...and What We Can Do About It. Under this motto, ifab, together with the HAC Lab, was represented at Mason AI Day. The event brought together various individuals from the fields of research, politics, and industry who are interested in AI. There, we were able to highlight the importance of studies in engineering psychology.
_rdax_1024x765_98_rdax_98.png)
Silja Schneider joined us as an intern in April and May 2026 and conducted a study on problem-solving behavior in various contexts—using eye-tracking and questionnaires.
In the Brownbag lecture series at George Mason University, practitioners and researchers present various topics in the division of human factors. This week, Lina Kluy presented the findings of three ifab studies on the role of transparency in human-AI interaction. The discussion also touched on how synergy between humans and AI can be achieved—a question that remains an open research topic.
This spring semester, our academic employee Lina Kluy is conducting research as a visiting researcher at the Human-Automation Collaboration Lab and the Human-Robot Interaction Lab at George Mason University. Her research focuses on transparency in human-automation interaction, a key topic for trustworthy assistance systems. This visit offers an excellent opportunity for close collaboration with international human factors researchers and for establishing long-term partnerships. We would like to thank the Innovation Campus "Future Mobility" for supporting this visit.
Link to the human-agent collaboration lab
We warmly congratulate our academic employee, Lina Kluy, on her admission to the graduate school of the KIT Mobility Systems Center, "UpGrade Mobility"!
The graduate school offers doctoral candidates in the division of “mobility” an excellent opportunity for interdisciplinary networking and continued education.
_rdax_1024x768_98s.jpg)
We were at the biennial conference of the German Society for Psychology's sections for work, organizational and business psychology and engineering psychology. The conference motto of AOWI2025 was "Changing worlds of work: cooperation between people and technology". Among the highlights was definitely the discussion on the future of engineering psychology - how can we play an even greater role in shaping the future of technology?
AOWI 2025
This year's "Smart Regulation" Winter School at the University of Graz focused on the interdisciplinary examination of the regulation of AI.
The topic was examined from a variety of perspectives - including legal, ethical and psychological.
The exchange within the AOWI psychology group was particularly exciting for our daily research work: study ideas, doctoral projects and current challenges were discussed intensively.
Link to Smart Regulation
_rdax_1024x768_98.jpeg)
Yang Li successfully passed her doctorate examination on 28.11.2025. Congratulations from the entire ifab team!
The title of her thesis is:
"Designing Communication for Automated Vehicles in Urban Traffic"
What happens when a highly automated car gets stuck? The ifab has received GfA-NEXT project funding to investigate this. In our "SysTraTe" study, we are investigating the effect of different information in the interface during the teleoperation of highly automated vehicles and thus laying the foundation for human-centered workplace design. The laboratory study will start at the beginning of 2026 - we are excited about the results and look forward to presenting them at GfA 2027.
Link to GfA-NEXT funding
On April 13, 2026, Norman Riedel successfully passed his doctoral defense. The entire ifab team extends its warmest congratulations!
The title of his dissertation is:
"Cognitive-Motor Interference in Human-Exoskeleton Interaction: Evaluating
the Cognitive Fit of Lower-Limb Exoskeletons"
Das ifab war mit einem Poster beim HFES Regional Meeting in Philadelphia vertreten. Insgesamt war es ein Tag mit spannenden Eindrücken, darunter Highlights wie Pedestrian Safety sowie Funktionsallokation bei Mensch-KI-Systemen.
Der 72. Frühjahrskongress der Gesellschaft für Arbeitswissenschaft hat an der Universität Kassel stattgefunden. Oliver Sträter und sein Team haben den Kongress wunderbar organisiert. Vielen Dank, dass wir dabei sein durften!
Link_more
Prof. Barbara Deml emphasized the role of trust in the future collaboration between humans and AI at the KIT Business Club's 'Kaminabend' evening. Particular attention should be paid to the organizational framework conditions for the integration of AI in companies.
Link_more
On November 19, 2025, Elisabeth Schlund celebrated 25 years of service at KIT.
