German-Japanese Summer School: Human-Centred Perception Modeling in XR
- 2 mins
Human-Centred Perception Modeling in XR
September 14–18, 2026 · NAIST, Nara, Japan
Hosted by CARE Lab & IMD Lab, NAIST · In collaboration with Hochschule RheinMain (HSRM), Germany
About
This inaugural German-Japanese summer school brings together master’s students and early PhD researchers to tackle open questions at the intersection of extended reality (XR), human perception, and artificial intelligence. Over five intensive days at the Nara Institute of Science and Technology, participants move from expert lectures to hands-on experimentation — and leave with a research project, new collaborators, and lasting international connections.
Programme
The school follows a four-stage arc:
| # | Phase | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | Expert Input | Researchers from Japan and Germany introduce key topics in XR, perception, and AI. |
| 02 | Research Ideation | Identify a research question, review literature, and scope an approach in cross-cultural teams. |
| 03 | Prototype & Test | Build and refine an experiment or prototype with peer and faculty feedback. |
| 04 | Share & Go Further | Present results on the final day. Promising projects may continue towards future publications. |
Lecture Topics
- Visual Attention Modeling & Metrics
- Multisensory Perception & Integration
- Perceptual Vision Augmentation
- Comfort Intelligence for Human-Robot Interaction
- Human-Machine Interaction
Day Trip to Koyasan 高野山 (Day 4, tentative) A guided full-day excursion to Kōyasan, the sacred mountain at the heart of Shingon Buddhism, surrounded by ancient cedar forests and over 100 temples. Koyasan is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Japan’s most serene cultural landscapes.
What You Take Away
- 🌏 International research network — connections with researchers in Germany and Japan
- 🔬 Remotely co-supervised research project — continue your work after the school with joint faculty guidance
- 📄 Potential path towards future publications — strong projects may be developed for peer-reviewed venues
- ✈️ Opportunity for a research visit in Germany — outstanding participants may be invited to HSRM in Wiesbaden
Venue
Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST) 8916-5 Takayama-cho, Ikoma, Nara 630-0192, Japan
NAIST is one of Japan’s leading graduate research universities, set in the hills of Ikoma near Nara — a city renowned for its ancient temples, deer parks, and UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Organising Institutions
CARE Lab & IMD Lab, NAIST (Host) Cybernetics & Reality Engineering Lab and Interactive Media Design Lab Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Japan
Hochschule RheinMain (HSRM) (Collaboration) University of Applied Sciences, Department DCSM Kurt-Schumacher-Ring 18, 65197 Wiesbaden, Germany