Research at the Department of Computing

Research in the Department of Computing is both theorethical and applied — we study new algorithms and methods to understand data, user experience, artificial intelligence, and collaborate widely accross many fields to apply our findings. Our research is motivated by the desire to improve our digitalised society, help to solve today's major societal and environmental challenges, and explore new possiblities of computing.

Research groups

Data Analytics: Algorithmics and Computational Intelligence

The research of the ACI (Algorithmics and Computational Intelligence) laboratory centers around techniques and methods for algorithm design and computational intelligence. We develop both theory and applications.

Professor Jukka Heikkonen

Professor Timo Knuutila

Professor Tapio Pahikkala

Data Analytics: Turku Data Science Group

The group's research combines theory and methods of algorithmic data analysis, with a particular focus on probabilistic machine learning, complex systems, high-throughput data analysis and statistical programming. The main application areas are in computational humanities and molecular life sciences.

Associate Professor Leo Lahti

Data Analytics: TurkuNLP Language Technology Group

The TurkuNLP group studies various aspects of natural language processing, human language technology and digital linguistics, with a distinct focus on machine learning methods. The group's research includes all aspects of machine learning, from corpus creation and data annotation to machine learning method development. In digital linguistics, the focus is on applying the methods to model language use in digital datasets. The group targets a wide variety of domains and languages, with a special but not exclusive focus on developing methods and resources for Finnish. TurkuNLP also has a long tradition in biomedical and clinical language processing in several languages. Some of the tools and resources developed by TurkuNLP have gained broad adoption in research as well as data science industry. TurkuNLP is cross-disciplinary, involving professors and researchers from several departments and schools of the University of Turku.

Professor Filip Ginter

Professor Veronika Laippala

University Research Fellow Sampo Pyysalo

Professor Tapio Salakoski

 

Software Engineering

The Software Engineering group researches technologies and engineering practices for constructing high-quality software for the increasingly complex systems of the digitalising society and industry. The research topics range from technical to conceptual: from software security techniques, programming languages, and user interface programming to software architectures, development methodologies, software business and ecosystem models, and software security and privacy by-design.

Professor Ville Leppänen

Assistant professor Tuomas Mäkilä

Professor Jaakko Järvi

Mixed Reality Group

The Mixed Reality Group researches augmented and virtual reality. The group collaborates with industry and institutions in developing mixed reality applications and gamified services.

Senior Researcher Teijo Lehtonen

Project Manager Kaapo Seppälä

Interaction Design

The Interaction Design group aims at improving software applications by bridging the gap between the developers and users. The group focuses especially on game design, digital art and interactive storytelling.

University Lecturer Jouni Smed

Cyber Security Engineering

Cyber Security Engineering group conducts research and develops technologies of societal digitalization and a secure information society. The core domains where the group develops and applies communication and cyber security technologies are autonomous vehicles and traffic, smart city and cyber society, and health and well-being.

Professor Seppo Virtanen

Professor Jouni Isoaho

Robotics and Autonomous Systems

The Robotics and Autonomous Systems unit carries out research in intelligent robotics, autonomous systems and edge computing. The unit develops robust and resilient heterogeneous multi-robot systems and cognitive computing solutions that can be deployed into practice in different application domains from search and rescue to industrial solutions. In particular, our research revolves around swarm robotics and distributed (robotic) systems from embedded intelligence (edge AI), energy efficiency and dependability perspectives.

Professor Juha Plosila

Professor Tomi Westerlund

Subgroups: Turku Intelligent Embedded & Robotic Systems Lab and Autonomous Systems Lab.

Digital Health Technology

Digital Health Technology group focuses on developing data-analytics based solutions to support health and well-being. Central to the group's research are machine learning based analysis methods, the use of wearable IoT devices for data collection, biosignal analytics, and connecting the results to the practical needs of consumers and clinical caregivers. The group leverages its research for developing AI based applications that allow implementing a more personalized and preventive approach to healthcare. As a practical example, the group has developed methods for detecting atrial fibrillation at home, where the biosignal is measured and analysed using a mobile phone.

Professor Pasi Liljeberg

Assistant professor Antti Airola

University Research Fellow Matti Kaisti

Project Manager Tero Koivisto

Future Technology Lab

The Future Technology Lab sources inspiration for its research from the challenges of the Global South. The engineering approach to apply and develop relevant interactive solutions is constructive and based on co-design with stakeholders in real-life contexts. The research, together with international academic and business partners and local emerging startups, aims at sustainable and inventive transformation in areas from context-aware learning to smart rural to next-generation tourism to digital theology.

Professor Erkki Sutinen

Phonetics

Research themes in Phonetics are Language Acquisition and Learning, and Speech Perception and Production.

Professor Maija Peltola

Most recent publications