Welcome!

Hello, I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Patras, Greece. I am a member of the Interactive Technologies Laboratory and an expert member within the International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP) on the TC-13 Human-Computer Interaction Group.

My research is related to the design, development and evaluation of information systems with an emphasis in human-computer interaction, usable-security, human cognitive modeling and cultural heritage. Published research papers in top-ranked scientific venues, which received awards, (co-) supervised Ph.D. and M.Sc. students, and coordinated several EU-funded and National research projects.    I am fluent in German, English and Greek.

Email: fidas AT upatras.gr :: LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fidas

Find me also at

Project Coordinator in EU and National Research Projects

National Project AILA :: #phishing #cybersecurity #artifical intelligence #legal advice #information systems
Artificial Intelligence-driven Framework and Legal Advice Tools for Phishing Prevention and Mitigation in Information Systems (€160,000, 2023-2025, Project Coordinator & Principal Investigator). Funding Agency: Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation (H.F.R.I.).

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EU Project CREAMS :: #mixedreality #augmentedreality #virtualreality #artstudents #exhibitions
Scaffolding Creativity of Arts Students: Framework, Toolchain, and Educational Material on how to Create their Own Virtual Exhibitions (€382,644, 2022-2025, Project Coordinator & Principal Investigator). Funding Agency: European Commission. More info: CREAMS Project Website

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National Project CogniX :: #electroencephalography #eyetracking #cognition
Electroencephalography and Eye Gaze-driven Framework for Intelligent and Real-Time Human Cognitive Modelling (€194,295, 2022-2024, Project Coordinator & Principal Investigator). Funding Agency: Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation (H.F.R.I.). More info: COGNIX Project Website

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EU Project TRUSTID :: #cybersecurity #userauthentication #biometrics
Intelligent and Continuous Online Student Identity Management for Improving Security and Trust in European Higher Education Institutions (€291,310, 2021-2023, Project Coordinator & Principal Investigator). Funding Agency: European Commission. More info: TRUSTID Project Website

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National Project DeAR Museum :: #mixedreality #virtualreality #culturalheritage
Development and production of augmented and virtual reality applications supporting narrative tours at the Tomato Industrial Museum in order to convey a personalized experience to the visitors of an old factory (€300,000, 2021-2023, Principal Investigator). Funding Agency: Research-Create-Innovate. More info: DeAR Museum Project Website

Highlights

CHIGREECE 2023:

[Publications - July 2023] We are happy to announce that we will be participating at the 2nd International Conference of the ACM Greek SIGCHI Chapter. (CHIGREECE 2023) with three paper publications. The titles of our papers are: 1. Investigating Applicability Heuristics of Answer Set Programming in Game Development: Use Cases and Empirical Study. 2. Use of XR technologies for enhancing visitors' experience at industrial museums. 3. Methodologies and Ethical Considerations in Phishing Research: A Comprehensive Review.

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[New Project & Research Funding - June 2023] We are excited for the approval of our research proposal, "AILA: Artificial Intelligence-driven Framework and Legal Advice Tools for Phishing Prevention and Mitigation in Information Systems", which has been granted funding of €160,000.00 from the Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation (H.F.R.I.) .

Info: This project is a collaboration with the Law School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. This project will explore the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and legal advice tools to prevent and mitigate phishing attacks in information systems. Our goal is to develop a comprehensive framework that can detect and respond to phishing attacks more effectively, ultimately improving the security and reliability of information systems.
As part of this project, we will be recruiting two PhD students to join our team. The successful candidates will have the opportunity to work on cutting-edge research, contribute to the development of a new cybersecurity framework, and collaborate with experts in artificial intelligence, law, and information systems.

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[Publications - May 2023] We are happy to announce that our lab will be participating at the 19th IFIP TC.13 International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction (INTERACT 2023) with three paper publications. The titles of our papers are:
1. Extending User Interaction with Mixed Reality through a Smartphone-based Controller
2. Exploring the Potential of Metaverse Apps for Real-World Applications: A Case Study with CALEND_AR
3. Influences of Cognitive Styles on EEG-based Activity: An Empirical Study on Visual Content Comprehension (Poster)

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[Publication - May & July 2023] We are delighted to announce the publication of the following two research papers which were conducted as part of the TRUST-ID project. It is a culmination of our efforts in the project, which has now successfully concluded.
a) Title: "Ensuring Academic Integrity and Trust in Online Learning Environments: A Longitudinal Study of an AI-Centered Proctoring System in Tertiary Educational Institutions", in Education Sciences. To learn more, please check out the full article https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13060566.

