Kickoff Meeting
The Synergia consortium officially launched the project with a kickoff meeting hosted at the Chair for Computer Aided Medical Procedures (CAMP), Technical University of Munich.
The event brought together researchers from Technical University of Munich and TU Dresden, together with our clinical and industrial collaborators, to establish the scientific roadmap of the project and discuss future interdisciplinary research directions.
Arrival & exchange
Networking over lunch
The day began with informal networking during lunch, providing an opportunity for participants from different disciplines to get to know one another before the scientific sessions.
Scientific programme
A shared vision for Synergia
A series of presentations introduced the project's vision, research objectives, and planned activities in multisensory perception, human–AI interaction, immersive technologies, sonification, and clinical translation.
Research discussion
Multisensory perception in focus
The sessions connected fundamental questions about multisensory processing with the practical challenge of designing auditory feedback that can lower cognitive load, increase salience, and support action in demanding clinical settings.
Collaboration highlights
Clinical Collaboration
Clinical perspectives
Prof. Peter Issa and PD Dr. med. Carmen Baumann contributed valuable clinical perspectives and joined discussions on translational research, future experimental studies, and close collaboration between engineering and medicine.
Industrial Collaboration
SynthesEyes GmbH
SynthesEyes develops realistic simulation environments for vitreoretinal surgery. This expertise will support upcoming immersive multisensory research and validation throughout the Synergia project.
Laboratory Demonstration
Spatial audio in practice
A live demonstration showcased immersive spatial audio technologies and ongoing research prototypes, prompting discussion of future collaborative experiments.
Programme
Meeting Agenda
An afternoon of presentations, discussion, and hands-on laboratory exchange.
Welcome and Introduction
Dr. Sasan Matinfar
Project Vision and Motivation
Dr. Sasan Matinfar
Multisensory Perception and Human-AI Interaction
Prof. Dr. Merle Fairhurst
AI, Automation, and the Future of Surgical Assistance
Prof. Dr. Nassir Navab
Open Discussion and Q&A
Coffee Break
Transfer to Narvis Lab
Lab Visit, Spatial Audio Preview, and Discussion
Laboratory visit
From discussion to demonstration
The afternoon concluded with a guided visit to the CAMP Sonification & Ambisonics Laboratory. Participants experienced live demonstrations of the laboratory infrastructure, immersive spatial audio technologies, and ongoing research prototypes.
A foundation for collaboration
Overall, the kickoff meeting successfully established the scientific vision of the consortium while strengthening collaboration between researchers, clinicians, and industry. The demonstrations sparked engaging discussions about future experiments and collaborative research opportunities.