Potential Topics
[Bachelor Thesis] Virtual PSYCHOVERSE in the Metaverse
Topic
The student should develop a virtual facility of a lab in the Metaverse, which provides information about experiments, demos, and results of research projects about perception of space.
horizon.meta.com
Orientation
- Design: 50
- Informatik: 30
- Psychology: 20
Contact
[Bachelor / Master Thesis] Will I freeze when you sneeze? Assessment of bodily freeze and salivary immune responses in a virtual simulation of increased contagion risk.
Topic
Freezing is a defensive response that typically occurs when being exposed to a sudden nearby threat that has the potential for bodily harm. It is accompanied by reduced body motion as well as heart rate deceleration, and may facilitate subsequent adaptive responses. Whether bodily freezing occurs in response to sudden sneezes and whether this is associated with proactive immune responses to unavoidable contagion threats currently remains unclear. In this study, we plan to assess freezing behavior in virtual reality as reflected by (1.) reductions in body sway on a stabilometric force platform, and (2.) changes in heart rate, and will further measure the release of antibodies in saliva. The experiment will comprise a virtual environment, in which participants face the situation of being suddenly sneezed at during a social interaction. The bachelor project requires the optimization of already existing Unity assets, including a set of sneezing agents and two virtual scenarios. It will further include the implementation of simultaneous stabilometric measurement with a Wii balance board, as well as testing of in a pilot sample of 10 to 15 persons. The salivary immune parameters will be analyzed by a partner laboratory. Expected project start will be in September/October 2024.
Contact
Dr. Esther Diekhof(esther.diekhof"AT"uni-hamburg.de) and Dr. Fariba Mostajeran
[Bachelor / Master Thesis] Apple Vision Pro Development
Topic
In this thesis, the candidates should develop a simple Apple Vision Pro Demo with Unity and evaluate the development process. Hence, the candidate should have some experiences in Xcode development and ideally in Unity as well as libraries such as SwiftUI, RealityKit, and ARKit. The exact topic has to be defined yet.
Contact
[Bachelor Thesis] Generative AI-Based Assistance on Document Categorization
Topic
It is always repetitive, time-consuming, and error-prone to manually categorize documents. The raising usage and power of Generative-AI ChatGPT has brought us the interest to investigate how far can it assist on document categorization.
As descripted in the Walter Kempowski - Ortslinien (Bachelorarbeit), there are multiple media types of files (Text, Sound, Image, Video, etc) in a massive amount that are required to be classified into a well-organized hierarchy according to the hierarchy provided by humanity researchers. Currently, all the files are still in a primitive format and the feasible way to read them is to add corresponding file extension according to its original file format (.odt; .txt; .aiff, etc). However, it would be very time-consuming to check every file manually. To speed up this process, ChatGPT is considered to help on this task, which means that an implementation to connect the local archive and ChatGPT need to be realized.
The reason here to apply ChatGPT is because of its easy accessibility and well-trained performance. If you have any other similar tools, feel free to provide your suggestion.
Orientation
- Informatics/Humanity: 80/20
- Theory/Practice: 10/90
Contact
[Bachelor Thesis] Visualization of Multimedia Archive and Interactive Solution Design
Topic
Digital transformation of archive and visualize it in a virtual space sound pretty cool and future trended. Here in this project, we aim at bringing the work from Walter Kempowski Ortslinien-Projekt into a virtual environment where user can easily search and check the digital pieces with a user-friendly and intuitive way.
Since the digital pieces are saved in multiple media types (Text, Sound, Image, Video, etc), in this case, two main points have to be considered carefully:
- What kind of digital structure can best store these files with clear hierarchy described and correct formatting.
- How should the user interface should be designed so that user can manipulate these files with easy accessibility and low effort.
There is no limitation on the platform such as Mobile, Desktop, Head-Mounted Devices, etc. The best result is to implement the solution on different platforms and network them together.
Orientation
- Informatics/Humanity: 80/20
- Theory/Practice: 10/90
Contact
[Bachelor Thesis] “Development and Integration of a Spatial Selective Filter in Unity for Enhancing Agent-based Selective Speech Perception in Multi-Person Environments Through Multimodal Face Tracking and Natural Language Processing"
Topic
The aim of this thesis is to design and implement a spatial selective filter within the Unity platform, building upon prior work in the field. This filter will be integrated with an agent capable of selectively perceiving speech from multiple individuals in a shared space by leveraging multimodal connections that incorporate face tracking technology. Additionally, the implementation will explore the application of current natural language processing (NLP) models to enable the agent to appropriately respond to conversations. This research will involve a comprehensive study of spatial filtering techniques, face recognition technologies, and the application of NLP models, focusing on their integration within the Unity environment for real-world simulation scenarios.
