publications

dissertation

2024

1. User Agency and System Automation in Interactive Intelligent Systems

   Thomas Langerak

   2024

   Bib PDF

   @article{langerak2024user,
     title = {User Agency and System Automation in Interactive Intelligent Systems},
     author = {Langerak, Thomas},
     year = {2024},
     school = {ETH Zurich},
   }

work in progress

2025

1. Rile: Reiforced Imitation Learning

   Mert Albaba, Sammy Christen, Thomas Langerak, and 3 more authors

   In , 2025
2. Inverting POMDPs with Unknown Observation Functions and Rewards.

   Thomas Langerak, and Antti Oulasvirta

   In , 2025
3. Learned Latent Rational Control for Modeling Human Gaze Behavior

   Thomas Langerak, and Antti Oulasvirta

   In , 2025

peer-reviewed

2026

1. CHI

   Cost-Aware Bayesian Optimization for Prototyping Interactive Devices

   Thomas Langerak, Renate Zhang, Ziyuan Wang, and 2 more authors

   In Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI ’26), April 13–17, 2026, Barcelona, Spains, 2026

   Honourable Mention Best Paper Award

   Bib

   @inproceedings{langerak2026cabop,
     author = {Langerak, Thomas and Zhang, Renate and Wang, Ziyuan and Kristensson, Per Ola and Oulasvirta, Antti},
     booktitle = {Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26), April 13--17, 2026, Barcelona, Spains},
     title = {Cost-Aware Bayesian Optimization for Prototyping Interactive Devices},
     year = {2026},
     doi = {10.1145/3772318.3791024},
     award = {Honourable Mention Best Paper Award},
     award_name = {Honourable Mention Best Paper Award}
   }

2025

1. TiiS

   XAIUI: User Belief-Driven Explainable AI for Context-Aware Adaptive Interfaces

   Thomas Langerak, Kashyap Todi, Ben Lafreniere, and 2 more authors

   In ACM Transactions on Interactive Intelligent Systems, 2025

   Bib

   @inproceedings{langerak2025xaiui,
     title = {XAIUI: User Belief-Driven Explainable AI for Context-Aware Adaptive Interfaces},
     author = {Langerak, Thomas and Todi, Kashyap and Lafreniere, Ben and Desai, Ruta and Jonker, Tanya},
     booktitle = {ACM Transactions on Interactive Intelligent Systems},
     year = {2025},
     publisher = {ACM New York, NY}
   }

2024

1. IEEE - ToM

   Utilizing Synthetic Data in Supervised Learning for Robust 5-DoF Magnetic Marker Localization

   Mengfan Wu*, Thomas Langerak*, Otmar Hilliges, and 1 more author

   In IEEE Transactions on Magnetics, 2024

   Bib

   @inproceedings{wu2024magtrack,
     author = {Wu*, Mengfan and Langerak*, Thomas and Hilliges, Otmar and Zarate, Juan},
     booktitle = {IEEE Transactions on Magnetics},
     title = {Utilizing Synthetic Data in Supervised Learning for Robust 5-DoF Magnetic Marker Localization},
     year = {2024},
     doi = {10.1109/TMAG.2024.3416729},
   }

2. EICS

   MARLUI: Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning for Adaptive Point-and-Click UIs

   Thomas Langerak, Sammy Christen, Mert Albaba, and 3 more authors

   In Proc. ACM HCI, 2024

   Bib

   @inproceedings{langerak2022marlui,
     title = {MARLUI: Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning for Adaptive Point-and-Click UIs},
     author = {Langerak, Thomas and Christen, Sammy and Albaba, Mert and Gebhardt, Christoph and Holz, Christian and Hilliges, Otmar},
     booktitle = {Proc. ACM HCI},
     year = {2024},
   }

2021

1. CHI - RL4HCI

   Generalizing User Models through Hybrid Hierarchical Control

   Thomas Langerak, Sammy Christen, Anna Maria Feit, and 1 more author

   In CHI Workshop on Reinforcement Learning for HCI, 2021

   Bib

   @inproceedings{langerak2021generalizing,
     title = {Generalizing User Models through Hybrid Hierarchical Control},
     author = {Langerak, Thomas and Christen, Sammy and Feit, Anna Maria and Hilliges, Otmar},
     booktitle = {CHI Workshop on Reinforcement Learning for HCI},
     year = {2021},
   }

