On Friday, August 28, 2026, the XRAI Lab hosted Simon Saurbier for an ISE seminar on human–machine symbiosis. Simon heads the Human–Machine Systems Research Group at IPEK – Institute of Product Engineering at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany, where he also leads the Human–Machine Symbiosis Laboratory.
The talk
Simon walked us through effect-equivalent human representation — an approach to representing a person inside a test setup so that the interaction between human and machine can be reproduced rather than observed once. He then connected that idea to two lines of work in his group: smart exoskeletons that sense and adapt to the wearer, and human modeling, positioned within the broader agenda of designing human–machine systems that are genuinely user-centered.
The discussion
The conversation ran well past the methods themselves. Two threads dominated: how you validate a representation of this kind against real users, and where the balance between humans and robotics is headed — what stays with the person, what shifts to the machine, and who decides.
The room was full, with faculty and students from human factors, robotics, wearable and assistive systems, and product design. Thanks to Simon for making the trip, and to everyone who came out on a Friday morning.
