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Hey there. I'm Jakob!

I am an interdisciplinary creative technologist with a research background. 

I develop systems at the interface of hardware, software and human-machine interaction. I work in an iterative manner, testing effectiveness and robustness and transforming complex technology into a usable and understandable form. I think scientifically. Empirical evidence, statistical evaluation and publishing are standard tools for me.


Education

  • BA Integrated Design, Köln International School of Design 

  • MA Integrated Design, Köln International School of Design

  • (Ongoing) BSc Computer Science, FernUniversität Hagen

Awards

  • Kölner Design Preis / Toby E. Rodes Award (Winner) 

  • Lucky Strike Junior Design Award (Special Recognition)

  • Hackaday Prize (Honorable Mention – Best Concept)

  • Golden Pin Concept Design Award (Design Mark Winner)

Skills

  • Domains: Interaction Design, Engineering, Research, Teaching, Sound

  • Tech Stack: Python, C/C++, Go, JS | AI/ML (Tensorflow/PyTorch) | Embedded (MCUs, IoT) | Web (Node.js, REST) | Creative Tools (OpenCV, Ableton, VVVV, Touch Designer,  Figma, Davinci Resolve) | CAD & Prototyping | Infra (Linux, Server, Docker, Git)

  • Languages: German (native), English (fluent)

  • Management: Organizational Design, Financial Planning

Publications (peer Reviewed)

  • Kilian, J., Neugebauer, A., Scherffig, L., & Wahl, S. (2022). The Unfolding Space Glove: A Wearable Spatio-Visual to Haptic Sensory Substitution Device for Blind People. Sensors22(5), 1859. DOI: 10.3390/s22051859

  • Flechtner, R., & Kilian, J. (2024). Making (Non-)sense—A playful and explorative approach to teaching ai intuition for the design of sensor-based interactions. Proceedings of the 6th Annual Symposium on HCI Education, 1–9. DOI: 10.1145/3658619.3658643