We would like to express our thanks and appreciation to her for her loyal work and congratulate her warmly!
As part of a workshop on "Automation and AI in Human Factors Engineering", we visited Prof. Natasha Merat from the Institute for Transport Studies in Leeds (UK). The program included not only an exciting lab tour and an exchange of ideas, but also a lively debate on the relevance of human factors engineering. There was plenty of time for networking during joint walks and meals. We look forward to a promising future collaboration!
International Excellence Fellowships of KIT_rdax_98.png)
As part of the mechanical engineering project, four female students at ifab developed a prototype for a smart worker assistance system in disassembly this semester. With a lot of initiative and a "hands on" mentality, they were also out and about in the field to gain real insights into the world of worker assistance systems. Technical support was provided by the SFB 1574 Kreislauffabrik, which supported the project with expertise in the field of circular value creation. The result: a well thought-out prototype, initial evaluation results and a great example of how theory, science and practice can come together!
Studium und Lehre am ifab_rdax_98.png)
Dr. Roesler from the Human-Agent Collaboration Laboratory at George Mason University recently visited the IfAB. The program included fascinating insights into our diverse research projects as well as an inspiring presentation on effective (and less effective) questionnaires.
We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Dr. Roesler for his visit and look forward to future collaboration!
Human-Agent Collaboration Lab
At this year’s Girl’s Day, our focus was on sustainability and the concept of the circular economy. The participants had the chance to try their hand at exciting disassembly and assembly exercises and experience how these tasks are simulated in virtual reality. We were particularly impressed by the girls’ curious and thoughtful questions—a valuable exchange for both sides!
One conference is barely over before the next one begins: Just one week after the GfA Congress, we headed to Bologna for the HFES. The poster by Lina Kluy, Barbara Deml, and Eileen Roesler was selected from among 65 posters and awarded the “Best Poster Award.” We are very pleased and grateful for this honor!
HFES
The 71st Spring Conference of the Society for Ergonomics took place at RWTH Aachen University. Verena Nitsch and her team did a wonderful job organizing the conference. Thank you very much for letting us be a part of it!
GFA2025_rdax_1024x766_98s.JPG)
Lina Kluy has been selected to participate in the KIT Leadership Talent Academy. We extend our heartfelt congratulations and wish her many new insights and interesting exchanges!
On January 10, 2025, Sofie Ehrhardt successfully passed her doctoral defense. The entire ifab team extends its warmest congratulations!
The title of her dissertation is:
"Please let me merge - Communication during lane changes on highway on-ramps"
More information
In this interview, Prof. Dr. Natasha Merat and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Barbara Deml discuss their collaboration, the academic exchange between their institutes, and their visions for future projects.
InterviewWe warmly congratulate our academic employee Alexandra Nick on her admission to the graduate school of the KIT Mobility Systems Center, "UpGrade Mobility"!
The graduate school offers doctoral candidates in the division of “mobility” an excellent opportunity for interdisciplinary networking and continued education.
June 27, 2024
Together with our visiting professor Natasha Merat (Link), we hosted a workshop on teleoperated driving in Karlsruhe. The course provided German research partners with an opportunity to exchange ideas and network. Teleoperated driving can offer a solution for scenarios that autonomous systems are not yet fully capable of handling. We look forward to further opportunities for exchange and are excited about the upcoming research projects!
On April 26, 2024, Marco Käppler successfully passed his doctoral defense. The entire ifab team extends its warmest congratulations!
The title of his dissertation is:
Evaluation of the Interaction Performance of
Robot-Human Object Handoffs
April 16, 2024
Last week, we were pleased to welcome Prof. Natasha Merat, who visited KIT with a delegation from the University of Leeds.
The transportation scientist will be conducting research at IFAB for several weeks this summer as part of her KIT International Excellence Fellowship.
During her visit, we were able to make initial preparations for this research stay. We are very much looking forward to working with her.
