Collage of people using interactive and immersive technologies

Studying the interface between people and computing.

Human-Centered Computing Group · Western University

We study intelligent systems where they actually matter — around real people, real tasks, and real consequences. Agents in hospitals and emergency response. Immersive systems for training, therapy, and play. Machines that observe, predict, score, and decide.

The question for us is fairly simple: how do we know any of this is actually working?

Not just whether the algorithm performs well, but whether the whole system works once people, environments, behaviour, trust, and uncertainty enter the picture.

So we build, test, break, and measure these systems. We run the studies, develop the instruments when the right ones don't exist, and publish what we find.

Because technology that cannot be properly measured, is very difficult to trust.

Capacity

Over $8M in research funding.

Sustained support from federal, provincial, and institutional partners.

SSHRCNSERCORFDRDC IDEaSWestern UniversityWilfrid LaurierCFIMitacs
$8M+
In research funding
20+
Collaborations with partners
90+
Trainees supervised
20
Funded grants

Three threads we're pulling on

All projects →
Trust in Complex Domains

01 / Human–AI Interaction

Trust in Complex Domains

Explainable AI and large language model evaluation for high-stakes decision-making — healthcare, public safety, and defence.

Immersive Training & Assessment

02 / XR & Training

Immersive Training & Assessment

Building and validating XR/AR training systems and capturing behavioural and physiological signals during immersive use.

Games as Sociotechnical Systems

03 / Games & Player Experience

Games as Sociotechnical Systems

Validated instruments and predictive analytics for player experience, engagement, and behaviour in commercial and serious games.

“I study how technologies reshape human experience and decision-making at scale — what they amplify, what they distort, and what they quietly make harder.”

— Dr. Umair Rehman, Director