Abstract: The credibility of online examinations in Higher Education is hardened by numerous factors and use-case scenarios. This paper reports on a longitudinal study, that spanned over eighteen months, in which various stakeholders from three European Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) participated, aiming to identify core threat scenarios experienced during online examinations, and to, accordingly, propose threat models, data metrics and countermeasure features that HEI learning management systems can embrace to address the identified threat scenarios. We also report on a feasibility study of an open-source intelligent and continuous student identity management system, namely TRUSTID, which implements the identified data metrics and countermeasures. A user evaluation with HEI students (n = 133) revealed that the TRUSTID system is resilient and effective against impersonation attacks, based on intelligent face and voice identification mechanisms, and scored well in usability and user experience. Aspects concerning the preservation of privacy in storing, retrieving and processing sensitive personal data are also discussed.

b) Title: "Continuous user identification in distance learning: a recent technology perspective.", in Smart Learning Environments. To learn more, please check out the full article https://doi.org/10.1186/s40561-023-00255-9.

Abstract: The worldwide shift to distance learning at Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) during the COVID-19 global pandemic has raised several concerns about the credibility of online academic activities, especially regarding student identity management. Traditional online frameworks cannot guarantee the authenticity of the enrolled student, which requires instructors to manually verify their identities, a time-consuming task that compromises academic quality. This article presents a comprehensive review of existing efforts around continuous user identification, focusing on intelligent proctoring systems and automatic identification methods, as well as their applicability in this domain. We conclude that there is a clear need for continuous user identification technology by HEIs, but existing systems lack agile system integration models that combine many inputs, such as face, voice and behavioural data in a practical manner, and encounter numerous barriers related to data protection during implementation.

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[Workshop Chair - April 2023] We are happy to announce the 1st International Workshop on Accessibility and Multimodal Interaction Design Approaches in Museums for People with Impairments, which is set to take place alongside the MobileHCI 2023 conference.

Workshop Abstract: This workshop focuses on methods, tools, and techniques to design and develop mobile museum applications for people with impairments. More specifically, the research that will be presented will relate to technological solutions that support museum visitors with visual, motor, dexterity, hearing, and cognitive impairments. The rationale for the workshop is premised on the significance of providing meaningful and engaging museum experiences to visitors through mobile applications with customized interfaces adapted to the characteristics of various groups of people with special needs. Furthermore, the use of Mixed Reality, i.e., the combination of real and virtual worlds, will be addressed in connection with the quest to foster access and inclusion with regard to museums, and empowerment of people with impairments. The workshop's primary goal is to bring together leading experts to discuss the field's challenges and propose solutions concerning methods, tools, and techniques in HCI, present their research on user requirements, and system design to advance knowledge with the view to optimizing uses of emerging technologies for enhancing cultural inclusion.

We are delighted to have Alan Dix as one of our invited speakers, who will share valuable insights and perspectives. We invite submissions from the research community to contribute their innovative ideas, empirical studies, and design approaches in this important domain. This workshop promises to be an engaging platform for knowledge exchange, collaboration, and the advancement of accessible and multimodal museum interaction design. [More info]

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[Opening to Society Activity - March 2023] We are happy to share that the we hosted a group of 29 third-grade students from the High School - L.T. Farron , providing them with a unique opportunity to learn about our research in Brain Computer Interaction. As part of the visit, we demonstrated our state-of-the-art Mixed Reality apparatus, which received great interest and engagement from the young students.

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[Publication - February 2023] We are excited to announce the publication of our research paper: Title: "A Review of EEG-Based User Authentication: Trends and Future Research Directions", in IEEE ACCESS. To learn more, please check out the full article https://10.1109/ACCESS.2023.3253026.

