Research projects

My research group is at the University of Helsinki.

(We are always looking for good people, please contact me if interested!)

Virtual Laboratory for Molecular Level Atmospheric Transformations (ongoing)

Virtual Laboratory for Molecular Level Atmospheric Transformations (VILMA) is a Centre of Excellence in Research. The project is carried out by the University of Helsinki, the University of Eastern Finland, Tampere University and Aalto University. The CoE VILMA will combine atmospheric and computer science to construct a virtual laboratory for atmospheric aerosol formation, interactively integrating experimental and theoretical state-of-the-art methods from the fields of chemistry, physics and artificial intelligence.

The Research Council of Finland funds the project during 2022-2029.

Finnish Center for Artificial Intelligence (ongoing)

We are members of the Finnish Center for Artificial Intelligence (FCAI).

FCAI is a joint venture by University of Helsinki, Aalto University, and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. The Research Council of Finland funds it for 2019-2026.

Interactive Artificial Intelligence for Driving R&D (ended)

Our goal is a new generation of AI methodology that can drive a disruptive wave in the Finnish technology industry. The project develops AI software for white-box AI that better understands its users, making AI accessible to in-house domain experts and improving efficiency and success rate.

The Technology Industries of Finland Centennial Foundation funded the project from 2019 to 2021. The project is a collaboration with seven professors from Aalto University and the University of Helsinki (including me), the principal investigator being Prof. Samuel Kaski. See the announcement (in Finnish) at https://techfinland100.fi/mita-rahoitamme/tutkimus/tulevaisuuden-tekijat/interaktiivinen-tekoaly-tkta-varten/

Structure from randomization (ended)

The project’s objective is to develop and apply statistically sound randomization methods to find complex patterns from the data that can be used in conjunction with state-of-the-art machine learning and data mining methods. By randomization, we mean here a process by which we can create a controlled perturbation of the data. These perturbations can be used in statistical significance testing to make the machine learning algorithms transparent and to explore the model space of machine learning algorithms. In this project, we apply relevant data sets for work life.

Structure from randomization is an Academy Project in the ICT 2023 programme, funded by the Academy of Finland, during 2018-2019.

Human-guided data analysis (ended)

The current methods and processes of data analysis give the knowledge workers, who are rarely experts in data analysis, only a limited means to explore large heterogeneous data sets. We further develop and study the recently introduced formulation of the explorative data analysis the task in terms of statistical significance testing and constraints to the null hypothesis to develop novel methods of data analysis that are optimised for use with humans and that can be controlled by the humans. The project has two use cases that are used to demonstrate the methods, namely analysis of scientific data sets collected at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health and a prototype system by which medical doctors to analyse and study patient data.

Human-guided data analysis is an Academy Project funded by the Academy of Finland for the period of 2015-2019. The project has a web site at http://kaip.iki.fi/hgda.html

Revolution of Knowledge Work (ended)

This project studies information-seeking and sense-making methods in knowledge work. The features of knowledge work are now part of an increasing number of occupations, also outside the expert domain.

For some examples, please take a look at how we can adapt information seeking based on psychophysiological measurements (video), and please read our white paper about the trends of knowledge work and the need for knowledge work tools (pdf).

Revolution of Knowledge Work was a large strategic research opening funded by Tekes from 2013 to 2017. The project consortium consisted of Helsinki Institute for Information Technology HIIT, which coordinated the project, and the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, where I was at the time of the project. The project has a website at http://www.reknow.fi

Smarter glasses (ended)

The project’s main objective is to create Smarter Glasses – an inexpensive open-source mobile system that accurately tracks the user’s gaze and mental state. The glasses are designed to be used in the context of the Internet of Things (IoT) but are also naturally useful for other purposes. The aim is to infer user-based outputs relevant from the IoT perspective – such as attention, intention, activity, arousal, vigilance, and cognitive load – and provide these in a reduced form for use with low-powered IoT receiver devices so that the user experience of various smart devices can be improved. Smarter glasses offer a scientifically novel way for studying user interaction, especially within the IoT framework. Also, no previous studies in psychology investigate the synchronization of feedback to eye movements and actions.

Smarter Glasses was an Academy Project in the ICT 2023 programme at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health where I was at the time of the project, funded by the Academy of Finland during 2015-2016. We coordinated the the research consortium, which consists of us and the Visual Cognition Research Group at the University of Helsinki.