’s a space for knowledge exchange, networking, and advancing research in areas where technology and human experience intersect.