Abstract: Recently, the use of Electroencephalography (EEG) in scientific research on User Authentication (UA) has led to cutting-edge experiments that seek to identify and authenticate individuals based on their brain activity in particular usage scenarios. Utilizing EEG signals, derived from brain activity, might provide innovative solutions to contemporary security issues in traditional knowledge-based user authentication, including the threat of shoulder surfing. In this review paper, we analyze 108 different EEG-based user authentication experiments based on the following perspectives: a) the user experimental setup, with an emphasis on the applied EEG- protocols; b) the artificial intelligence techniques employed and finally c) the security and privacy preservation aspects. The reviewed papers cover a broad time frame from 1998 to 2022 and include various experimental protocols and algorithms used for classifying EEG signals. Additionally, the majority of the referenced works report findings from multiple experiments that incorporate distinct approaches and configurations. This leads to a discussion on best practices for EEG-based User Authentication and conclusions suggesting future research directions that consists, among others, of considering homomorphically encrypted biometric templates for information leakage prevention through federated learning approaches in decentralized architectures. We anticipate that the present literature review will provide a roadmap for future research by considering efficiently and effective EEG-based User Authentication methods while at the same time preserving privacy.

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[Keynote Speech - November 2022] Happy to share my Keynote Speech at the 17th IEEE International Workshop on Semantic and Social Media Adaptation & Personalization.

Summary: Scientific evidence underpins that humans differentiate in their inherent way to perceive and process visual information and that these differences in visual information processing immensely affect user experience and task execution in various application domains. This becomes even more relevant within virtual or mixed interaction contexts and applications which by definition necessitate from end-users to perform advanced visual information processing tasks that entails visual attention, search, processing and comprehension. In this talk we will present our recent research efforts which are focused on understanding the interplay among human cognition, visual behaviour and user experience within virtual and mixed reality interaction contexts. By doing this, we aim at building human cognition-centered user models based on users visual behaviour patterns that can serve as a basis for personalizing user interaction aiming to improve user experience within virtual or mixed reality applications.

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[Publication - August 2022] We are delighted that our longitudinal research that spanned over two years and embraced three public European healthcare organizations, with 169 participants, has been published at ACM Transactions on Computing for Healthcare. Title: "Security and Usability of a Personalized User Authentication Paradigm: Insights from a Longitudinal Study with Three Healthcare Organizations" DOI: https://doi.org/10.1145/3564610

Abstract: This paper proposes a user-adaptable and personalized authentication paradigm for healthcare organizations, which anticipates to seamlessly reflect patients episodic and autobiographical memories to graphical and textual passwords aiming to improve the security strength of user-selected passwords and provide a positive user experience. We report on a longitudinal study that spanned over two years in which three public European healthcare organizations participated in order to design and evaluate the aforementioned paradigm. Three studies were conducted (N=169) with different stakeholders: i) a verification study aiming to identify existing authentication practices of the three healthcare organizations with diverse stakeholders (N=9); ii) a patient-centric feasibility study during which users interacted with the proposed authentication system (N=68); and iii) a human guessing attack study focusing on vulnerabilities among people sharing common experiences within location-aware images used for graphical passwords (N=92). Results revealed that the suggested paradigm scored high with regards to users' likeability, perceived security, usability and trust, but more importantly it assists the creation of more secure passwords. On the downside, the suggested paradigm introduces password guessing vulnerabilities from individuals sharing common experiences with the end-users. Findings are expected to scaffold the design of more patient-centric knowledge-based authentication mechanisms within nowadays dynamic computation realms.

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[Publication - July 2022] We are happy that our paper "Supporting People with Visual Impairments in Cultural Heritage: Survey and Future Research Directions" has been accepted at the International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 2022. - Impact Factor: 4.920
Authors: Sylaiou S., Fidas C. (2022)- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2022.2098930

Abstract: This literature review surveys published research that aims to foster blind and visually impaired (VI) people's engagement with cultural heritage. Fifty (50) papers are included in this survey, published between 2008 and 2021. They mostly focus on multisensory, multimodal, and interdisciplinary, ICT-based assistive human- centered computing approaches. These methods often optimize the user experience of VI-user's through an effort to gain an in-depth understanding of this special group's needs and accordingly design adaptive and adaptable interaction workflows. Moreover, several publications include user evaluations and empirical studies. Findings suggest that approaches tend to become more complex, multimodal, and multidisciplinary as time progresses. This leads to a discussion and conclusions suggesting future research directions in this domain. The proposed way forward relates to a synthesis of methodologies, scientific domains, and approaches into a more holistic, comprehensive, and synergetic model.

