Presentation at the ACDSA 2026 conference
Between February 5–7, 2026, the ACDSA 2026 – International Conference on Artificial Intelligence, Computer, Data Sciences and Applications took place in Boracay, Philippines, under the patronage of IEEE, where Adam Balcerzak, member of LBM UW presented the paper: “From Code to Cognition: Implementing a Puzzle-Based Game Framework for Biometric Analysis”.
Based on the conference paper, a journal article by Adam Balcerzak, Marcin Łączyński, Aline Hufschmitt, and Tomasz Gackowski will be published in IEEE Xplore.
The project is the result of fruitful collaboration with École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr, which led to the development of a puzzle-based escape room game built in Unreal Engine 5. This enabled the creation of a controlled research environment for analyzing cognitive load, visual attention, and emotional responses during problem-solving. The experiment combined gameplay telemetry with eye-tracking, GSR, and facial expression analysis using the Affectiva algorithm, synchronized through iMotions. Results showed that time pressure and stressors intensified negative emotions, while surprise and joy were associated with stronger task focus. One of the project’s objectives was also to demonstrate that game-based environments can serve as replicable and precise tools for cognitive and affective research.
Visit of LBM team members to Syracuse University (USA)
Between 19 and 24 January, a research visit by the team from the University of Warsaw’s Laboratory of Media Studies (LBM) took place at Syracuse University in the United States.
The visit was intensive and included meetings, lectures, and workshops. All activities shared one common goal: to develop better ways to describe and measure how people experience communication, technology, and narrative.
In the part devoted to political communication, Tomasz Gackowski and Karolina Brylska, serving as visiting professors, delivered a lecture with discussion and led a workshop designed specifically for doctoral students. The sessions focused on how emotions, a sense of authenticity, and the mechanisms of the spiral of silence shape public debate in Poland and the wider region, and on how these processes can be studied by combining different approaches and tools, including biometric methods. Doctoral students worked on their own research topics—such as polarization, the credibility of politicians, and AI-generated content—turning them into concrete project ideas and possible research strategies. The team extends particular thanks to Nick Bowman for the open and welcoming atmosphere that accompanied the meetings.
Another research project carried out in cooperation with the Académie militaire de Saint-Cyr Coëtquidan
We have launched a new edition of research projects conducted in collaboration with École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr.
From the LBM UW side, the project is led by Marcin Łączyński, Adam Balcerzak and Tomasz Gackowski, while the French side is represented by Aline Hufschmitt together with visiting interns in Warsaw — Thomas Cortès and Paul Gouth.
We are initiating the research project “Generation Kill / Patrol,” aimed at developing an immersive VR scenario to study perception , visual attention , and stress responses in tasks requiring continuous environmental monitoring. Participants take on the role of an observer in an armored vehicle, identifying threats and relevant visual elements. The project involves building a realistic simulation in Unreal Engine and using the Varjo XR-4 headset with eye tracking to record visual attention, iMotions for eye-movement analysis, GSR sensors for stress measurement, and in-game audio cues to examine how guidance influences responses.
The study will examine reaction time, fixation and saccade patterns, attention to AOIs, and relationships between perception and physiological stress markers.
One of the key objectives is to determine to what extent realistic VR environments can function as replicable and precise tools for studying cognitive processes as well as emotional and stress-related responses.
Adam Balcerzak’s presentation at the conference in Rzeszów
We are happy to share that Adam Balcerzak, a member of the Laboratory of Media Studies UW, was present at the International Academic Conference “Shapes of Dystopia: Literary Imaginings and Social Realities Across Media” on 16 January 2026, organized by University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszów.
Presentation: “Human vs. AI-Generated Tweets: A Biometric and Behavioral Study of Audience Perceptions Using iMotions”.