The AIT – Austrian Institute of Technology is Austria´s largest non-university research institute, specialist on research and development activities of technologies, techniques and tools of key infrastructure solutions of the future. Within the Business Unit Technology Experience (Department Innovation Systems), an experienced and interdisciplinary research team deals with innovative interface designs and games as well as accessible technology. Users are involved in all of the phases of the development, to adapt computer technology ideally to the needs of the users. Also social, emotional and ergonomic requirements are considered.

Involved people: Elke Mattheiss (Scientist), Georg Regal (Junior Scientist), David Sellitsch (Junior Scientist)

The BBI – Bundes-Blindenerziehungsinstitut was founded in 1804, and was – at this time – the first school for the blind in the German speaking region. A specialty of the BBI is the wide range of special educations of the involved pedagogues which allows the BBI to provide different foci in education and leisure time. For example this includes orientation and mobility training including human echolocation, living skills, sports, dance and movement, music, creative design and physical education. From kindergarten to higher education the BBI uses modern educational concepts to enable people with visual impairments and blindness to live a self-determined life.

Involved people: Erich Schmid (teacher), Beatrix Himmer (teacher), Alois Freiler (teacher), Ute Ettl (mobility trainer), Christoph Harnischfeger (mobility trainer)

The school of Informatics, Communications and Media at the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria is part of the “Softwarepark Hagenberg”, which also hosts several university research departments and software companies. The research group Playful Interactive Environments focuses on the investigation of new and natural playful forms of interaction, use of playful mechanisms to encourage behavioural patterns, perception research of computer-generated characters in cooperation with research partners in the field of media psychology, design, implementation and evaluation of interactive environments.

Involved people: Christoph Schaufle (teaching assistant), Wolfgang Hochleitner (teaching assistant), Michael Lankes (FH professor), Areen Said (Master student), Daniel Rammer (Bachelor student)