Orientation
- Informatics/Psychology: 80/20
- Software/Hardware: 85/15
- Theory/Practice: 20/80
Contact
[Bachelor Thesis] "Designing a 3D Audio Simulation Environment in Unity for Generating Realistic Spatial Soundscapes Using Conversational Artificial Agents and Virtual Microphones"
Topic
This thesis focuses on creating a sophisticated simulation environment within Unity to generate and analyze 3D audio using artificial conversational agents. The core objective is to simulate an environment where these agents engage in dialogues, thereby producing spatial soundscapes that are captured by three virtual microphones placed in the center of the simulated room. The fidelity of the 3D audio output is very important, aiming to replicate real-world acoustical properties as closely as possible in Unity with current packages and technology.
The project will explore the principles of 3D audio generation and spatial sound engineering to create a virtual setting that accurately portrays how sound behaves in three-dimensional spaces. It involves designing artificial agents capable of engaging in conversations, thereby serving as dynamic audio sources. The virtual microphones' recordings will subsequently be employed to test and refine a Spatial Audio Filter, assessing its effectiveness in processing and enhancing spatial audio qualities.
This work will require a deep dive into Unity’s audio system, aiming to explore what’s currently possible within simulated audio environments. The expected outcome is a comprehensive simulation toolkit in Unity that can serve both as a testbed for spatial audio filters and as a prototype for applications requiring high-fidelity 3D audio, such as virtual reality projects and advanced game development.
Orientation
- Informatics/Psychology: 90/10
- Software/Hardware: 70/30
- Theory/Practice: 50/50
Contact
Thema
Jüngste Fortschritte in AI und maschinellem Lernen erlauben es automatisch Emotionen in Sprache, Bildern und Videos in Social-Media-Beiträgen zu erkennen. Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit sollen existieren Systeme auf ihre Tauglichkeit zur Analyse der Emotion in den Valenz-Arousal-Dimensionen (Wertigkeit-Aktivierung) von Social-Media-Beiträgen (wie z.B. X, Facebook, Youtube etc.) zu untersuchen.
Orientation
- Informatik/Psychology: 70/30
- Design/Entwicklung: 20/80
Betreuung
(Bachelor / Master thesis) Interaktives Fahrerassistenzsystem
Thema
In einem existierenden Fahrassistenten werden die drei als nächstes anzufahrenden Haltestellen mit der Abfahrtzeit angezeigt.
Alle Haltestellen müssen als Haltestelle mit den entsprechenden Koordinaten manuell am Tablet eingegeben werden oder können auch als csv-Datei ins Programm importiert werden.
Der Fahrplan (oder Route), Haltestelle mit Abfahrtzeit muss im Tablet eingegeben werden oder kann als csv-Datei ins Programm importiert werden.
Danach werden die Haltestellen mit Abfahrtzeit nach Uhrzeit sortiert im Fahrassistenten angezeigt.
Zentrale Fragestellungen
Die Anwendung soll um zusätzliche Funktionalität erweitert werden, wie z.B. Festlegung von weiteren Bedarfshaltestellen mit Uhrzeit, Einblendung der Route mit einem freien Routenplaner, oder Bildschirmsplitting.
Alle bisher beschriebenen Funktionen betreffen die Programmierung der App mit Java.
Betreuung
(Bachelor / Master thesis) Exploring mental maps of individuals living environment
Topic
In psychology and geography the so-called „cognitive map“ has quite a long tradition. The term has originally been coined by Tolman (1948) and refers to the mental representation by which individuals acquire, store, recall and decode information about the relative location in a spatial environment. In order to assess how individuals mentally store knowledge of their surroundings psychologists have often asked participants to sketch a map of a certain place on a sheet of paper (Appleyard, 1970). Variants have provided participants with a small portion of the map to provide a scale and reference (Pearce, 1981) or they taught participants certain symbols to denote particular features (Beck and Wood, 1976). Since the paper size greatly limits the flexibility to extend the map into all directions, we would like to come up with a digital map drawing setup including a tablet with a pencil and potentially predefined map-like symbols, e.g. icons or sticker. Participants can select from the predefined symbols but also have the option to build up the map with freehand drawings. A similar attempt has been undertaken by Huynh & Doherty, 2007. What we would like to do is to compare paper and pencil maps with the maps produced on a digital device to weigh pros and cons of both methodologies. Our goal is to provide the field with a new optimized approach to assess “cognitive maps” reliably.
