Tommy Nilsson

• PhD
• Research fellow at European Space Agency

The domestic environment is a key area for the design and deployment of autonomous systems. Yet research indicates their adoption is already being hampered by a variety of critical issues including trust, privacy and security. This paper explores how potential users relate to the concept of autonomous systems in the home and elaborates further poin...

The application of mobile computing is currently altering patterns of our behavior to a greater degree than perhaps any other invention. In combination with the introduction of power efficient wireless communication technologies, such as Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), designers are today increasingly empowered to shape the way we interact with our phy...

BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) is a new wireless communication technology that, thanks to reduced power consumption, promises to facilitate communication between computing devices and help us harness their power in environments and contexts previously untouched by information technology. Museums and other facilities housing various cultural content are...

There are many reasons for utilising 3D animation and virtual reality in sexuality research. Apart from providing a mean with which to (re)experience certain situations there are four main advantages: a) bespoke animated stimuli can be created and customized, which is especially important when researching paraphilia and sexual preferences, b) stimu...

The application of mobile computing is currently altering patterns of our behavior to a greater degree than perhaps any other invention. In combination with the introduction of BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) and similar technologies enabling context-awareness, designers are today finding themselves empowered to build experiences and facilitate interact...

As humans venture deeper into space, the need for a lunar settlement, housing the first group of settlers, grows steadily. By means of new technologies such as in situ resource utilisation (ISRU) as well as computational design, this goal can be implemented in present years. Providing the first arrivals with an immediate underground habitat safe fr...

As humanity prepares for new missions to the Moon and Mars, astronauts will need to operate with greater autonomy, given the communication delays that make real-time support from Earth difficult. For instance, messages between Mars and Earth can take up to 24 minutes, making quick responses impossible. This limitation poses a challenge for astronau...

The use of eXtended Reality (XR) technologies in the space domain has increased significantly over the past few years as it can offer many advantages when simulating complex and challenging environments. Space agencies are currently using these disruptive tools to train astronauts for Extravehicular Activities (EVAs), to test equipment and procedur...

Renewed interest in human space exploration is paving the way for humanity’s future among the stars, with ambitious new programs being launched aiming to establish human presence on the Moon, Mars, and beyond. The realization of this vision will depend on the development of a new generation of reliable, safe, and efficient technologies, along with...

This paper describes the capabilities and potential of the intelligent personal assistant (IPA) CORE (Checklist Organizer for Research and Exploration), designed to support astronauts during procedures onboard the International Space Station (ISS), the Lunar Gateway station, and beyond. We reflect on the importance of a reliable and flexible assist...

Future crewed missions to the Moon will face significant environmental and operational challenges, posing risks to the safety and performance of astronauts navigating its inhospitable surface. Whilst head-up displays (HUDs) have proven effective in providing intuitive navigational support on Earth, the design of novel human spaceflight solutions ty...

This chapter explores the practice of conducting user research studies and design assessments in virtual reality (VR). An overview of key VR hardware and software tools is provided, including game engines, such as Unity and Unreal Engine. Qualitative and quantitative research methods, along with their various synergies with VR, are likewise discuss...

Space agencies are in the process of drawing up carefully thought-out Concepts of Operations (ConOps) for future human missions on the Moon. These are typically assessed and validated through costly and logistically demanding analogue field studies. While interactive simulations in Virtual Reality (VR) offer a comparatively cost-effective alternati...

Revived interest in lunar and planetary exploration is heralding a new era for human spaceflight, characterized by frequent strain on astronaut’s mental well-being, which stems from increased exposure to isolated, confined, and extreme (ICE) conditions. Whilst Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) has been employed to facilitate self-help interventions t...

We propose a one-day transdisciplinary workshop in the broad area of HCI focused on co-designing immersive virtual reality (IVR) for remote and unsupervised interaction, intervention, training and research. The development and deployment of such systems is a significant and important challenge. While remote and unsupervised systems are more accessi...

Revived interest in lunar exploration is heralding a new generation of design solutions in support of human operations on the Moon. While space system design has traditionally been guided by prototype deployments in analogue studies, the resource-intensive nature of this approach has largely precluded application of proficient user-centered design...