January 10, 2024
Transportation scientist Prof. Natasha Merat from the Institute for Transport Studies at the University of Leeds has been awarded the KIT International Excellence Fellowship. As a result, the existing collaboration between our institutes will be strengthened this year through a research visit by Prof. Merat to IFAB lasting several months. We are very pleased to welcome Prof. Merat to our institute this year and are already working together to ensure that her visit is a great success.
More information
November 24, 2023
The SFB 1574 “Circular Factory for the Eternal Product” addresses the question of how novel production systems can be used to maximize the value retention of products. To investigate this question, the consortium brings together researchers from the divisions of production engineering, product development, materials science, ergonomics, robotics, computer science, and knowledge modeling. The ifab will focus on learning, describing, and transferring practical knowledge derived from human eye and gaze behavior.
Press Release
November 22, 2023
On November 20 and 21, the German federal government’s Digital Summit 2023 took place in Jena. How can humans and machines learn from and with one another and collaborate in a trustworthy manner? How can we achieve a socially sustainable economy and society with AI-based robotics? What progress is being made in research in this field? Prof. v. Stryk, Prof. Deml, Dr. Koerten, and Prof. Behnke answered these and other questions for the Learning Systems Platform.
InterviewSeptember 1, 2023
Prof. Deml was appointed to the Scientific Advisory Board of the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA) for a term of four years. The board advises the institute on fundamental matters and regarding its long-term technical and scientific direction.
On June 27, 2023, Dario Lampe successfully passed his doctoral defense. The entire ifab team extends its warmest congratulations!
The title of his dissertation is:
Improving Passive Driver Fatigue, Sitting-Related Health Risk Factors, and User Experience in Automobiles: Conception, Development, and Evaluation of a Novel Interactive Seating System.
Premiere of the “Deutsche Telekom Female Excellence Award: Ethics of Digitalization” at the ARRTI Academy Evening
Dr. Laura Crompton of the University of Vienna and Eva Achterhold of the University of Munich are the first recipients of the Deutsche Telekom Female Excellence Award: Ethics of Digitalization. The awards, each worth 3,750 euros, were presented for the first time last Tuesday during a festive “Academy Evening” hosted by the Academy for Responsible Research, Teaching, and Innovation (ARRTI) at KIT.
The new academic prize, organized by ARRTI, was established by Claudia Nemat, Member of the Board of Management for Technology & Innovation at Deutsche Telekom AG. In 2021, Nemat held the Heinrich Hertz guest professorship at KIT.
How does working in coworking spaces affect our mental health and performance?
Coworking spaces play a significant role in today’s work environment, as they offer a flexible and cost-effective alternative to traditional offices. As an extension of the study on mobile knowledge work in public transportation, this research now examines mental strain and performance while performing knowledge work in coworking spaces. To this end, a modern coworking space is being set up on the ifab premises.
“How can AI help us better incorporate our ethical standards into our daily lives, politics, and science?”
As part of the Deutsche Telekom Award: Ethics of Digitalization, prizes will be awarded for an academic paper and a business plan that address this question. Both prizes are endowed with 5,000 euros each. Applications may be submitted through March 31, 2023.
Since March 1, 2022, we have been working on a new project in collaboration with Fraunhofer IPA, DILO Armaturen und Anlagen GmbH, SEHO Systems GmbH, and Visometry GmbH. Together, the consortium—funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)—is developing an autonomous assistance system for manual assembly, communication, and interaction, known as SAM-KI for short.
The newly established graduate school of the KIT Mobility Systems Center is launching with ifab’s participation: Our academic employee, Sofie Ehrhardt, is taking part in the interdisciplinary exchange on the topic “Mobility as a Sociotechnological System of Systems.”
We extend our warmest congratulations to Ms. Ehrhardt and look forward to this exchange!
On September 24, 2021, Elena Wolf successfully passed her doctoral defense. The entire ifab team extends its warmest congratulations!
The title of her dissertation is:
Psychophysiological Profiles in User-Centered Human-Machine Systems: Extraction of Cardiac and Electrodermal Profiles for the Assessment of Mental Strain.