Orientation
- Informatics/Psychology: 40/60
- Software/Hardware: 90/10
- Theory/Practice: 50/50
Contact
Dr. Fariba Mostajeran and Prof. Dr. Simone Kühn
Bachelorarbeit
Humanbiologische Studien zeigen, dass visuelle Indikatoren ansteckender respiratorischer Infektionen (z.B. Niesen) bei Menschen defensive immunologische (erhöhte Antikörperausschüttung) und behaviorale Reaktionen (Vermeidungsverhalten) auslösen können. Das geplante Projekt soll untersuchen, ob sich die Begegnung mit niesenden virtuellen Agenten in einer virtuellen Umgebung ebenfalls auf die Antikörperausschüttung im Speichel auswirkt. Weiterhin soll überprüft werden, ob niesende Agenten in der virtuellen Umgebung eher vermieden werden. Hierzu sollen mehrere virtuelle Agenten in einer virtuellen Umgebung erstellt werden, die niesen. Diese sollen dann in einer realitätsnahen virtuellen Situation platziert werden (z.B. Bushaltestelle, Wartezimmer), um so implizite Annäherungs- und Vermeidungstendenzen sowie Veränderungen in Antikörpertitern der mit den Agenten interagierenden Testpersonen erfassen zu können.
Ansprechpartner
Prof. jun Dr. Esther Diekhof(esther.diekhof"AT"uni-hamburg.de) und Prof. Dr. Frank Steinicke
(Bachelor / Master thesis) Virtual Group Meeting Analytics & Feedback
Topic
Virtual group meetings are omnipresent in times of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, however, virtual meetings incur numerous technological limitations and HCI challenges. In particular, most current virtual meeting solutions hinder perception of correct gaze, body language, emotions, deictic relations, or eye-to-eye contact. Moreover, in virtual meetings the communication between multiple people is captured via microphones and cameras in real-time and, thus, they cause several ethical, societal, legal, and privacy issues.
In this thesis, the student should develop and evaluate advanced virtual group meeting analytics and feedback mechanisms for video conference tools such as Zoom or BigBlueButton by using AI-based detection of emotions, body language, or attention.
Orientation
- Informatics/Psychology: 70/30
- Software/Hardware: 90/10
- Theory/Practice: 30/70
Contact
Prof. Dr. Frank Steinicke und Prof. Dr. Eva Bittner
LFF-Projekt (1 Abschlussarbeit)
Thema
Im Rahmen einer Pilot-Studie zu „Sozialen Interaktionsdynamiken und Erwartungseffekten in der Psychotherapie“ möchten wir durch den Einsatz eines Avatars gegenüber einem menschlichen Therapeuten prüfen, welchen Einfluss das variierende Maß an Empathie in der sozialen Interaktion auf behandlungsbezogene Erwartungen von Patient*innen und auf die nonverbale Bewegungssynchronität zwischen Patient*in und Therapeut*in bzw. Patient*in und Avatar hat. Es sollen die Möglichkeiten der Erfassung der nonverbalen Synchronität in einem online- oder hybriden Setting unter Zuhilfenahme modernster Technik, wie z.B. Tiefenkameras, exploriert werden. Im Rahmen der Studie besteht die Möglichkeit, eng mit der Klinischen Psychologie an der Helmut-Schmidt-Universität zusammenzuarbeiten und Erfahrungen im Kontakt mit Patient*innen zu sammeln.
Zentrale Fragestellungen
- Wie lässt sich nonverbale Synchronität im standardisierten Aufklärungsgespräch zu Psychotherapie erfassen?
- Sind bei der Erfassung der nonverbalen Bewegungssynchronität die Bewegungen der Versuchsperson an die des Avatars oder an die der echten Person hinter dem Avatar gekoppelt?
