Research group for Media, Innovation and Contemporary Technologies

Inclusive future-oriented technology for humans & society

#InclusiveDesign
#UsabilityResearch
#Collaborative&ParticipatoryDesign
#LivingLabs
#ImpactAssessments
#HumanAugmentation
#SocialSustainability
#AssistiveTechnologies
#FuturesStudies&Foresight

Contributing to SDG9 (industry, innovation, and infrastructure), SDG10 (reduced inequalities), SDG11 (sustainable cities and communities), SDG12 (responsible consumption and production) & SDG16 (sustainable institutions).

Mission

Technological innovation thrives on diverse perspectives.

In an era of rapid technological advancements, societal transformations and responsibilities are inevitable. Intelligent and ubiquitous systems have the potential to significantly augment human capabilities, yet they often unintentionally perpetuate inequalities and create unforeseen barriers. These challenges can hinder the full potential of technological progress. To mitigate these issues, it is crucial to integrate a wide range of perspectives into the development & application of technology roadmaps and success criteria.

At the Societal Imagineering Lab, we fulfill MICTs mission with a team of socio-technologists committed to pioneering methodologies, tools, and environments that support and drive interdisciplinary technology development. Our mission is to ensure that technological innovation is sustainable, inclusive, equitable, and impactful.

Research topics

  • Inclusive Design & Usability Research. We study how future technologies can be developed to be inclusive, accessible and human-friendly for all, which is crucial for a broad adoption and impact ( ~ our e-inclusion team). Our expertise lies in creating methods, toolkits, frameworks, and assessments that shape new technologies from diverse human perspectives (~ our UX team). Building bridges, not walls.
  • Collaborative Design. We study and shape ecosystems and methodologies that support interdisciplinary technology development. Our work includes developing methodologies to democratize innovation, creating tools for effective knowledge exchange, facilitating participatory design processes (with a research through design focus).
  • Living Labs. We specialize in materialization (rapid prototyping techniques) for ‘in the wild’ technology testing, including comprehensive impact assessments (testbeds for the real world). This includes the development of in vivo variants of UX lab testing (e.g. eye tracking, EEG, …) and experimental designs.
  • Human Augmentation & Assistive Technologies. We harness the potential of future technologies (e.g. in health, robotics and wearable technologies) to enhance human capabilities and overcome human limitations (~ disability studies). Our design engineering expertise focuses on developing and rigorously testing prototypes and early Technology Readiness Level concepts, ensuring practical and impactful solutions.
  • Futures & foresight. We are experts in methodologies for Futures Studies, with a strong emphasis on participatory futures development processes, anticipatory innovation, technology roadmapping, imaginative scenario-analysis, provocative design (critical design for debate), and sustainable strategic assessments. This facilitates forward thinking, expanding the realm of future opportunities, hence providing valuable insights for long-term strategic planning and responsible innovation.

Contact

For more information contact bastiaan.baccarne@UGent.be