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Researchers will analyse eye movements to better understand how people interact with software and digital systems
A new international partnership between Abertay and a university in Germany will support pioneering research aimed at improving the design of software, AI and digital technologies.
Academics at Abertay and Ostbayerische Technische Hochschule (OTH) Regensburg are using eye-tracking technology to explore how users navigate and respond to digital environments, generating insights that could help shape the next generation of digital tools.
Eye-tracking technology allows researchers to study where people look, what captures their attention and how they respond to information on screen. These insights can be applied in areas such as cybersecurity, software engineering, accessibility, user experience and video games.
Led by Dr Lynsay Shepherd at Abertay and Professor Jürgen Mottok at OTH Regensburg, the partnership builds on previous research exchanges supported by the Scottish Informatics and Computer Science Alliance (SICSA), as well as broader collaboration between the two institutions.
The universities have formalised the partnership through a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which will support joint research, co-authored publications and shared teaching opportunities, including guest lectures and collaborative student projects.
Dr Lynsay Shepherd said:
This MoU strengthens our international research partnerships and expands what's possible in eye-tracking research. By combining expertise and facilities, we can tackle bigger, bolder questions, work that directly feeds our Human-Centred Emerging Technologies Lab, where we're building safer, smarter and more inclusive digital experiences.
The collaboration is already producing results, including the recent publication A Cookbook for Eye Tracking in Software Engineering (ECSEE 2025), which brings together an international team of researchers working in the field.
Researchers will investigate how people process information, make decisions and engage with digital systems, generating insights with applications across cybersecurity, software engineering, user experience and games research.
The partnership will also support ongoing work at Abertay's Human-Centred Emerging Technologies Lab. Current and future projects led by Dr Shepherd use eye-tracking methods to examine security decision-making, user attention, trust in technology and interactions with AI-enabled systems.
The findings will help inform the development of safer, more effective and accessible digital technologies.
Professor Jürgen Mottok from OTH, said:
Collaboration is a powerful multiplier: working alone allows us to add knowledge and ideas, but working together enables us to multiply their impact.
