Human–Computer Interaction • Radar Sensing • AI

Postdoctoral Researcher at Université catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain). PhD (University of Primorska, 2024).

PhD thesis: “Improving interaction with radar-based gesture recognition when sensing through materials”.

HCI mm-Wave Radar Gesture Recognition Sensing Through Materials Intelligent User Interfaces
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About

I study how people interact with computers when sensing happens beyond the screen. My research focuses on radar-based gesture recognition and sensing through materials, with applications to ambient and intelligent user interfaces. I’m currently a postdoc at Université catholique de Louvain (short: UCLouvain), funded by the EIC Pathfinder SYMBIOTIK project (grant 101071147).

Highlights

  • Editor, Radar-Based Human–Computer Interaction, Springer (HCIS series)
  • Best Paper, ACM IUI 2025
  • Honorable Mention, ACM EICS 2022

Recent News

Selected Publications

Full list on Google Scholar. GS (Aug 2025): citations 65; h-index 4; i10-index 2.

Editor • Springer HCIS
Radar-Based Human–Computer Interaction
Edited volume (with K. Čopič Pucihar, R.-D. Vatavu, D. Salami). Book page.
ACM IUI 2025 — Best Paper
Text-to-Image Generation for Vocabulary Learning Using the Keyword Method
Proceedings of the 30th International Conference on Intelligent User Interfaces (IUI ’25).
PACMHCI (EICS) 2022 — Honorable Mention
Solids on Soli: Millimetre-Wave Radar Sensing Through Materials
Sensors 2021
Gesture Recognition on Physical Objects Using Radar Sensing

Biography

Personal information

  • GS indicators (Aug 2025): 65 citations; h-index 4; i10-index 2

Education & key qualifications

  • PhD in Computer Science (2024), University of Primorska, Slovenia — Thesis: “Improving interaction with radar-based gesture recognition when sensing through materials”.
  • BSc (2017), University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka — Physical Sciences (Mathematics, Physics & Computer Science).

Current position

  • Postdoctoral Researcher, Université catholique de Louvain (short: UCLouvain), Belgium, since Oct 2024 — EIC Pathfinder SYMBIOTIK (grant 101071147).

Previous positions

  • Teaching & Research Assistant, University of Primorska, Slovenia (Oct 2019 – Sep 2024).
  • Research Assistant, University of Colombo School of Computing, Sri Lanka (Apr 2019 – Oct 2019).
  • Senior Software Engineer / Research Assistant, LKSim Colombo, Sri Lanka (Jan 2017 – Apr 2019).
  • Software Developer & Data Analyst, Halflife, Sri Lanka (Jan 2016 – Jan 2017).

Peer recognition (selection)

  • Best Paper Award, ACM IUI 2025.
  • Honorable Mention Award, ACM EICS 2022.
  • Award for Research Work, University of Primorska (2020).
  • Asia Pacific ICT Alliance Nominee (2018).
  • National Best Quality Software Award, 2nd place (R&D, 2017).
  • Best Innovator Award, 1st place, University of Sri Jayewardenepura (2016).

Academy memberships

  • Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) since 2020
  • Slovenian Artificial Intelligence Society (SLAIS) since 2022
  • EurAI organisation since 2022

Invited presentations

  • Keynote — 1st International Workshop on Human-in-the-Loop Applied Machine Learning (HITLAML), Luxembourg (2023).

Research visits

  • FSTM, University of Luxembourg, with Prof. Luis A. Leiva (Feb 2023).
  • ESSAI & ACAI Summer School, Ljubljana, Slovenia (Jul 2023).
  • FSTM, University of Luxembourg, with Prof. Luis A. Leiva (Apr 2022).

Service to the community (selection)

  • Associate Chair
  • Web Chair, Organizing Committee, HCI Slovenia (2023, 2024)
  • Session Chair, ACM IUI 2025 — Generative Models session.
  • Program Committee: HHAI 2025; Beyond Radar Waves: Radar-Based HCI (ACM EICS 2024 Workshop); HITLAML 2023
  • Conference Reviewer: ACM IUI
  • Journal Reviewer: International Journal of Human-Computer Studies (IJHCS)

Supervision

  • Co-Advisor: Marc Anthony Berends (BSc, University of Primorska, 2022) — “The Effect of Depth of Field Controlled by Eye Tracking in 3D Environments” (with A/P Dr. Klen Čopič Pucihar, A/P Dr. Matjaž Kljun, Asst. Jordan Aiko Deja).
  • Evaluator: Rayane Ghazal (MSc, Université catholique de Louvain, 2025) — “Menu Selection in Augmented and Extended Reality”.
  • Co-Advisor: Alexandre De Nys (MSc, Université catholique de Louvain, 2025) — “Ensemble Learning for Optimizing Adaptable Gesture Recognition”.

Teaching

  • Computer Practicum 1: Linux, Bash, C — 1st-year BSc, Computer Science, University of Primorska (2020–2024).
  • Computer Practicum 2: HTML, CSS/3, JavaScript — 1st-year BSc, Computer Science, University of Primorska (2021, 2023).
  • Computer Programming 1: Java — 1st-year BSc, Computer Science, University of Sri Jayewardenepura (2017).

Technology transfer

  • FLAAT SDK: Open-source, privacy-preserving contact tracing SDK implementing the TCN protocol for pandemic close-contact tracking.

Contact

Email: nuwan.attygalle@uclouvain.be

Affiliation: Université catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium

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