Future astronauts living and working on the Moon will face extreme environmental conditions impeding their operational safety and performance. While it has been suggested that Augmented Reality (AR) Head-Up Displays (HUDs) could potentially help mitigate some of these adversities, the applicability of AR in the unique lunar context remains underexp...

Future astronauts living and working on the Moon will face extreme environmental conditions impeding their operational safety and performance. While it has been suggested that Augmented Reality (AR) Head-Up Displays (HUDs) could potentially help mitigate some of these adversities, the applicability of AR in the unique lunar context remains underexp...

Revived interest in lunar exploration is heralding a new generation of design solutions in support of human operations on the Moon. While space system design has traditionally been guided by prototype deployments in analogue studies, the resource-intensive nature of this approach has largely precluded application of proficient user-centered design...

The general profile and overarching goal of this proposed mission is to pioneer potentially highly beneficial (even vital) and cost-effective techniques for the future human colonization of Mars. Adopting radically new and disruptive solutions untested in the Martian context, our approach is one of high risk and high reward. The real possibility of...

The European Space Agency (ESA) has a clear mission to go forward to the Moon in preparation of human presence on Mars. One of the technologies looked at to increase safety and efficiency of astronauts in this context is Augmented Reality (AR). This technology allows digital visual information to be overlaid onto the user's environment through some...

As the space industry continues its rapid development, humanity is poised to expand beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO), seeking to establish permanent presence on the Moon and beyond. While space travel has traditionally been the domain of a small number of highly specialized professionals, a new era of human exploration, involving non-space actors and s...

The ongoing push to send humans back to the Moon and to Mars is giving rise to a wide range of novel technical solutions in support of prospective astronaut expeditions. Against this backdrop, the European Space Agency (ESA) has recently launched an investigation into unobtrusive interface technologies as a potential answer to such challenges. Thre...

As the space industry continues its rapid development, humanity is poised to expand beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO), seeking to establish permanent presence on the Moon and beyond. While space travel has traditionally been the domain of a small number of highly specialized professionals, a new era of human exploration, involving non-space actors and s...

The European Astronaut Centre (EAC), in Germany, trains and supports astronauts for space missions on board the International Space Station (ISS). As part of their preparations, future ISS crew members must train to operate the Mobile Servicing System (MSS) safely. The MSS is the collection of robotic systems that includes the Space Station Remote...

It has been 50 years since astronauts last walked on the lunar surface during the Apollo programme. The aim of NASA’s lunar exploration programme, Artemis, to which the European Space Agency (ESA) and several national space agencies are contributing, is to establish a sustainable human presence by 2028. The goal is to “go forward to the Moon” and u...

The ongoing push to send humans back to the Moon is giving rise to a wide range of novel technical solutions in support of prospective astronaut expeditions. Crew capsules for long-duration travel, prospective lunar surface habitats, and extravehicular activity (EVA) suits are a few of the advanced systems set to underpin future human lunar explora...

The European Space Agency (ESA) has a clear mission to go forward to the Moon in preparation of human presence on Mars. One of the technologies looked at to increase safety and efficiency of astronauts in this context is Augmented Reality (AR). This technology allows digital visual information to be overlaid onto the user's environment through some...

The European Large Logistics Lander (EL3) is being designed to carry out cargo delivery missions in support of future lunar ground crews. The capacity of virtual reality (VR) to visualize and interactively simulate the unique lunar environment makes it a potentially powerful design tool during the early development stages of EL3, as well as other r...

The European Large Logistics Lander (EL3) is being designed to carry out cargo delivery missions in support of future lunar ground crews. The capacity of virtual reality (VR) to visualize and interactively simulate the unique lunar environment makes it a potentially powerful design tool during the early development stages of such solutions. Based o...

The convergence of multiple technologies, including sensors, embedded computing, real-time analytics and machine learning, is in the process of enabling system solutions capable of perception, decision-making and actuation without depending on direct human control or oversight. A widespread adoption of such autonomous systems has been suggested to...

UbiComp has been envisioned to bring about a future dominated by calm computing technologies making our everyday lives ever more convenient. Yet the same vision has also attracted criticism for encouraging a solitary and passive lifestyle. The aim of this paper is to explore and elaborate these tensions further by examining the human values surroun...

