Summer School 2024

Student Project Showcase

Summer School 2024

Imagine a space where visionaries from across disciplines come together to shape future possibilities. The IT:U Summer School 2024 invites Master’s and Ph.D. students from around the world to engage in two immersive weeks of cutting-edge exploration and collaborative creation.

Participants work in interdisciplinary teams of four, combining technical, social, artistic, and humanistic perspectives to tackle real-world challenges. Through expert-led lab rotations and hands-on workshops in six state-of-the-art LearnLabs —spanning XR, robotics, AI, design, motion, and interaction—students gain direct access to emerging digital tools and methods.

Timeline

The IT:U Summer School runs for two weeks, from 26 August to 6 September 2024. The program combines lab workshops, project-based collaboration, peer feedback, and expert input. Key highlights include team formation, science and industry talks, a mid-program excursion, and a final exhibition during the Ars Electronica Festival.

Projects

:all projects

Echo of Chaos

Echo of Chaos is a simulation-based exploration of neurodiversity and sensory perception. Set in a virtual office environment, the project uses biosensor and ambient data to simulate sensory overload, allowing neurotypical users to experience a glimpse of neurodivergent reality. Paired with structured in-person dialogue, the experience is designed to foster empathy, bridge sensory misunderstandings, and […]

inter_totem

inter_totem is a multisensory sculpture that transforms earth sensing data into sonic and tactile experience. Combining 3D modeling, clay work, and embedded electronics, the team created a totemic interface that communicates seismic activity through sound. By exploring the boundaries between natural phenomena and digital interpretation, the project reimagines how we can feel—rather than simply measure—the […]

IT:U for You (Academic Gift)

IT:U for You is a design research project that explores how gifts can carry meaning beyond utility—representing institutional identity, interdisciplinarity, and human connection. Using interview-based methods, the team investigated personal experiences of gift-giving and reception. The result is a modular desktop organizer inspired by the diversity of IT:U’s academic landscape. Made of multiple materials—each evoking […]

Care Connect

Care Connect is an AI-powered assistant platform designed to support hospital staff by automating environment monitoring and optimizing workflows. Using a user-friendly interface built with Python and a database-informed LLM, the system responds to real-time queries about factors like air quality, temperature, and humidity—key variables affecting patient recovery. The prototype includes an interactive robotic component […]

The HearthQuake

The HEarthQuake is an immersive virtual experience that translates seismic data into emotional understanding. Users explore a virtual landscape shaped by earthquake events, where land cracks and rhythmic pulses reflect seismic intensity. The project pairs Richter-scale data with human stories, inviting users to feel—not just read—the impact of earthquakes. Developed by an interdisciplinary team with […]

ForRest

ForRest is a virtual reality experience designed to support neurodiverse individuals during moments of stress and cognitive overload. The project centers on Joie, a fictional user navigating exam anxiety using a Muse EEG headband and biofeedback-integrated VR forest. As her mental state fluctuates, sound and visual stimuli adapt in real time, helping her regulate focus […]

Quote Code

Quote Code is a hybrid gift that blends the tactile with the digital—a physical object that opens into a virtual think tank. Inspired by IT:U’s interdisciplinary values, the box is a space for community voices, lighthearted insight, and functional design. It includes physical compartments and coded experiences filled with quotes, ideas, humor, and open-ended prompts […]

VerbaVision

VerbaVision is an immersive learning tool designed to support individuals with dyslexia through augmented and virtual reality. By reframing letters, numbers, and words in spatial and interactive forms, the experience allows users to engage with language in more intuitive and empowering ways. Drawing on cognitive psychology, sustainability, and educational design, the project aims to transform […]

TIESA – This Is Energy Saving Assistance

TIESA is a smart, simple, and scalable energy-saving assistant designed to make sustainability accessible to everyone. Shaped like a leaf, the device combines Raspberry Pi hardware, smart home sensors, and a conversational AI to provide personalized feedback on energy use. TIESA listens, learns, and leads—offering real-time visualizations, actionable advice, and lifestyle-aware optimization tips. Whether you’re […]