About

I am Michael Mauderer. I am a freelance software developer and researcher working at the intersection of computer graphics, human-computer interaction and perceptual psychology.

I build interactive systems and tools that optimize how people perceive information. My past work includes projects around interactive tabletops, augmented and virtual reality, real-time eye-tracking systems (gaze-contingent displays), colour science, as well as automotive interfaces.

Freelance Services

I am currently available for freelance projects and consulting work. With over a decade of experience in software development and research, I offer specialized expertise in:

• Computer Graphics & Visualization: Custom rendering solutions, signed distance field rendering, WebGL/WASM applications
• Color Science & Management: Color transformations, appearance models, calibration systems
• Interactive Systems: Real-time applications, eye-tracking systems, AR/VR experiences
• Technical Leadership: Project coordination, team leadership, bridging front-end and back-end development

My clients range from startups to established companies, and I've helped teams secure significant funding through technical innovation. Whether you need a complete solution or specialized expertise for your existing team, I can adapt to your project requirements.

Education & Experience

I hold a PhD from St Andrews University (Scotland, UK) and an MSc/BSc from Saarland University (Germany), both in Computer Science with a side dash of perceptual and cognitive psychology.

My previous employers include the Cognitive Psychology Unit at Saarland University, the German Center for Artificial Intelligence, the St Andrews HCI Research Group (SACHI), Microsoft Research (Redmond), the Digitally Augmented Perception Lab at the University of Dundee (DAPRLAB), as well as Spatial Flow and Zedaxis.

I have worked with Epic, Texas Instruments, BAE Systems and most recently Enso Analytics and NumFocus.

Software Development

I have been developing software since 2012, with my main languages being Python, Rust, Java, and C/C++. Throughout my career, I have developed a wide variety of applications ranging from web-apps (front and back-end), android applications, games for multi-touch devices, interactive eye-tracking systems and psychological experiments, to name a few.

My current focus is on computer graphics, colour science, computer vision and signal processing.

Open Source Software

I have been involved in a number of open source projects, and regularly make some of my own code public. My most notable contribution to OSS software is through my involvement in colour, a Python colour science library.

I also maintain a number of smaller projects, like older student projects or some of my utility libraries, which can be found on my github profile.

Research & Academic Collaboration

I am an Honorary Research Fellow of the human-computer interaction research group at the University of St Andrews, where I consult on research projects in the area of computer graphics, haptics and perceptual psychology.

My Ph.D. thesis focused on perceptual gaze-contingent displays: systems that use real-time eye-tracking to augment an observer's perception, helping them perceive additional information (e.g., depth) or more information (e.g., higher dynamic range of colours). I was also involved in other projects around visual perception and online gaming, applying research insights to practical applications. For a full list of my publications, see the research section of this website or my Google scholar profile.