Human-Centered Systems (HCS)

The Division of Human-Centered Systems is a division within the Department of Computer and Information Science. The division's research and teaching is focused on studying and improving the interaction between humans, technology, and society.

A woman is walking in a corridor together with a service robot Photo credit Jonas Järmen

The division has around 60 employees and consists of four units (research laboratories):

  • Cognition and Interaction Lab (COIN)
  • HCS Education (HCSEd)
  • Interaction and Service Design Research Group (IxS)
  • Knowledge Modeling and Cognitive Systems (KMACS)


For a presentation of each unit, see below.

Unit Cognition and Interaction Lab (COIN)

Our focus is on understanding and improving the interaction between humans and technology. We study how people interact with different types of technologies, often from perspectives such as situated, distributed, and embodied cognition. The goal is to generate knowledge that can contribute to safer, more usable, and more effective sociotechnical systems in complex environments.

Our research areas include:

  • Social robotics, where we examine how people interact socially with autonomous agents and technologies, ranging from humanoid and animal-like robots to virtual agents and automated vehicles.
  • Human Factors, with a focus on how humans and systems function in complex environments. The work addresses issues related to teamwork, stress, communication, patient safety, resilience, workload, simulation, and usability evaluation. Research is conducted within domains such as military command and control, healthcare, nuclear power, traffic, and aviation. Within transportation we study, for example, human interaction in remote operation of automated vehicles, interaction with autonomous shuttles, and driver analysis for trains.

We use a broad methodological toolbox ranging from qualitative methods such as observations and interviews to quantitative surveys and performance measures. We conduct both field studies and controlled experiments as well as simulations.

We participate in several national and international research collaborations and have strong ties to research institutes such as:

  • VTI (The Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute)
  • KMC (Centre for Disaster Medicine and Trauma)
  • FOI (The Swedish Defence Research Agency)
  • RISE Research Institutes of Sweden

Our teaching portfolio includes courses and thesis supervision in cognitive science, human–computer interaction, and related areas at undergraduate, advanced, and doctoral levels.

The unit is led by Tom Ziemke, Professor.

Unit HCS Education (HCSEd)

HCSEd consists of researchers deeply engaged in undergraduate education, while also conducting research in several areas. The group combines pedagogical development with technical innovation and works with both computer science education and applied research.

We work with:

  • Computer science education: courses in basic and advanced web programming, programming for Android, Python, C#, JavaScript, and databases.
  • Interaction programming and UX: creating systems and services with good usability and user experience.
  • AI and machine learning: developing methods for model training, evaluation, and systematic data improvement for higher performance.
  • Exergaming and body-controlled interfaces: games and applications that promote physical activity, recovery, and positive experiences.
  • Higher education pedagogy research and development: developing teaching methods and learning within computer science.

Research questions range from how we can improve people’s interaction with technology to how we can create effective and inclusive learning environments.

The unit is led by Anders Fröberg, Lecturer and Director of Undergraduate Studies.


Unit Interaction and Service Design Research Group (IxS)

The IxS research group studies the applied art of facilitating people’s interaction with IT based products, services, and systems. At the core of our work are human needs, idea development, sketching, innovation, and method development. Design is a reflective and creative process that creates solutions that meet both functional and aesthetic requirements.

We work with:

  • Interaction design, user experience, and service design: how people encounter and use digital systems in service contexts, such as autonomous vehicles in public transport and AI systems in schools.
  • Design for policy and the public sector: how design practice can contribute to developing future public services.
  • Design methods and design theory: deepening the understanding of design processes and tools.
  • Prototyping and simulation: methods for shaping and evaluating services and autonomous system.

We explore questions such as:

  • What happens to design when it enters new domains such as policy and service development?
  • How can we understand people’s experiences of autonomous systems and services?
  • Which methods are most suitable for prototyping services and systems with a focus on human needs?

The unit is led by Stefan Holmlid, Professor.

Unit Knowledge Modelling and Cognitive Systems (KMACS)

In the research lab KMACS, we work on developing methods and technologies for representing, analysing, and making knowledge accessible. Our research spans several areas within knowledge modelling and language technology, with a focus on both theoretical contributions and practical applications.

Our main research topics include:

  • Ontologies and knowledge-based systems: methods for modelling and using structured knowledge in computer systems, and creating semantic interoperability.
  • Knowledge Graphs: graph based representations of complex information, used for information integration and decentralised data sharing.
  • Stream reasoning: methods for analysing and reasoning over time series and dynamic data.
  • Applied language technology: tools and methods that link language and knowledge, improve readability, apply topic analysis, sentiment analysis, and enhance our understanding of language use.
  • Large scale social simulations: interactive megagames for understanding and analysing complex systems, and methods for fostering deeper dialogue about societal challenges and sustainability.
  • Applications that support positive relating to sustainability and the circular economy, security, health, and welfare.

Our research contributes to better decision support and innovative knowledge-based solutions for the societal challenges of the future.

In teaching, we contribute with courses and supervision in our research topics, such as knowledge modelling, big data analysis, and societal transformations, but also more general courses in systems development, information technology, and programming.

The unit is led by Eva Blomqvist, Professor.