Betreuung
LFF-Projekt (1 Abschlussarbeit)
Thema
Im Rahmen einer Abschlussarbeit der Informatik in Kooperation mit der Klinischen Psychologie an der Helmut-Schmidt-Universität sollen anhand einer Pilot-Studie zu „Sozialen Interaktionsdynamiken in der Psychotherapie“ Möglichkeiten zur automatisierten Erfassung von Gesten im psychotherapeutischen Gespräch mithilfe moderner Techniken (z.B. Tiefenkameras) exploriert werden. Ziel ist es, die Datengrundlage für die Entwicklung eines automatisierten Trackings relevanter Gesten zu schaffen. Dazu sollen zunächst relevante Gesten im psychotherapeutischen Kontext (bspw. Zurückweisung durch Kopfschütteln) identifiziert und im Rahmen einer Laborstudie kodiert werden, um langfristig eine automatisierte Erfassung zu ermöglichen. Im Rahmen der Studie besteht die Möglichkeit, eng mit der Klinischen Psychologie zusammenzuarbeiten und Erfahrungen im Kontakt mit Patient*innen zu sammeln.
Zentrale Fragestellungen
- Kann man aus den Videoaufzeichnungen eines Gesprächs bedeutsame Gesten auslesen?
- Welche Gesten können identifiziert werden und wie können diese automatisch erfasst und ausgewertet werden?
Betreuung
Walter Kempowski - Ortslinien (Bachelorarbeit)
Thema
Walter Kempowskis Ortslinien-Projekt ist ein multimediales, unvollendet gebliebenes Kunstwerk, an dessen Realisierung der Künstler bis zu seinem Lebensende 2007 arbeitete. Er hinterließ auf seinem Macintosh Performer in einer spezifischen Ordnerstruktur eine umfangreiche Sammlung von mehreren tausend Medienschnipseln (Text, Ton, Bild, Video) in unterschiedlichen teils nicht mehr durch Apple unterstützten Dateitypen, die zur Realisierung des Vorhabens vorgesehen waren, sowie schriftliche Aussagen zur geplanten Umsetzung.
Kempowski plante eine digital vermittelte Gegenüberstellung von jeweils zwei Ausschnitten aus literarischen, wissenschaftlichen oder alltäglichen Texten, Fernsehsendungen, Fotos, Zeitungsartikeln u.v.m., deren Produktionszeitpunkt zwischen ca. 1800 und 2000 exakt 100 Jahre trennen. Kempowskis Ziel war es, im virtuellen Raum durch die Verschaltung der Zeitebenen eine andere Form der Geschichtsschreibung und -rezeption für eine breite Öffentlichkeit zu ermöglichen. Das Projekt bewegt sich damit an der Grenze von Kunstwerk und digitalem Archiv.
Zentrale Fragestellung
Ziel einer heutigen Erschließung des digitalen Nachlasses müsste eine digitale Präsentation auf dem aktuellsten Stand der Technik sein, wobei innovative Konzepte zur Gestaltung virtueller Rezeptions- und Nutzungsszenarien entwickelt werden müssten, die dem Konzept Kempowskis gerecht werden. Sind bei der Erfassung der nonverbalen Bewegungssynchronität die Bewegungen der Versuchsperson an die des Avatars oder an die der echten Person hinter dem Avatar gekoppelt?
Betreuung
(Bachelor-/ Masterarbeit) Virtual reality (VR) gestützte Visualisierung vom volumetrischen Bodenwassergehalt, um gezielte Bewässerungsentscheidungen auf Sportanlagen zu treffen
Beschreibung
Im Rahmen von Nachhaltigkeitsstrategien im Sportbereich wird es zukünftig immer wichtiger sein, präzise Bewässerungsentscheidungen zu treffen, um den Wasserverbrauch zu minimieren. Bodensensoren oder manuell bediente Feuchtigkeitsmessgeräte können genutzt werden, um Aufschluss über den volumetrischen Wassergehalt zu geben. Jedoch kann der greenkeeper/ groundskeeper mit diesen Daten nur bedingt arbeiten, da für ein präzises Arbeiten mit der Hand und dem Schlauch, nicht mit dem Sprinkler System, bewässert werden muss. Um den greenkeeper/groundskeeper in seiner Arbeit zu unterstützen, benötigt es eine Visualisierung der Daten. Eine Virtual reality (VR) gestützte Lösung wäre ideal, da die Bodendaten visuell und live im Feld dargestellt werden können.