On January 26, 2021, Sabrina Bringeland successfully passed her doctoral defense. The entire ifab team extends its warmest congratulations!
The title of her dissertation is:
"Kinematic Activity Analysis—Identification of Jerk-Based Parameters for Determining Effort Using the Example of a Repetitive Point-to-Point Movement"
The new “Brain Bites” series offers you a bite of inspiration during your lunch break. From 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. each session, you can listen to an engaging keynote presentation by innovative thought leaders, then ask your most pressing questions during a Q&A session, and, of course, exchange ideas with one another.
On October 8, 2021, Prof. Deml was our guest and, together with the organizer “Triangel Open Space,” offered a glimpse into the working world of the future.
More information
Dr. Maria Freese was awarded the 2021 German Business Simulation Prize for her dissertation, “Don’t Let People Frustrate You—Or Should You? The Influence of Emotions on Outcome Factors in Team Decisions: The Case of an Airport Management Simulation.”
The ifab extends its warmest congratulations to its former doctoral candidate!
More information
The entire ifab team extends its warmest congratulations to Fabian Ries on passing his doctoral defense, which took place on November 20, 2020, under COVID-19 restrictions.
The title of his dissertation is:
"Visual Complexity in Human-Machine Interaction"
The ifab extends its warmest congratulations to Quirin Tyroller on passing his doctoral examination on July 20, 2020!
The title of his dissertation is:
“Methodology for the Systematic Analysis of Process Design in Human-Robot Interaction in Assembly.”
On January 17, 2020, the Friends of the Institute for Human and Industrial Engineering (FIFAB) awarded the FIFAB Sponsorship Prize for the first time. This prize is intended for students who demonstrate exceptional potential in the field of ergonomics through their bachelor's thesis. This year’s recipient, Mr. Ali Temel, is being honored for his thesis on “Ergonomic Potential of Collaborative Human-Robot Solutions.” Congratulations!
Source: Badische Neueste Nachrichten
The “Lower House Debate” at the Center for Art and Media Technology in Karlsruhe on the topic of autonomous driving, titled “Between Man and Machine,” drew 100 visitors.
On July 18, 2019, the 6th General Assembly of the priority program “Cooperatively Interacting Automobiles,” funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), took place in Tübingen. The ifab is participating in this program with the project “Complexity in Cooperative Traffic Situations: Event-Discrete Modeling in Automated Vehicle Control.”
More information
The ifab extends its warmest congratulations to Maria Freese on passing her doctoral examination!
The title of her dissertation is:
“Don’t Let Your Emotions Get in the Way—Or Should They? The Influence of Emotions on Outcome Factors in Team Decisions: The Case of a Simulation Game for Airport Management.”
Congratulations to Jonas Imbsweiler! He has successfully passed his doctoral examination.
The title of his dissertation is:
"Cooperation in Road Traffic in Inner-City Stalemate Situations"
Elke Wörner - ATH University of Hohenheim
The “Driver’s Cab 4.0” project, which focuses on a stress-adaptive user interface for connected agriculture, has been launched.
Continuous improvement of the work environment is a crucial factor in retaining the agricultural workforce. The project’s target is therefore to contribute to an efficient and effective work environment and to improve the organization of work from both an economic and a social perspective.
More information
Spring 2019 marked the official launch of AgiProbot—an agile production system using mobile, learning robots with multisensor technology for uncertain product specifications—which is receiving three million euros in funding from the Carl Zeiss Foundation through February 2024. Under the leadership of the Institute of Production Science (wbk), a total of nine departments from three different departments at KIT are participating in the research project, including the Institute for Human and Industrial Engineering (ifab).
More information
Source: ArtiMinds Robotics GmbH
February 14, 2019, marked the official launch of the ProBot collaborative project, which has as its target helping small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) tap into the potential of innovative collaborative robots (known as CoBots). CoBots are robots that can work directly “as part of a team” with humans—without a safety fence—to provide optimal support during work processes.
