Adaptive Assistance for Visual Search in VR

The Computer Science Laboratory of Le Mans University (LIUM) is offering a PhD position in Human Learning Environments (EIAH), starting in October 2026 (Laval site). This research work is at the intersection of EIAH, immersive virtual reality, and cognitive sciences, with a focus on Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). It aims to design an adaptive assistance system to analyze and support visual search strategies for objects in a virtual environment.

The PhD focuses on:

• Adaptive generation of activities through approaches inspired by Bayesian methods,
• Exploitation of behavioral and eye-tracking data in VR,
• Integration between algorithmic adaptation and human expertise,
• Modeling of visual processing profiles.

The objective is to design a device that allows for the exploration, characterization, and personalized support of visual search strategies, with a view to transferring these to real-life situations.

Supervision:
Sébastien George (PR, LIUM – IEIAH)
Pierre Laforcade & Erwan David (MCF, LIUM – IEIAH)
https://lium.univ-lemans.fr/lium/ieiah/

Public funding alone (i.e. government, region, European, international organization research grant)

The work of the IEIAH team, led by Pr. Iza MARFISI, primarily falls within the domain of Technology-enhanced learning (TEL) as well as Software Engineering and Human-Computer Interaction. More specifically, the team specializes in TEL engineering, whose uniqueness lies in a vision of the engineering process as continuous design.

Computer Science

France

Université du Mans

École doctorale Mathématiques et Sciences et Technologies du numérique, de l’Information et de la Communication (MaSTIC)

• Master 2 or Engineering degree in Computer Science.
• Experience/competencies in educational technologies (EIAH) or cognitive sciences would be an asset.
• Additional experience/competencies in VR/I would also be valuable.
• Excellent written and reading proficiency in English.