The Media Interaction Lab (MiL), originally established at the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria, has moved to Italy, is now part of the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, and operates from NOI Techpark. Since 2004, the lab has been conducting research in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Physical Computing, and Ubiquitous Computing, with a specific emphasis on designing, implementing, and evaluating next-generation user interfaces. Our research methodology combines theory, design, and evaluation, addressing real-world problems posed by industry partners such as BMW, KTM, SEFAR, and Tratter Engineering, and actively involving these users in a user-centered design process.
Having extensively researched mixed reality and tabletop interaction, the lab has evolved to focus on large interactive surfaces, creative environments, next-generation interfaces, and smart textiles. In recent years, we have expanded our research to include hardware-related domains like sensing technologies and hardware design. This shift is evident in our recent projects with automotive companies, where our primary goal is to develop and investigate next-generation vehicle interfaces.