Description of the thesis topic

This PhD project aims to explore the use of Mixed Reality (MR) in the context of memory work. More specifically, the research will focus on the role of Nazi internment and transit camps during the Second World War.
The central research question is:
Can Mixed Reality be used to support memory work related to the role of internment and deportation camps during WWII, and what impact would such experiences have on visitors?
The thesis will focus on the design of various features of MR environments and propose an experimental study to evaluate the impact of these different MR forms on memory work. This includes examining the influence of realism, interactivity, visitor/narrator roles, narrative and emotional strategies, personalization, perspective, and interaction types.
According to Hageneuer (2020), two of the main benefits of Mixed Reality for museums and memorial sites are that the visitor feels at the center of the exhibition and can actively make decisions. Unlike a traditional visit, MR enables non-linear storytelling. Wickens (1992) emphasized that interactions are the foundation of active learner engagement and foster knowledge acquisition and retention, as opposed to passive reception in traditional teaching.
Some advantages of MR are now well documented, but it remains unclear whether it specifically promotes memory work compared to a traditional visit. Here, memory work refers to the processes of remembering the past, creating links to historical understanding, and cultivating vigilance.
For example, Stapleton and Davies (2011) designed an Augmented Reality system telling the Holocaust story from the perspective of a teenager who witnessed the rise of fascism through diary entries. Their study showed that audiences experienced such an emotionally charged narrative that some participants cried and questioned how the Holocaust could have happened.
Mixed Reality thus enables highly impactful immersive experiences. Yet, as highlighted by Kaelber (2007), Rich & Dack (2022), and Glouftsis (2020), there are risks of over-immersion and retraumatization, which may hinder critical historical reflection. Many studies show that effective immersive experiences—whether in training or entertainment—require properties such as presence, immersion, engagement, flow, agency, interactivity, identification, narrative quality, and emotional impact. These dimensions are interrelated, but their impact on memory work remains underexplored.
This PhD will therefore investigate:
• Which sensory and interactive dimensions of MR environments shape user experience, foster immersion, and support memory work,
• While ensuring ethical sensitivity in the memorial context.
The research will explore different soundscapes, 3D models, forms of interaction, and their influence on perception, attention, emotional load, and critical reflection. The methodology will combine design and prototyping of MR experiences with controlled experiments and both qualitative and quantitative analyses.
The ultimate goal is to determine which forms of MR are best suited to the sensitive characteristics of memory sites.
The thesis will be conducted within the ANR-funded project ITS-STORY, a multidisciplinary partnership involving computer scientists, historians, ergonomists, and the Mémorial de l'Internement et de la Déportation – Camp de Royallieu (Compiègne, France), in collaboration with the company Excurio.



Candidate Profile
Required Technical Skills
• Proficiency in Unity 3D development
• Object-oriented programming (C#)
• Knowledge of Virtual and Mixed Reality technologies
Additional Valued Skills
• Experience in Human-Computer Interaction and/or VR/MR development
• Interest in history, memory studies, and/or video games
Personal Qualities
• Ability to work in an interdisciplinary team
• Autonomy, rigor, and scientific curiosity
• Creativity and initiative
• Strong communication skills
Education
• Master's degree or Engineering degree in Computer Science
• Specialization in Virtual Reality, Video Games, or Multimedia is an asset


References
Challenor, J. and Ma, M. (2019). A review of augmented reality applications for history education and heritage visualization. Multimodal Technologies and Interaction, vol. 3, no. 2, p. 39.
Endacott, J., & Brooks, S. (2013). An updated theoretical and practical model for promoting historical empathy. Social Studies Research and Practice.
Efstathiou, I., Kyza, E. A., & Georgiou, Y. (2018). An inquiry-based augmented reality mobile learning approach to fostering primary school students' historical reasoning in non-formal settings. Interactive Learning Environments
Hageneuer, S. (2020). Communicating Past in the Digital Age. In Intern. Conf. on Digital Methods in Teaching and Learning in Archaeology.
Stapleton, C. and J. Davies; J. (2011). Imagination: The third reality to the virtuality continuum. in 2011 IEEE International Symposium on Mixed and Augmented Reality - Arts, Media, and Humanities, 2011, pp. 53–60.
Wickens, C. D. (1992). Virtual reality and education. In [Proceedings] 1992 IEEE SMC

Work Context

-The Heudiasyc Laboratory (UMR 7253, CNRS – Université de Technologie de Compiègne) was created in 1981. Closely tied to the CNRS since its foundation, it is affiliated with the INS2I division (Information Sciences).
Heudiasyc conducts research in information and digital technologies (computer science, automation, robotics, artificial intelligence), with the aim of developing methods for representation, analysis, and control of complex systems subject to scientific, technological, economic, or social constraints.
The laboratory is structured around three research teams:
• CID: Knowledge, Uncertainty, Data
• SCOP: Reliability, Communication, Optimization
• SyRI: Robotic Systems in Interaction
The PhD student will join the CID team, whose research focuses on Artificial Intelligence, including statistical learning, uncertainty management, and knowledge engineering, with applications in knowledge capitalization, recommendation systems, and the design of narrative virtual environments.

The position is located in a sector under the protection of scientific and technical potential (PPST), and therefore requires, in accordance with the regulations, that your arrival is authorized by the competent authority of the MESR.

Constraints and risks

No risks