Objective:  Develop engaging 2D, 3D, and XR educational games for K-12 students on the Chimpvine e-learning platform, aligning with course syllabi and educational objectives.

Role: UX Research, Game Designer and Developer

Key Focus Areas: Educational Games, Interactive Learning, Data-Driven Enhancements, K-12 Education

Key Activities:

• Designed and developed 2D, 3D, and XR educational games tailored for K-12 students.

• Worked closely with educators to convert course syllabi into interactive game formats ensuring that the games aligned with educational objectives and enhanced the learning process.

• Collaborated with data analysts to capture and analyze student decisions and interactions within the virtual environments to use data-driven insights to refine and improve game designs and learning content.

Outcomes

• Successfully transformed traditional educational content into engaging digital games, enhancing the overall learning experience for K-12 students.

• Data-driven enhancements led to significant improvements in learning outcomes, demonstrating the effectiveness of interactive educational games.

Objective:  

• Develop a VR training platform for laparoscopic cholecystectomy to enhance surgical training.

Role:  Prototype Implementation and Usability Testing

Key Activities:

• Collaborated with 3D artists and designers to ensure high realism and accuracy in simulations.

• Analyzed and optimized CPU/GPU-based physics frameworks for real-time soft body and fluid simulation.

• Led iterative design and usability testing sessions, gathering feedback to refine and improve the simulation.

Findings

• Significantly improved training realism and interactivity, receiving positive feedback from medical professionals.

• Demonstrated the platform's potential to provide cost-effective, scalable surgical training solutions.

Outcomes

• Landed contract for collaboration with a surgeon for further development of the product

Objective:  

• Explore “Meta-Humanoid” Concept of overlaying AR Avatar in Telepresence Robots to improve social interaction in Robot-Mediated Telepresence

• Simulate visually and behaviorally realistic humanoid robots in AR to explore robotic telepresence systems

Role:  Prototype Development, User Research, Study Design,  Data Analysis, Report Writing

Key Activities:

• Implement a “Meta-Humanoid” System with a simulated virtual robot in Augmented Reality to make the virtual robot seem physically present with the user 

• Conducted mixed-method  user research using the simulation solution to compare interaction in a robotic telepresence system when the teleoperator is shown with a)just the robot, b) the robot and the teleoperator’s video, and c) The robot superimposed with an AR avatar

• Qualitative User Research on the viability of such simulations for the exploration of Human-Robot Interaction studies

Findings

• Overlaying AR avatars on humanoid robots improves the sense of being together in the same place  in robot-mediated telepresence

• Simulation of robotic systems in AR can provide a cost-effective method to evaluate such speculative design concepts of Human-Robot Interaction

Outcomes

• A Proof-of-concept simulated implementation of Meta-Humanoid, providing guidelines for improving social interaction in robot mediated telepresence

Objective:  

• Develop a VR tourism application enabling users to virtually travel to various religious pilgrimages in Nepal, offering an immersive experience through 360 videos and 3D digital twins of the landmarks.

Role:  UX Research, Prototype Development, Usability Testing and User Feedback

Key Focus Areas: Virtual Reality, Cultural Immersion, 3D Modeling, Digital Tourism

Key Activities:

• Collaborated with photogrammetry artists to create accurate and detailed 3D digital twins of the pilgrimage sites.

• Ensured that the 3D models were true to the actual landmarks, capturing intricate details to enhance the virtual experience.

• Created a virtual 3D agent to serve as a travel guide within the application providing cultural, historical, and other relevant information about each landmark, enriching the user's virtual journey.

Findings

• The use of 360-degree videos and 3D digital twins created an engaging and immersive experience for users, allowing them to explore the pilgrimage sites in detail.

• Users appreciated the ability to virtually visit multiple locations and learn about their significance from the comfort of their own homes.

• Users reported a greater understanding and appreciation of the cultural heritage of Nepal after interaction with the virtual agent.

• Users shared concerns about digital vandalism and inaccurate representation of landmarks with high religious and cultural importance

Outcomes

• Developed a high-quality VR application that allows users to experience Nepal's religious pilgrimage sites in a new and innovative way.

• Made cultural and historical landmarks more accessible to a global audience, regardless of physical location or travel constraints.

Objective:  

• Developed a VR application for collaborative work, enabling voice communication and interaction with shared 3D objects and multimedia.

Role:  UX Research, Prototype Implementation and  Usability Testing

Key Activities:

• Conducted requirement analysis with secondary research  to understand design requirements for social VR, focusing on virtual space awareness, proxemic behaviors, and multimodal interactions.

• Evaluated and implemented various aspects in collaborative VR applications such as avatar representation (visual realism - cartoony vs realistic, behavioral realism - coarse animation vs physics driven), real-time synchronization of user avatars,  and interactions with objects and audio/video elements.

• Facilitated usability testing sessions to refine the user experience, ensuring seamless interaction and communication in the VR environment.