UbiComp has been envisioned to bring about a future dominated by calm computing technologies making our everyday lives ever more convenient. Yet the same vision has also attracted criticism for encouraging a solitary and passive lifestyle. The aim of this paper is to explore and elaborate these tensions further by examining the human values surroun...

The value of interdisciplinary research is increasingly recognised by the research community. Funding bodies are nowadays specifically encouraging that research they fund is interdisciplinary in nature. However, what is often branded as interdisciplinary research is in fact a network of researchers working to deliver a research output. In this rese...

The value of interdisciplinary research is increasingly recognised by the research community. Funding bodies are nowadays specifically encouraging that research they fund is interdisciplinary in nature. However, what is often branded as interdisciplinary research is in fact a network of researchers working to deliver a research output. In this rese...

Virtual environments (VEs) offer potential benefits to health and safety training: exposure to dangerous (virtual) environments; the opportunity for experiential learning; and a high level of control over the training, in that aspects can be repeated or reviewed based on the trainee's performance. However, VEs are typically presented as audiovisual...

Virtual environments (VEs) offer potential benefits to health and safety training: exposure to dangerous (virtual) environments; the opportunity for experiential learning; and a high level of control over the training, in that aspects can be repeated or reviewed based on the trainee's performance. However, VEs are typically presented as audiovisual...

Digital mental healthcare constitutes a complex area for development of novel technological solutions. Designers are frequently forced to deal with requirements posed by a range of different stakeholders with particular needs, goals and interests which may either align or conflict. In search of an inclusive approach for assessing the needs and requ...

The domestic environment is a key area for the design and deployment of autonomous systems. Yet research indicates their adoption is already being hampered by a variety of critical issues including trust, privacy and security. This paper explores how potential users relate to the concept of autonomous systems in the home and elaborates further poin...

Growing organizational safety awareness is propelling the interest in development of novel solutions for fire training. Significant effort in this area has previously gone into designing various immersive virtual reality (VR) systems in hopes of enabling trainees to safely explore and experience the consequences of their actions in scenarios that w...

The domestic environment is a key area for the design and deployment of autonomous systems. Yet research indicates their adoption is already being hampered by a variety of critical issues including trust, privacy and security. This paper explores how potential users relate to the concept of autonomous systems in the home and elaborates further poin...

Research indicates that personal adoption of emerging ubicomp technologies is being notoriously hampered by a variety of critical issues including trust, privacy and security. Issues such as these cannot be studied and understood by evaluating computer systems in isolation, but rather by taking a 'big picture' approach and examining their synergy w...

Video showcase to be presented at the 2019 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, Glasgow UK. Also available at https://vimeo.com/316738022

Understanding validity of user behaviour in Virtual Environments (VEs) is critical as they are increasingly being used for serious Health and Safety applications such as predicting human behaviour and training in hazardous situations. This paper presents a comparative study exploring user behaviour in VE-based fire evacuation and investigates wheth...

Although VR has traditionally been considered an enabling technology for videogames, given its versatility and growing sophistication, it is now increasingly gaining a foothold in areas beyond entertainment. The ability to visualize and re-enact practically any real world scenario from within a lab has proven to be exceedingly useful in psychologic...

By utilizing different communication channels, such as verbal language, gestures or facial expressions, virtually embodied interactive humans hold a unique potential to bridge the gap between human-computer interaction and actual interhuman communication. The use of virtual humans is consequently becoming increasingly popular in a wide range of are...

The application of mobile computing is currently altering patterns of our behavior to a greater degree than perhaps any other invention. In combination with the introduction of power-efficient wireless communication technologies, such as Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), designers are today increasingly empowered to shape the way we interact with our phy...

BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) is a new wireless communication technology that, thanks to reduced power consumption, promises to facilitate communication between computing devices and help us harness their power in environments and contexts previously untouched by information technology. Museums and other facilities housing various cultural content are...

The application of mobile computing is currently altering patterns of our behavior to a greater degree than perhaps any other invention. In combination with the introduction of power efficient wireless communication technologies, such as Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), designers are today increasingly empowered to shape the way we interact with our phy...