Deakin Human-Centric Technologies Lab
Advancing human-centric artificial intelligence and aligning technology with human needs
How we shape technology to augment human capabilities
The Deakin Human-Centric Technologies Lab is an interdisciplinary research initiative focused on shaping advanced technologies around human needs, capabilities, values and real-world contexts. We bring together interdisciplinary expertise to co-design human-centric technologies, develop responsible and trustworthy AI models, deploy and evaluate them in practice, and learn from how people and technologies adapt and evolve together over time.
Our work is grounded in the recognition that the impact of emerging technologies is determined not by technical capability alone, but by how they interact with people, organisations, communities and the environments in which they are embedded. This creates a continuous cycle of design, development, deployment, evaluation and refinement, allowing us to examine ethical and societal impacts while improving both the technologies themselves and the way they are integrated into practice.
Our research spans high-impact contexts including healthcare, defence, emergency response, mobility, space, environmental systems, workplaces and the built environment, where technological performance must be considered alongside human behaviour, experience, safety, organisational needs and broader societal outcomes.
Our research areas
Our research spans three connected areas: co-designing ethical and human-centred technologies, developing responsible and adaptive intelligent systems, and translating them that we translate into real-world practice. Together, these form a continuous cycle of design, development, deployment, learning and refinement.
Co-designing ethical and human-centred technologies
We shape technologies around human needs, capabilities, values and context, embedding ethical and societal considerations from the outset. Our research includes:
- human-centred and participatory design
- ethics, values and responsible innovation
- human–computer interaction and experience design
- cognition, behaviour and decision-making
- inclusion, accessibility and wellbeing
- immersive and extended reality.
Responsible, adaptive and secure intelligent systems
We develop intelligent systems that can understand people, adapt, collaborate and operate safely and responsibly. Our research includes:
- responsible and trustworthy AI
- adaptive, personalised and continual learning
- human–AI and human–machine teaming
- AI safety, cybersecurity and resilience
- human and machine cognition and metacognition
- physiological and behavioural sensing
- trust, transparency and explainability.
Translating human-centric technologies into practice
We deploy and evaluate human-centric technologies in complex real-world environments, examining their impact on people, organisations and broader systems. Key application areas include:
- healthcare and decision support
- defence and emergency response
- space and extreme environments
- environmental monitoring and decision-making
- mobility and intelligent infrastructure
- workplaces and the future of work
- intelligent and adaptive built environments.
Insights from real-world deployment feed back into the design and development of our technologies, enabling continuous learning, adaptation and refinement.
Our objective is to strengthen the Australian research ecosystem by advancing responsible, trustworthy and human-centric technologies that augment human capabilities, reduce risks to safety, privacy, fairness and autonomy, and keep people at the centre of decision-making and control.
Senior lecturers and co-leads at Deakin Human-Centric Technologies Lab
Address challenges on Earth and beyond
As a PhD student at Deakin Human-Centric Technologies Lab you will learn alongside the sharpest minds in the fields of extended reality and applied artificial intelligence. You’ll have access to a stimulating and supportive environment and the latest in cutting-edge tech.
Our researchers
Deakin Human-Centric Technologies Lab is an interdisciplinary research group that brings together experts from various fields to drive human potential through innovative research.
Dr Kaja Antlej is a senior lecturer in industrial design, based in the School of Engineering. Her research interests intersect the fields of human space exploration, human-centred design, digital heritage and virtual museums, extended reality, 3D printing, futures thinking, isolation, wellbeing and entrepreneurship.
Dr Bahareh Nakisa is a senior lecturer in applied AI at Deakin’s School of Information Technology. Her research interests include applied artificial intelligence, deep learning, human-machine interaction and teaming, computational cognition and affective computing, working to solve real-world problems in healthcare, transportation, space and defence.
Featured projects
Our researchers investigate how intelligent systems can understand, adapt to and collaborate with people while remaining aligned with human goals and values.
Human wellbeing in space
Ensuring the mental health of astronauts during deep space missions remains a challenge. This research endeavour strives to bridge the existing gap, pioneering the integration of AI with cutting-edge virtual reality to curate a comprehensive databank of meaningful experiences tailored for astronauts and other isolated users.
Human-AI teaming
This project focuses on enhancing the capabilities of AI agents by integrating human feedback – including physiological measurements and implicit instructions – in a deep reinforcement learning framework. These agents are designed to learn from human interactions in a nuanced and context-aware manner, allowing for unprecedented collaboration in high-pressure, real-world settings including manufacturing, military operations and emergency response.
Our facilities
Deakin's Virtual reality lab is a cutting-edge teaching and research facility located at our Geelong Waurn Ponds Campus that is purpose-built for developing virtual reality and augmented reality solutions.
Trust in the era of Artificial General Intelligence
As we enter a new era where artificial intelligence is becoming more integrated into our everyday lives, we ask: do we trust AI as we would trust a friend?
Our partnerships
We work across national and international boundaries to advance human-centric technologies that augment human capabilities, support wellbeing and deliver responsible societal and environmental impact. Some of our research collaborators are based at:
- RMIT University
- AGH University of Science and Technology
- Monash University
- Coventry University
- Analog Astronaut Training Center
- Chitkara University
- University of Ljubljana
- University of Primorska
- Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST)
- Soka University
- Kyoto University of Foreign Studies
Contact us
We’d love to hear from you! If you’re interested in our research, partnering with us or want to stay updated on the latest developments, email our team.
Email Dr Kaja Antlej
+61 3 5247 9546
Email Dr Bahareh Nakisa
+61 3 5227 3816