Contact us

News at HCS

News and major articles

En kvinna sitter i en stol bredvid en robot.

Vivian Vimarlund – the researcher who shaped the role of digitalisation in the future of healthcare

For more than three decades, Vivian Vimarlund has contributed to the development of health informatics through models and methods used to identify and evaluate the effects of digital innovations and e‑health services in healthcare.

Firefighter infront of wrecked car.

Research on exoskeletons and cleaners receives SEK 16.7 million

LiU receives SEK 16.7 million from AFA Försäkring for research in the field of work environment and health. The projects concern exoskeletons, cleaning staff, part-time managers and digital work environments in health and social care.

First researchers in the new Fenomenmagasinet

When the science centre Fenomenmagasinet opens its new premises in the Valla leisure area, it also opens the possibility of closer collaboration with LiU. Researchers Aseel and Erik Berglund will be among the first to move in.

Research at HCS

Research at HCS focuses on the main areas of cognition, interaction, and design, with subareas including cognitive science, knowledge modelling, complex systems, interaction design, service design, societal safety, decision support, human factors, and social robotics.

Examples of research projects

Semantic Web

The Semantic Web is an extension of the traditional Web in which interlinked data with well-described semantics has been added in a machine-processable form.

En man som står bredvid en drönare på toppen av en asfalt.

Drone and swarm research at LiU

Drönare förändrar hur vi utforskar, övervakar och samverkar – i luften, på land och under vattenytan. Forskningen inom drönare och drönarsvärmar är ett tvärvetenskapligt och snabbt växande område.

A group of students are working sitting down by tables

Just Transitions Graduate School

The aim of Just Transitions graduate school is to build knowledge and competence around how to implement just climate transition in a local context. The graduate school is based on seven doctoral projects and a platform for knowledge exchange.

Latest publications

2026

Erik Prytz, Caroline Estgren, Sam Thellman, Wilhelm Brodin (2026) Obemannade system för räddningstjänst under höjd beredskap: En utvärdering från metodtester i Kiruna 2025
Anna Sofia Lippolis, Mohammad Javad Saeedizade, Robin Keskisärkkä, Aldo Gangemi, Eva Blomqvist, Andrea Giovanni Nuzzolese (2026) Large Language Models Assisting Ontology Evaluation SEMANTIC WEB-ISWC 2025, PT I, p. 502-520 (Conference paper) Continue to DOI
Jakob Hytting, John Södling, Amanda Hytting, Kenny A. Rodriguez-Wallberg, Elham Hedayati, Panagiotis Mallios, Julianna Lise Holmberg, Robin Keskisärkkä, Martin Singull, Laila Hübbert (2026) Cardiovascular Events in Women With Prior Cervical High-Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesion JAMA Oncology (Article in journal) Continue to DOI
Mina Abd Nikooie Pour, Prithwish Tarafder, Anton Wiberg, Huanyu Li, Johan Moverare, Patrick Lambrix (2026) A Knowledge-Based Approach for Understanding and Managing Additive Manufacturing Data Advanced Engineering Materials (Article in journal) Continue to DOI
Simon Ekman, Joachim Örtegren, Kacper Mateusz Sieklucki, Raymond Tchou, Ludwig Halvorsen, Hannah Pelikan (2026) Sharing Public Space with Robots: Following a Fleet of Delivery Robots on City Sidewalks Companion Proceedings of the 21st ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction (HRI Companion ’26), p. 5 pages- (Conference paper) Continue to DOI
Björn Johansson, Ann-Sofie Kall, Ola Uhrqvist, Joeri van Laere (2026) Time-snaking facilitated debriefings about energy system futures - A megagame case study Social Sciences and Humanities Open, Vol. 13, Article 102377 (Article in journal) Continue to DOI
Max Pettersson, Florian Westphal, Maria Riveiro (2026) Automated Decision-Making via Reinforcement Learning from Demonstrations MODELING DECISIONS FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, MDAI 2025, p. 79-90 (Conference paper) Continue to DOI

2025

Jakob Hytting, John Södling, E Hedayati, K Rodriguez-Wallberg, A Hytting, Panagiotis Mallios, E Bollano, P Sundling, P Karlström, Robin Keskisärkkä, Martin Singull, Laila Hübbert (2025) Unrecognized cardiovascular risks in young cervical cancer patients. Findings from the Rebuc study European Heart Journal Supplements (EHJS), Vol. 27, Article suaf083.119 (Article in journal) Continue to DOI
John Södling, Jakob Hytting, E Hedayati, Panagiotis Mallios, E Bollano, Joakim Alfredsson, Robin Keskisärkkä, Martin Singull, Laila Hübbert (2025) Revascularization and mortality in ischemic heart disease among children, adolescents and young adults with cancer: Insights from the Rebuc Study European Heart Journal, Supplement, Vol. 27 (Article in journal) Continue to DOI
Panagiotis Mallios, John Södling, Jakob Hytting, E Hedayati, E Bollano, Robin Keskisärkkä, Martin Singull, Laila Hübbert (2025) Exploring arrhythmias in children, adolescents and young adults with cancer: the Rebuc study perspective European Heart Journal, Supplement, Vol. 27, Article suaf083.134 (Article in journal) Continue to DOI

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