2. WHC

   Hedgehog: Handheld spherical pin array based on a central electromagnetic actuator

   Aline Abler, Juan Zárate, Thomas Langerak, and 2 more authors

   In 2021 IEEE World Haptics Conference (WHC), 2021

   Bib

   @inproceedings{abler2021hedgehog,
     title = {Hedgehog: Handheld spherical pin array based on a central electromagnetic actuator},
     author = {Abler, Aline and Z{\'a}rate, Juan and Langerak, Thomas and Vechev, Velko and Hilliges, Otmar},
     booktitle = {2021 IEEE World Haptics Conference (WHC)},
     pages = {133--138},
     year = {2021},
     organization = {IEEE},
     award_name = {Honourable Mention Best Paper Award}
   }

2020

1. HAPTICS

   Contact-free nonplanar haptics with a spherical electromagnet

   Juan Jose Zarate*, Thomas Langerak*, Bernhard Thomaszewski, and 1 more author

   In 2020 IEEE Haptics Symposium (HAPTICS), 2020

   Bib

   @inproceedings{zarate2020contact,
     title = {Contact-free nonplanar haptics with a spherical electromagnet},
     author = {Zarate*, Juan Jose and Langerak*, Thomas and Thomaszewski, Bernhard and Hilliges, Otmar},
     booktitle = {2020 IEEE Haptics Symposium (HAPTICS)},
     pages = {698--704},
     year = {2020},
     organization = {IEEE},
   }

2. UIST

   Optimal control for electromagnetic haptic guidance systems

   Thomas Langerak, Juan José Zárate, Velko Vechev, and 3 more authors

   In Proceedings of the 33rd Annual ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology, 2020

   Bib

   @inproceedings{langerak2020optimal,
     title = {Optimal control for electromagnetic haptic guidance systems},
     author = {Langerak, Thomas and Z{\'a}rate, Juan Jos{\'e} and Vechev, Velko and Lindlbauer, David and Panozzo, Daniele and Hilliges, Otmar},
     booktitle = {Proceedings of the 33rd Annual ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology},
     pages = {951--965},
     year = {2020},
   }

3. UIST

   Omni: Volumetric sensing and actuation of passive magnetic tools for dynamic haptic feedback

   Thomas Langerak*, Juan José Zárate*, David Lindlbauer, and 2 more authors

   In Proceedings of the 33rd Annual ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology, 2020

   Bib

   @inproceedings{langerak2020omni,
     title = {Omni: Volumetric sensing and actuation of passive magnetic tools for dynamic haptic feedback},
     author = {Langerak*, Thomas and Z{\'a}rate*, Juan Jos{\'e} and Lindlbauer, David and Holz, Christian and Hilliges, Otmar},
     booktitle = {Proceedings of the 33rd Annual ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology},
     pages = {594--606},
     year = {2020},
   }

2019

1. UIST

   A demonstration on dynamic drawing guidance via electromagnetic haptic feedback

   Thomas Langerak, Juan Zarate, Velko Vechev, and 2 more authors

   In Adjunct Proceedings of the 32nd Annual ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology, 2019

   Bib

   @inproceedings{langerak2019demonstration,
     title = {A demonstration on dynamic drawing guidance via electromagnetic haptic feedback},
     author = {Langerak, Thomas and Zarate, Juan and Vechev, Velko and Panozzo, Daniele and Hilliges, Otmar},
     booktitle = {Adjunct Proceedings of the 32nd Annual ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology},
     pages = {110--112},
     year = {2019},
   }

2018

1. UIST

   Aalto Interface Metrics (AIM) A Service and Codebase for Computational GUI Evaluation

   Antti Oulasvirta, Samuli De Pascale, Janin Koch, and 8 more authors

   In Adjunct Proceedings of the 31st Annual ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology, 2018

   Bib

   @inproceedings{oulasvirta2018aalto,
     title = {Aalto Interface Metrics (AIM) A Service and Codebase for Computational GUI Evaluation},
     author = {Oulasvirta, Antti and De Pascale, Samuli and Koch, Janin and Langerak, Thomas and Jokinen, Jussi and Todi, Kashyap and Laine, Markku and Kristhombuge, Manoj and Zhu, Yuxi and Miniukovich, Aliaksei and others},
     booktitle = {Adjunct Proceedings of the 31st Annual ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology},
     pages = {16--19},
     year = {2018},
   }