University of Pannonia, Faculty of Information Technology
Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Systems

Virtual Environments and Applied Multimedia Research Laboratory

Activity of the research Laboratory

The laboratory was founded by Professor János Schanda, first named as “Multimedia and Colorimetry Laboratory”, later as “Virtual Environments and Imaging Technologies” which worked for nearly 2 decades under the direction of the professor. The new laboratory, called “Virtual environments and Applied Multimedia Research Laboratory”, was founded in 2016 and continues its work by keeping the traditions and areas of the previous laboratory.  This way the Research laboratory deals with the physiologically and psychologically proper processing and application of visual information. To fulfil these tasks the Laboratory deals with the visually optimal description of optical radiation, with the effects of image perception in virtual environments; e.g. colour display of virtual museums. A highlighted theme is the presence in virtual environments and the question of colour memory. The practical application of above research subjects, thus e.g. the results of the investigations of virtual environments are applied in the rehabilitation of persons with special needs, in the development of software products that can improve their life. Important research areas are the theory and practice of multimedia, virtual reality and “Design for All” (a universal software design that provides for everybody barrier free user surfaces), the Laboratory is partner in several R&D projects, focusing on rehabilitation and education. In 2005 the Laboratory became the Hungarian National Contact Centre for EDeAN, the European Design for All e-Accessibility Network.

Basic and applied research activity of the Laboratory:

  • Virtual reality (hardware and software issues, presence), 
  • Multimedia (games and m-learning materials),
  • Colorimetry (first of all colour display on monitors, colour design of computer information, analysis of memory colours, question of games’ colours and colour harmony),
  • HCI, Design for All (easy-to-use, user friendly, accessibility),
  •  Gamification, Game engines (game design),
  • Mobile development (games and supportive applications),
  • Moton analysis with motion tracking sensors.

Research results, international projects

The research laboratory has contributed in several national projects and projects supported by the European Union.

  • Research in Design for All: “Design for All for eInclusion” within the project new materials dealing with supportive technologies and accessible design and publications were created
  • Developing an internationally accepted 60 credits educational material on “Accessible Web design”.
  • Designing supportive programs for the support of work and individual living for youth with learning difficulties and mental disabilities
    •  “Game On Extra Time” project: UK/08/LLP-LdV/TOI/163_181
    • “Intelligent Serious Games for Social and Cognitive Competence” project: 2015-TR01-KA201-022247
    • TD COST Action TD1309 – ”Play for Children With Disabilities” 
  • Designing Virtual reality based games for the rehabilitation of Stroke patients
    • “Telemedicine System Empowering Stroke Patients to Fight Back”, Information and Communication Technologies Collaborative Project: 288692 (EU FP7-ICT-2011-7)
  • Applying assistive technologies
    • COST Action CA19104, Advancing social inclusion through technology and empowerment

Introduction of the head of Laboratory

Dr. Cecília Sik Lányi studied Mathematics and Computer Science (M.S.) – József Attila University (1984), and Teacher of Mathematics - Berzsenyi Dániel Teacher Training College in 1988. She obtained the degree of Dr. Univ. at the University of Veszprém, Hungary in Physical-chemistry (1993), and of PhD at the University of Veszprém, Hungary in Computer Science (2000), habilitation in Computer Science (2017). She has worked as a software engineer and as an associate professor for program languages at the University of Pannonia. Currently she is teaching: Virtual Reality and its application, user interface design, computer graphics for informatics engineering students. PhD and Masters’ supervision has an emphasis on Virtual Reality for the rehabilitation of children with disabilities and patients with mental health issues.

She received several awards, the most important ones are:

  • „Master teacher” award of the Hungarian Ministry of Education in 2001;
  • „Diamond-Award from the Association for the Advancement of Assistive Technology in Europe in 2015, which is a personal recognition, granted for outstanding work in advancing assistive technology in Europe
  • “King Salman Award for Disability Research” from the King Salman Center for Disability Research in the Kingdom of Saud Arabia in 2018.

She has supervised more than 200 BSc and MSc thesis works from 1997. Her students received numerous awards, too.

She has published more than 400 referred articles and conference papers, and worked as guest editor for many renowned journals and books. Her research area is Virtual Reality, Multimedia, Human Computer Interaction and Design for All.

Selected publications

Guzsvinecz, T.; Sik-Lanyi, C.; Orban-Mihalyko, E.; Perge, E. The Influence of Display Parameters and Display Devices over Spatial Ability Test Answers in Virtual Reality Environments. Applied Sciences, 2020,10(2), 526; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10020526

Elgendy, M.; Guzsvinecz, T.; Sik-Lanyi, C. Identification of Markers in Challenging Conditions for People with Visual Impairement Using Convolutional Neural Network, Applied Sciences, 2019, 9(23), 5110, https://doi.org/10.3390/app9235110

Sik-Lanyi, C.; Orbán-Mihálykó, É. Accessibility Testing of European Health-Related Websites. Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering, 2019, 44(11):9171-9190 https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-019-04017-z

DiPietro, J.; Kelemen, A.; Liang,Y.;  Sik Lanyi, C. Computer- and Robot-Assisted Therapies to Aid Social and Intellectual Functioning of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Medicina, 2019, 55(8), 440. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina55080440

Sik-Lanyi, C.; Szucs, V.; Hirschler, R. Coloured shadows—Why they can be photographed, Color Res Appl. 2019; 44(6): 859-874, published online: 9 August 2019 https://doi.org/10.1002/col.22420

Elgendy, M.; Sik-Lanyi, C., Kelemen, A. Making Shopping Easy for People with Visual Impairment Using Mobile Assistive Technologies. Applied Sciences, 2019, 9(6), 1061, https://doi.org/10.3390/app9061061

Dayucos, A.; French, L.A.; Kelemen, A.; Liang, Y.; Sik Lanyi, C. Creation and Evaluation of a Preoperative Education Website for Hip and Knee Replacement Patients—A Pilot Study, Medicina, 2019, 55(2), 32. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina55020032

Tagaytaya, R.; Kelemen, A.; Sik-Lanyi, C. Augmented reality in neurosurgery, Archives of Medical Science, 2018; 14(3):572-578, DOI: 10.5114/aoms.2016.58690, DOI: https://doi.org/10.5114/aoms.2016.58690, http://www.termedia.pl/Augmented-reality-in-neurosurgery,19,27151,0,1.html

Sik Lányi, C. Cultural background influence on colours of virtual reality games and apps, Colour design, Theories and application, by Best J. (Eds) 2nd. Edition, Published by Elsevier, Woodhead Publishing, 2017, ISBN 978-0-08-101270-3 (in print), ISBN 978-0-08-101889-7 (in print), pp.529-555.

Szucs, V.; Sik-Lányi, C. Color Rendering of Images in the Internet and Print Reproductions of the Sistine Chapel’s Frescos, LEUKOS, 2016, 12(1-2) SI:101-110 online 00: 1-10, 2016, ISSN: 1550-2724 print / 1550-2716 online