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[Research Equipment - May 2022] We are happy to announce further extension of our laboratory research infrastructure by acquiring cutting-edge equipment with a total amount >50K. Among others, we obtained a state-of-the-art 41-channel Electroencephalography (EEG) device, a mixed-reality hands-free controllable headset and couple of eye-tracking lens. We aspire to design and conduct EEG multi-modal experiments to measure cognitive traits within innovative breakthrough interaction realms like MR/AR and VR and gesture control along with visual and/or acoustic stimuli. Moreover, we aim to develop and evaluate an electroencephalography based framework for intelligent real-time modeling of user cognitive intentions, thus laying the ground for ground-breaking advancements in various Brain Computer Interaction research fields. More info: COGNIX Project Website

[view more]

Patents

• Greek Industrial Property Organisation (OVI): Methods and tools to support and monitor in real time visitors of the World Wide Web (N. Patent No. 1004805.OVI, INT. CL G06F 17/60, g06f 15/163)

Honors and Awards

• UMUAI James Chen Award for Best Paper of 2019 (November 2020)
  Research paper entitled "A Cognition-centered Personalization Framework for Cultural Heritage Content"
• Seal of Excellence - Horizon 2020 Marie Sklodowska-Curie actions call H2020-MSCA-IF-2016
  For a high-quality project proposal in a highly competitive evaluation process, namely CogniPass - Cognition - based Personalised Authentication SchemeS [Seal of Excellence]
• Best Paper Nomination Award and Honourable Mention at UMAP 2014 Conference (July 2014)
  Research paper entitled "A Personalisation Method based on Human Factors for Improving Usability of User Authentication Tasks"
• Best Paper Award at SouthCHI 2013 Conference (July 2013)
  Research paper entitled "Towards the Personalization of CAPTCHA Mechanisms based on Individual Differences in Cognitive Processing"

Publications

Journals (Selected Publications). Please see a full list of publications in Google Scholar

Springer Open - Smart Learning Environments
Continuous user identification in distance learning: a recent technology perspective.

Portugal, D., Faria, J.N., Belk, M. et al.
Smart Learning Environments, 2023 - Impact Factor: 4.8
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40561-023-00255-9

IEEE ACCESS
A Review of EEG-Based User Authentication: Trends and Future Research Directions

Fidas, C., Lyras, D.
IEEE ACCESS, 2023 - Impact Factor: 3.476
DOI: https://10.1109/ACCESS.2023.3253026

ACM Transactions on Computing for Healthcare
Security and Usability of a Personalized User Authentication Paradigm: Insights from a Longitudinal Study with Three Healthcare Organizations

Constantinides, A., Belk, M., Fidas, C., et al.
ACM Transactions on Computing for Healthcare, 2022
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1145/3564610

Taylor & Francis IJHCI
Supporting People with Visual Impairments in Cultural Heritage: Survey and Future Research Directions

Sylaiou, S., Fidas, C.
International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 2022, Taylor & Francis, 2022 - Impact Factor: 4.920
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2022.2098930

Elsevier IJHCS
From hot-spots towards experience-spots: Leveraging on users' sociocultural experiences to enhance security in cued-recall graphical authentication

Constantinides, A., Fidas, C., Belk, M., Pietron, A., Han, T., Pitsillides, A.
International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 149, Elsevier, 2021 - Impact Factor: 3.16
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhcs.2021.102602

Springer UMUAI
A cognition-centered personalization framework for cultural heritage content

Raptis, G., Fidas, C., Katsini, C., Avouris, N.
User Modeling and User-Adapted Interaction (UMUAI). The Journal of Personalization Research, 29(1), 9-65, Springer, 2019 - Impact Factor: 4.68, James Chen Award for best paper of 2019
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11257-019-09226-7

ACM JOCCH
Do game designers' decisions related to visual activities affect knowledge acquisition in cultural heritage games? An evaluation from a human cognitive processing perspective

Raptis, G., Fidas, C., Avouris, N.
ACM Journal on Computing and Cultural Heritage 12, 1, Article 4, ACM Press, 2019 - Impact Factor: 1.72
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1145/3292057

T&F IJHCI
A human-cognitive perspective of users' password choices in recognition-based graphical authentication

Katsini, C., Fidas, C., Belk, M., Samaras, G., Avouris, N.
International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 35(19), 1800-1812, 2019, Taylor & Francis, 2019 - Impact Factor: 1.71
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2019.1574057

Elsevier IJHCS
Effects of mixed-reality on players' behaviour and immersion in a cultural tourism game: A cognitive processing perspective

Raptis, G., Fidas, C.A., Avouris, N.
International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 69-79, Elsevier, 2018 - Impact Factor: 3.16
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhcs.2018.02.003

Elsevier CHB
The interplay between humans, technology and user authentication: a cognitive processing perspective

Belk M., Fidas C., Germanakos P., Samaras G.
Computers in Human Behavior, 76, 184-200, Elsevier, 2017 - Impact Factor: 5
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2017.06.042

Elsevier IJHCS
Do human cognitive differences in information processing affect preference and performance of captcha?