Feldversuche geplant für ein Fußballstadion in Hamburg und einen Golfplatz
Orientierung
- Informatik/Psychologie: 70/30
Kontakt
Prof. Dr. Frank Steinicke, Dr. Daniel Hahn(info"AT"golfagronomy.de) (Hahn Turf Agronomy)
[Bachelor/Master Thesis] Virtual Reality Exergames
Topic
Virtual reality exercise games (exergames) have great potential to motivate users to exercise. However, research in this area is still limited. For example, which game elements influence motivation, the importance of feedback, and social exergames have not yet been thoroughly investigated yet. These are only a few suggestions for the direction of a thesis and this is a very open topic. If there is a specific direction you would like to focus in virtual exergames, feel free to contact me and we can discuss potential topics.
Orientation
- Informatics/Psychology: 70/30
- Software/Hardware: 90/10
- Theory/Practice: 30/70
Contact
[Bachelor/Master Thesis] Detection of Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo in Virtual Reality
Topic
Virtual reality maybe be used as an effective tool in the diagnosis and treatment of Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV), a common inner ear disorder that causes brief episodes of dizziness or vertigo triggered by specific head movements. By immersing patients in virtual environments that use the hardware to detect these movements, it is possible to provide a solution that might help healthcare providers or patients to identify the type of BPPV. Additionally, virtual reality can be used to guide patients through vestibular rehabilitation exercises, such as canalith repositioning procedures, helping them to gradually adapt to movements that typically cause vertigo and improve their overall balance and coordination. The thesis should investigate methods for detecting BPPV along with possible rehabilitation excersies. These are only a few suggestions for the direction of a thesis and this is a very open topic. If there is a specific direction you would like to focus on BPPV, feel free to contact me and we can discuss potential topics.
Orientation
- Informatics/Psychology: 70/30
- Software/Hardware: 90/10
- Theory/Practice: 30/70
Contact
[Bachelor/Master Thesis] Eye-Tracking in Virtual Reality
Topic
Eye tracking technology combined with virtual reality offers a promising avenue for a variety of applications, with a particular focus on machine learning advancements. By leveraging machine learning algorithms, eye tracking data collected in virtual reality environments can be analyzed to predict a user's gaze behavior with higher accuracy and efficiency. Reducing latency in gaze prediction is crucial for creating immersive and responsive virtual experiences, and advancements in machine learning techniques play a key in achieving real-time gaze tracking capabilities. Furthermore, gaze labeling techniques can help annotate and interpret eye movement data, providing valuable insights into user attention and behavior within virtual environments. Integrating these elements into eye tracking systems in virtual reality opens up new possibilities for enhancing user interactions, personalizing experiences, and optimizing immersive technologies for a wide range of applications. If you are interested in any of the topics listed above, feel free to contact me, as these topics are very novel, and I would be very open to additional suggestions for the direction of your thesis. If there is a specific direction you would like to focus on egocentric gaze prediction.
Orientation
- Informatics/Psychology: 70/30
- Software/Hardware: 90/10
- Theory/Practice: 30/70
Contact
[Bachelor/Master Thesis] Bayesian Optimization for HCI Research
Topic
Bayesian optimization, a machine learning technique for finding optimal hyperparameters, might be able to crucial improve human-computer interaction research by efficiently exploring design spaces and optimizing interface configurations based on user feedback and performance metrics. By harnessing probabilistic models to navigate the interaction landscape, Bayesian optimization allows for the systematic refinement of interfaces to better align with user preferences and behaviors. This iterative process enables the adaptive allocation of resources within interfaces, leading to enhanced user engagement and productivity. Integrating Bayesian optimization into the design workflow of human-computer interaction empowers designers to create interfaces that are finely tuned to user needs, preferences, and behavior, ultimately enhancing overall usability and satisfaction. The thesis should expore on to what extend Bayesian Optimization can be used for HCI and how this method would be applicable. These topics are very novel, and I would be very open to additional suggestions for the direction of your thesis. If there is a specific direction you would like to focus on egocentric gaze prediction, feel free to contact me and we can discuss potential topics.
Orientation
- Informatics/Psychology: 70/30
- Software/Hardware: 90/10
- Theory/Practice: 70/30
Contact
Own topic ideas
Topic
Do you have your own idea about a potential topic? Just contact one of the WIMIs. For a general overview over who is interested in which topics, please take a look at the People website.
Orientation
- Informatics/Psychology: ?/?
- Software/Hardware: ?/?
- Theory/Practice: ?/?