Bridge communities
Connect XR, AI, accessibility, and play researchers to create new interdisciplinary collaborations around inclusive and connective play.
Overview
As digital experiences and immersive technologies become more pervasive, they bring both opportunity and challenge. We want to move beyond mitigation-focused research and instead imagine playful interactions that are inclusive, connective, and human-centered from the start.
This workshop brings together researchers from XR, AI, accessibility, game design, and adjacent communities to collaboratively explore novel play concepts that foster social connection, accessibility, and curiosity-driven innovation. We invite attendees to rethink what playful interaction can be by focusing on creativity, inclusion, and collaboration rather than only fixing current harms.
Apply to ParticipateWorkshop Goals
Be creative together
Use creative ideation and generative design activities to imagine unexpected, playful concepts and experiences.
Spark curiosity-driven research
Foster novel research directions and collaborations that continue after the workshop into the main conference and beyond.
Draft program
| Time | Activity | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 09:00 - 09:20 | Welcome and introductions | Organizers and participants meet, review goals, and share backgrounds. |
| 09:20 - 09:50 | Scenario creation | Small groups brainstorm current challenges and choose a concrete playful interaction scenario. |
| 09:50 - 10:30 | Concept ideation | Groups develop initial ideas for inclusive, connective play experiences. |
| 10:30 - 10:45 | Coffee break | Refresh, network, and prepare for the second half of the workshop. |
| 10:45 - 12:00 | Concept refinement | Groups refine, focus, and evolve their strongest idea using structured techniques. |
| 12:00 - 12:30 | Presentations and closing | Final group sharing and feedback for future research directions. |
Organizers
Sebastian Cmentowski
Assistant Professor in Game Design and Digital Twins at Eindhoven University of Technology. His research explores XR, exergames, locomotion techniques, and reconnective playful experiences.
Sukran Karaosmanoglu
Postdoctoral researcher in the Human-Computer Interaction Group, Universität Hamburg. Her work focuses on immersive XR, physical activity, social interaction, and positive societal impact.
Giulia Cosentino
Researcher at NTNU Department of Computer Science specializing in multimodal interaction design and educational technology for learning and inclusion.
Contact
If you have any questions about this workshop, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.