Gude!

I'm Sebastian

UX/HCI Researcher and Enthusiast

I am a Senior UX and User Interface Designer at Cerence AI where I work on innovative next-gen driving user experiences. Prior to this role, I was a UX Research and Innovation Manager at the Urban Software Institute, where I worked on innovative environmental and infrastructure solutions for smart cities and regions, and a postdoctoral researcher and area head of the Human-Computer Interaction group at the Telecooperation Lab, TU Darmstadt. My research focused on haptics for Extended-Reality, exploring interaction concepts for mechanoreception, thermoreception, and proprioception.

Selected Publications (full list at Google Scholar)

CHI '25 A Qualitative Investigation of User Transitions and Frictions in Cross-Reality Applications ACM
MUM '24 MobiTouch: Enhancing Pneumatic Wearable Haptics with Vibrotactile Actuation (Demo) ACM
CHI '24 Assessing the Influence of Visual Cues in Virtual Reality on the Spatial Perception of Physical Thermal Stimuli PDF | ACM
MUM '23 ThermoFeet: Assessing On-Foot Thermal Stimuli for Directional Cues PDF | ACM
CHI '23 Tailor Twist: Assessing Rotational Mid-Air Interactions for Augmented Reality PDF | Video | ACM
CHI '23 TicTacToes: Assessing Toe Movements as an Input Modality PDF | Video | ACM
SUI '23 DensingQueen: Exploration Methods for Spatial Dense Dynamic Data PDF | ACM
CHI '22 Smooth as Steel Wool: Effects of Visual Stimuli on the Haptic Perception of Roughness in Virtual Reality PDF | Video | ACM
CHI '22 Squeezy-Feely: Investigating Lateral Thumb-Index Pinching as an Input Modality PDF | Video | ACM
CHI '22 BikeAR: Understanding Cyclists' Crossing Decision-Making at Uncontrolled Intersections using Augmented Reality PDF | Video | ACM
USENIX '22 Investigating State-of-the-Art Practices for Fostering Subjective Trust in Online Voting through Interviews PDF | Web
EICS '21 ActuBoard: An Open Rapid Prototyping Platform to Integrate Hardware Actuators in Remote Applications PDF | ACM
DIS '21 CameraReady: Assessing the Influence of Display Types and Visualizations on Posture Guidance PDF | ACM
CHI '20 Therminator: Understanding the Interdependency of Visual and On-Body Thermal Feedback in Virtual Reality PDF | Video | ACM
IMWUT '20 VibroMap: Understanding the Spacing of Vibrotactile Actuators across the Body PDF | ACM
CHI '20 Walk The Line: Leveraging Lateral Shifts of the Walking Path as an Input Modality for Head-Mounted Displays PDF | Video | ACM
CHI EA '20 PneumoVolley: Pressure-based Haptic Feedback on the Head through Pneumatic Actuation PDF | Video | ACM
IEEE '20 Around-Body Interaction: Interacting While on the Go IEEE
DIS '19 PneumAct: Pneumatic Kinesthetic Actuation of Body Joints in Virtual Reality Environments PDF | Video | ACM
CHI '19 Mind the Tap: Assessing Foot-Taps for Interacting with Head-Mounted Displays PDF | Video | ACM
CHI '19 Assessing the Accuracy of Point & Teleport Locomotion with Orientation Indication for Virtual Reality using Curved Trajectories PDF | Video | ACM
CHI '18 Off-Line Sensing: Memorizing Interactions in Passive 3D-Printed Objects PDF | Video | ACM
PETRA '18 TactileGlove: Assistive Spatial Guidance in 3D Space Through Vibrotactile Navigation PDF | ACM
CHI EA '18 CheckMate: Exploring a Tangible Augmented Reality Interface for Remote Interaction PDF | Video | ACM

For a full list of my 50+ publications, please refer to my Google Scholar profile.

My dissertation on the topic of Somatosensory Interaction was published in 2022 at TU Darmstadt (graded with summa cum laude).

Awards & Grants

Experiences & Education

since 2025 Senior UX Designer, Cerence AI
2024-2025 UX Research and Innovation Manager, [ui!], Germany
2022-2024 Postdoc & Area Head HCI, Telecooperation Lab
2016-2022 Doctoral Candidate (PhD / Dr. rer. nat.), Telecooperation Lab
2015Research Intern, FXPAL Inc., Palo Alto, USA
2013-2015 Student Research Assistant, Telecooperation Lab
2013-2016 Computer Science, M.Sc., TU Darmstadt
2012Working Student, AGT Group (R&D) GmbH
2008-2013 Computer Science, B.Sc., TU Darmstadt
2008-2010 / 2013-2014Developer, agentur mindconcepts
2007-2009Supervising Tutor, Internationaler Bund

Other experiences include a research collaboration with the Human-Centered eXtended Intelligence Lab at UC San Diego Design Lab (Prof. Dr. Nadir Weibel) in 2022, as well as managing various customer and publicly funded projects (e.g., DFG, BMBF), and collaborating on industry-related projects.

Academic Service & Voluntary Activities

Organizational Member

  • TEI '23 Proceedings Co-Chair
  • MuC '22 Student Volunteer and Social Event Chair
  • @ISS '22 SmarterObjects '22 Co-Organizer
  • TU Darmstadt Commitee-member for the position of an Assistant Professor (W2 Tenure Track) for HCI
  • AIVR '20 Demo and Video Co-Chair
  • German HCI Member of the German HCI Events Organizing Team (2017-2020)
  • @EICS '19 SmartObjects'19 Co-Organizer
  • @CHI '18 SmartObjects'18 Co-Organizer
  • @IUI '17 SmartObjects '17 Co-Organizer
  • @UBICOMP '17 SmartGuidance '17 Co-Organizer

Program Committee Member

  • CHI '24 Associate Chair (AC)
  • CHI '23 Associate Chair (AC)
  • MuC '22 Full Paper PC Member
  • TEI '21 WiP PC Member
  • MuC '21 Full Paper PC Member
  • AIVR '20 Session Chair and PC Member
  • MUM '20 Poster PC Member
  • DIS '20 Provocations and Works in Progess PC Member
  • MUC '19 Short Papers PC Member

Reviewer

Special recognitions at CHI '24 (2x), UIST ’23, CHI ’23, CHI ’21, CHI ’20 (2x), and MobileHCI ’19.

  • 2025 ISMAR, Mobile-HCI
  • 2024 CHI, EUROGRAPHICS
  • 2023 CHI, UIST, VRST, TEI, INTERACT, IEEE Haptics, Automotive UI
  • 2022 CHI, MuC, EICS, IEEE AIVR
  • 2021 CHI, TEI, ISMAR, INTERACT, MuC, AugmentedHumans, Mindtrek
  • 2020 CHI, DIS, IEEE VR, IEEE AIVR, EICS, MUM, MobiQuitous
  • 2019 CHI, DIS, INTERACT, IMWUT, MobileHCI, MuC, SmartObjects, DAEM
  • 2018 CHI, IMWUT, IUI, ISWC, ISMAR, SmartObjects, DAEM, CD MAKE
  • 2017 SmartObjects
  • 2016 CHI, UBICOMP

Get in Touch

I am always looking for new collaborations, challenges, and opportunities. If you are interested in having a chat, feel free to contact me.

For a more extensive overview of my work and experiences, I'm happy to share my curriculum vitae.