As part of a research project funded by the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA), ifab investigated how video displays and new technologies can be used in control rooms and how their use affects users’ mental strain. Barbara Deml and Fabian Ries provided the audience with insights into the work carried out as part of the project, as well as the results obtained and the resulting design recommendations, during a presentation on February 7, 2019, at a course organized by the BAuA in Dortmund.
More information
© Stadtmarketing Karlsruhe GmbH
How can a university deliver high-quality education and actively help shape the society of tomorrow? What does the implementation of Industry 4.0 look like in a world where technology empowers people rather than replacing them? What opportunities and risks are associated with the design of future human-machine systems? These questions were addressed by Julia Staiger Engel (Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design) during her presentation on “Service Learning,” Prof. Dr.-Ing. Barbara Deml (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology) in her presentation on the design of human-machine interaction, and by Prof. Dr. Rüdiger Haas and Dr. Maja Jeretin-Kopf (Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences) in their examination of the human factor in the Industry 4.0 landscape.
The “Science Tuesday” event in the EFFEKTE series offers a diverse program featuring lectures, panel discussions, and hands-on activities from various scientific institutions in Karlsruhe. The focus is on innovations, advancements, and trends that originate in Karlsruhe and are developed at local research institutions. Researchers from Karlsruhe explain the phenomena that concern us in an accessible and entertaining way.
EFFEKTE Series
© BMBF / Hans-Joachim Rickel
Federal Minister of Research Anja Karliczek, Prof. Antje Boetius, and Prof. Barbara Deml opened the exhibition “Work Worlds of the Future” on the MS Wissenschaft with a press conference. The exhibition “Work Worlds of the Future” is on display aboard the ship during the Year of Science 2018.
More information
On February 19, 2018, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research officially launched the new Year of Science in Berlin under the theme “Work Environments of the Future,” with the target of sparking greater public interest in science and current research topics.
The Friends of the Institute for Human and Industrial Engineering (e.V.) hosted a public lecture by Dr.-Ing. Marc Schneider. The lecture was titled “Cognitive Ergonomics: A Luxury Problem or a Necessary Prerequisite for Functional Safety in Automobiles?” and took place on December 1. A reception following the lecture provided participants with the opportunity for in-depth discussions and conversations.
The ifab extends its warmest congratulations to Tobias Heine on passing his doctoral examination!
The title of his dissertation is:
"Anticipation in Road Traffic—An Experimental Study of Somatic Anticipation of Risk"
Congratulations to Marc Schneider! He has successfully passed his doctoral examination.
The title of his dissertation is:
"Development and Evaluation of a Calibration System for the Individual Assessment of Mental Strain in Human-Technology Interaction"
_rdax_1240x1210s_rdax_1024x999_98s.jpg)
Barbara Köhler has successfully passed her doctoral defense. The ifab extends its warmest congratulations!
The title of her dissertation is:
"Effects of the Perception of Road Marking Patterns on Driving Behavior at Construction Zones on Federal Highways"
At the HECTOR School of Engineering and Management’s New Year’s reception, Prof. Deml was honored with a teaching award. The award recognized the “Human Factors Engineering” course in the “Green Mobility Engineering” degree program. The lecture took first place. We are very pleased to receive this award!
On June 18, 2016, the fourth ifab alumni gathering took place. Current and former ifab staff members, as well as students, took the opportunity to engage in professional and personal exchanges in a relaxed atmosphere.
On June 17, 2016, ifab hosted the 185th REFA Working Group meeting on "Industrial Engineering." In addition to a presentation on “Ergonomic Work Design for Demographic Change,” participants gained insights into the ifab’s research activities during a lab tour.
The Society for Ergonomics has awarded the "Best Paper Award" from among all articles published in the *Journal of Ergonomics* in 2015 in the "Science" division to Dr. Stefan Graichen for his paper, co-authored with Jun.-Prof. Thorsten Stein, B.Sc. Christopher Neff, Marian Hoffmann, and Prof. Barbara Deml, titled “Biomechanical Analysis of Manual Assembly Tasks.”