Belk M., Fidas C., Germanakos P., Samaras G.
International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 84, 1-18, Elsevier, 2015 - Impact Factor: 3.16
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhcs.2015.07.002

Oxford Uni. Press
A personalized user authentication approach based on individual differences in information processing

Belk M., Fidas C., Germanakos P., Samaras G.
Interacting with Computers, 27(6), Oxford University Press, 2015 - Impact Factor: 1.03
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/iwc/iwu033

Elsevier Comp. Ed.
Heterogeneity of learning material in synchronous computer-supported collaborative modelling

Fidas, C.A., Komis, V., Tzanavaris, S., Avouris, N.
Computers and Education, 44(2), 135-154, Elsevier, 2005 - Impact Factor: 5.29
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2004.02.001

Education and Information Technologies
Computer-supported collaborative concept mapping: Study of synchronous peer interaction

Komis, V., Avouris, N., Fidas, C.
Education and Information Technologies, 7(2), 169-188, Springer, 2002
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A%3A1020309927987

Projects

Project Coordinator and Principal Investigator

• National Research Project AILA: Artificial Intelligence-driven Framework and Legal Advice Tools for Phishing Prevention and Mitigation in Information Systems (€160,000, 2023-2025, Project Coordinator, Principal Investigator). Funding Agency: Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation (H.F.R.I.)
• EU Project CREAMS: Scaffolding Creativity of Arts Students: Framework, Toolchain, and Educational Material on how to Create their Own Virtual Exhibitions (€382,644, 2022-2025, Project Coordinator, Principal Investigator). Funding Agency: European Commission, Greek State Scholarships Foundation
• National Research Project CogniX: Electroencephalography and Eye Gaze-driven Framework for Intelligent and Real-Time Human Cognitive Modelling (€194,295, 2022-2024, Project Coordinator, Principal Investigator). Funding Agency: Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation (H.F.R.I.)
• EU Research Project TRUSTID: Intelligent and Continuous Online Student Identity Management for Improving Security and Trust in European Higher Education Institutions (€291,310, 2021-2023, Project Coordinator, Principal Investigator). Funding Agency: European Commission, Greek State Scholarships Foundation. Call: Strategic Partnerships in Response to the COVID-19 Situation: Partnerships for Digital Education Readiness in the field of Higher Education (KA226)
• National Research Project DeAR Museum: Development and production of augmented and virtual reality applications supporting narrative tours at the Tomato Industrial Museum (€300,000, 2021-2023, Principal Investigator). Funding Agency: Research-Create-Innovate

Work Package Leader and Researcher, and Project Manager

• H2020-SERUMS: Securing Medical Data in Smart Patient-Centric Healthcare Systems (2019-2021, WP5 - User Authentication and Trust) - http://serums-smartpatient.com/
• FP7-CR-PLAY: Capture Reconstruct Play (2013-2016, WP5 Leader - Formative and Summative Evaluation) - http://www.cr-play.eu
• FP7-SERIES: Seismic Engineering Research Infrastructures for European Synergies (2009-2013, Lead of Information Systems Architecture Design and Implementation) - http://www.series.upatras.gr
• FP6-QALIBRA: Quality of life-integrated benefit and risk analysis web-based tool for assessing food safety and health benefits (2006-2010, Lead of Evaluation) - http://www.qalibra.eu
• FP6 e-Ten-COMMODE: Collaborative modeling environment (2005-2006, Lead of Evaluation and Pilot Studies)
• IST-MODELLINGSPACE: Space of ideas expression modeling and collaboration (2001-2004, Software Engineer)

Prototypes

CogniKit: An Extensible Tool for Human Cognitive Modeling based on Eye Gaze Analysis

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HoloPass: Picture Passwords in Mixed Reality

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Security through Play: A Playful Interaction Design in Mixed Reality for Improving Graphical Password Security

Teaching

Academic Service

Advising

Scientific Community Service

Review Service in International Journals and Conferences