by Ankita Atrey
24 February 2025 · 6 min read

Tobias Langlotz joined Aarhus University in December 2024 as a Professor in the Ubiquitous Computing and Interaction group. With nearly 20 years of shaping the future of Mixed, Extended, Augmented, and Virtual Realities, he brings his deep background in visual computing, where blending computer graphics, computer vision, and human-computer interaction is almost second nature to him, into the forefront of this evolving field. His research focuses on vision augmentations through computerized glasses, helping tackle visual impairments and enhancing how we perceive the world around us.

Tobias is also at the forefront of developing telepresence solutions for real-time, immersive virtual tourism and advancing seamless, continuous Augmented Reality (Pervasive AR). As an active member of IEEE and ACM, he plays a key role in shaping the future of HCI, AR, and VR by serving as a reviewer and organizer at leading conferences.

Academic Background
Before joining Aarhus University, Tobias was a Full Professor at the University of Otago, co-leading the HCI group. His research focused on Computational Glasses, Vision Augmentations, wearable telepresence, AR/VR-based tourism, Mobile and Handheld AR, Spatial AR, and Holographic displays. His work was supported by two Marsden grants, a Royal Society Catalyst seed grant, an MBIE smart ideas grant, and backing from Snap Inc., Qualcomm, Lumus, Internet NZ, and Nokia. In 2013, Tobias earned a PhD in Computer Science from Graz University of Technology in Austria.

Could you tell us a bit about your current research?
Over the last year or two, I've focused on a few specific areas that will continue to be the focus of my work. One area that excites me is using AR technology to create computerized glasses. While devices like the Apple Vision Pro were originally developed for AR, I aim to think of them as actual glasses and explore how they can help compensate for visual impairments. I’m also interested in extending our vision capabilities beyond the typical, which is often referred to as "superhuman vision," though I don't love that term. Another area I’m passionate about is virtual tourism. The idea began when my grandma, who was in Germany while I was in New Zealand, wanted to see other countries but couldn’t travel. I thought it would be great if she could join me on the beach virtually. This evolved into the concept of virtual tourism—enabling someone to experience a place as if they were there, with the freedom to look around and feel as though they’re walking through the experience with someone else. This idea still fascinates me.        

Do you foresee any challenges in the field?
Augmented reality faces several challenges. When I started, AR was a niche research field, but now with companies like Meta and Apple involved, the competition has grown. Their impressive resources make it tough to compete in a university setting. This has pushed me to focus on impactful areas that are unfortunately often overlooked when targeting a wider user base, such as compensating visual impairments. Another challenge is thinking about the long-term future of research in this area. While previously we researched how we can enable Augmented Reality, we now must assume that in 10 years this technology will be omnipresent.  So how can we make it better and apply it to actual problems? To this end, ethical and privacy concerns have become more prominent in recent years, shaping my research toward making a meaningful difference in education and society. 

Could you discuss the impact of your research?
My research, especially in spatial augmented reality (SAR), has had some practical impact, although not always on a large scale. As a master's student, I worked on projection mapping (projecting images onto complex surfaces) and later helped create a company in this field. In my PhD work, I contributed to a software development kit used by thousands of developers, focusing on augmented reality. While augmented reality is not yet mainstream in everyday life, its applications in areas like medical training and professional fields are promising. I think AR has great potential for virtual tourism, where people can experience places, they can't physically visit. The impact on communication, collaboration, and education is something I strongly believe in.

What are your hobbies outside of work?
I enjoy hiking, I love the mountains and am looking forward to hiking in Norway. I also enjoy photography, surfing when I can, and spending time with my family. I am in a transition phase, adjusting to life in Denmark, but I'm hopeful that some of my old hobbies will stick, and maybe I'll pick up new ones.

Why did you choose Aarhus University?
Aarhus university has a strong reputation and the kind of research we do here in computer science, attracted me the most. The city is great, and our daughter is attending an excellent international school. Ultimately, it was the combination of the university’s strong program and the quality of life in the city that made Aarhus University the right choice for me.