Findings

• User preference for avatar's visual and behavioral fidelity is task dependent, cartoony and coarse animation preferred in fun tasks, realistic and physics-driven preferred in official/”serious” tasks

• Personal and social spacing preference from real world is transferred in VR, with even less margin for tolerance due to "compressed distance" perception in VR

Outcomes

• Enhanced collaboration by implementing findings from evaluation studies comparing different features, effective synchronization of avatars and objects, achieving a highly interactive and engaging VR space.

• Provided valuable insights into the design and functionality of networked VR applications, contributing to improved user satisfaction and interaction quality.

Objective:  

• Developed a low-fidelity motion capture system using HTC VIVE to drive 3D humanoid character animations.

Role:  Prototype Implementation and Usability Testing

Key Activities:

• Assisted 3D artists in character animation process by  implementing motion capture system using HTC VIVE HMD, controllers, and trackers.

• Conducted iterative testing and usability sessions to refine animations for use in VR, AR, and 3D applications.

Outcomes

• Enabled rapid iteration and testing of character animations, improving efficiency and effectiveness in animation workflows.

• Provided a cost-effective solution for rapid character animation

Objective: Investigated the impact of authenticity labeling on real and deepfake videos to understand user susceptibility and resulting perception towards the person in the video.

Role: Experiment Design, Data Analysis, Report Writing

Key Activities:

• Designed and conducted an online experiment in qualtrics presenting participants with real and deepfake videos under three conditions: no labels, accurate labels, and conflicting labels.

• Analyzed the impact of these labels on participants' ability to discern the realness of the videos and their feeling towards the person in the video.

Findings

• Participants were more likely to mistake fake videos for real ones when presented with conflicting labels.

• Real videos were generally perceived as real, regardless of labeling.

• Negative impressions towards individuals in videos were formed irrespective of video authenticity perception.

Outcomes

• Highlighted the limitations of current detection and labeling systems in mitigating the psychological impact of deepfake videos.

• Emphasized the need for solutions that encourage critical engagement with online media.

Objective: Developed a solution to make housing search less frustrating for Internationa UBC graduate students  

Role:  UX Research, Interview, Data Analysis, Prototyping, Evaluation, Report Writing

Key Activities:

• User Research: Identified international students’ needs and pain points through surveys and individual semi-structured interviews.

• Created personas and user journey maps to understand students' needs and frustrations, and developed storyboards and conceptual models to ideate feature solutions.

• Prototype Development: Created a medium fidelity prototype with Marvel for an chrome extension add-on for craiglist  with features like a search tab for prioritized information, a communication box for streamlined messaging, and a profile tab for saved responses.

• Usability Testing: Conducted iterative testing sessions to refine features based on student’s feedback, ensuring the add-on met user needs efficiently.

Findings

• Users valued streamlined search and communication, reducing time spent on finding and responding to ads.

• Features like saved ads, community reviews, a price bar to show average pricing in the area, and read receipts for messages significantly improved user satisfaction.

Outcomes

• Enhanced user experience for graduate students searching for housing, addressing pain points in current platforms.

• Provided a scalable solution to integrate with Craigslist, the platform most international students preferred, improving usability without overcomplicating the established practice.

Objective:  Design a proof of concept communication system between paramedics and hospital charge nurses in Vancouver General Hospital, improving early trauma team activation (TTA) decisions. 

Role:  UX Research, Data Analysis, Interview, Observation, Survey, Prototyping and Evaluation

Key Activities:

• Conducted interviews and field visits with paramedics, nurses, and surgeons from Vancouver General Hospital to identify communication challenges and requirements.

• Crafted personas and user journey maps to grasp the concerns and desires of different stakeholders, then devised storyboards and conceptual models to brainstorm potential proof-of-concept solutions.

• Developed a low-fidelity communication system prototype with tablet interface for paramedics to quickly and efficiently convey patient condition and injury details with features such as a single-button alert system, optional patient information input, and audio/video feeds from the ambulance to enhance information flow. A mobile app for charge nurse in VGH to consume these information from paramedics.

• Performed initial usability testing through a proof of concept video and online survey to gather feedback on the prototype’s effectiveness and usability.

Findings

• Features like the single-button alert and passive audio/video streaming were well-received by stakeholders for their simplicity and efficiency.

• Concerns were raised by all the stakeholders about disrupting their practise because of introduction of new solution, indicating a need for further refinement to seamlessly integrate the solution

Outcomes

• A Proof-of-concept solution with plans for further testing and  feature integration to ensure seamless integration into paramedic and trauma team workflows

• A multiuser collaboration tool prototyped using unity with a shared whiteboard as well as a feature for collaborative mesh painting tool for designers and creators

• AR authoring prototyping tool – simple AR viewer to download and place 3d models in runtime in AR scene using an android phone and Google poly API(now deprecated) to search and download 3d models

• An AR Color Blindness simulator to showcase different color profiles in AR for different cases of color blindness