Dr. Graichen was presented with the award at the GfA Spring Conference in Aachen. Congratulations!
The book *Advances in Ergonomic Design of Systems, Products, and Processes* compiles the best papers from the 2015 Spring Conference of the Society for Ergonomics (GfA), organized by ifab. At the conference, 160 research presentations and 30 poster presentations were given.
The book provides a good overview of the current research landscape in the division of human factors and demonstrates how various disciplines, with their different research methods, contribute to the study of human work.
Link to Springer-Verlag
Congratulations to Stefan Graichen! He has successfully passed his doctoral examination.
The title of his dissertation is:
"Biomechanical Analysis of Manual Assembly Processes—A Contribution to the Evaluation of Dynamic Work Patterns Within the Reaching Range"
_rdax_98s.jpg)
On July 8, 2015, the Friends of the Institute for Human and Industrial Engineering (e. V.) hosted a lecture by Mr. Dipl.-Ing. Jürgen Dörich (Südwestmetall). Under the title “What Are We Missing in Germany? Best Practices from Leading Companies in Asia,” participants gained interesting insights into how companies are organized in China and Japan. A reception following the lecture provided an opportunity for in-depth discussions and conversations.
From February 25 to 27, 2015, the ifab hosted the 61st Spring Conference of the Society for Ergonomics in Karlsruhe and welcomed over 300 guests to KIT.
More information
Mr. Stefan Waßmann has successfully passed his doctoral examination. The ifab extends its warmest congratulations!
The title of his dissertation is:
"Innovation Capacity in the Context of Demographic Change—Development and Validation of the NovaDemo Assessment Tool for Measuring the Innovation Capacity of Individuals and Work Groups"
At this year’s late-summer festival, former employees, part-time lecturers, and current ifab staff gathered in and around Building 40.29. Attendees had the opportunity to tour the driving simulator and the ifab laboratory.
Afterward, amid glorious weather and good food and drinks, everyone had a chance to reminisce about the past and discuss the present at ifab.
Congratulations to Ms. Barby! She has successfully passed her doctoral defense.
The title of her dissertation is:
"Detection and Regulation of Activation-Dependent Visual Constriction in Drivers—An Empirical Study on Assessing Driver State" successfully passed.
On July 16, 2014, the ifab team competed for the first time in KIT’s official human foosball championship at the KIT Summer Festival. Despite fantastic support from fans of all ages, they unfortunately fell short of the title this time. But the team will be back next year, giving it their all!
The Society for Ergonomics (GfA) awarded the GfA Poster Prize to ifab’s Chief Engineer, Dr.-Ing. Patricia Stock, for the poster presentation she authored together with her co-authors Michael Leupold, Daniel Schmidt, and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Gert Zülch, titled “Recommendations for the Design of Business- and Employee-Friendly Work Schedules.” Spring Congress held from March 12 to 14, 2014, in Munich.
Former ifab employee Marcel Becker, who holds a degree in Industrial Engineering, has successfully passed his doctoral examination. The ifab extends its warmest congratulations!
The title of his dissertation is:
"Performance Potential of a Manufacturing System from the Perspective of Long-Term Workforce Structures"
Alumni Gathering. The topic of the academic portion of the alumni gathering on November 9, 2013, was demographic change. The alumni were given the opportunity to learn about the latest research on this topic at KIT during the Science Café.
The Science Café consisted of three stations set up in the Audimax and the HOC. The alumni were divided into groups of about 30 participants each, and each group then rotated through all the stations.
This year, Dr. Stock had the opportunity to present on one of ifab’s research areas. She gave a presentation titled “Work Schedule Design in the Context of Demographic Change,” which was received with great interest by the alumni. The presentation was followed by a lively discussion.
The event was a wonderful opportunity for ifab to present a selection of its current research areas and to establish contacts with KIT alumni.