The goal of the IVS research program is to transform remote learning experiences through the design, development and refinement of new software frameworks combining immersive technologies (virtual reality), personalization, and gamification for engaging experiences. We will make a fundamental advance towards allowing remote learners in virtual classrooms to benefit from similar experiences afforded by physical classrooms, with added advantages of remote learning and virtual reality (VR).
Eye-Tracking-Enhanced Interactions:
- Naznin Sharmin Shishir, Richard Zhao. Is the Jedi Force Pull Method Effective? Evaluating Eye-Tracked Object Grabbing in VR. Proceedings of the International Conference on the Foundations of Digital Games (FDG 2025), Graz, Austria, April, 2025. [Link] Acceptance Rate: 48%.
Emotion Recognition with AI:
- Michael Shomoye, Richard Zhao. Automated Emotion Recognition of Students in Virtual Reality Classrooms. Computers & Education: X Reality. 5:2024, December, 2024. [Link]
Voice Assistance:
- Farhan Aslam, Richard Zhao. Voice-Augmented Virtual Reality Interface for Serious Games. Proceedings of IEEE Conference on Games (CoG), Milan, Italy, August, 2024. [Link] [BibTeX] Acceptance Rate: 41.1%.
VR Interactions and Collaborations:
- Tyler Hartleb, Haedong Kim, Richard Zhao, Faisal Aqlan, Hui Yang. Exploring Magic Interactions for Collaboration in Virtual Reality Learning Factory. American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition (ASEE 2023) Proceedings, Baltimore, USA, June, 2023. [Link] [BibTeX]
- Haedong Kim, Tyler Hartleb, Khalid Bello, Faisal Aqlan, Richard Zhao, Hui Yang. Behavioral Modeling of Collaborative Problem Solving in Multiplayer Virtual Reality Manufacturing Simulation Games. Journal of Computing and Information Science in Engineering. 2023. [Link] [BibTeX]
AI Virtual Assistant:
- Hannah Ava Sloan, Richard Zhao, Faisal Aqlan, Hui Yang, Rui Zhu. Adaptive Virtual Assistant for Virtual Reality-based Remote Learning. American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition (ASEE 2022) Proceedings. Minneapolis, USA, June, 2022. [Link] [BibTeX]
Funded by NSERC Discovery Grant. Immersive Teaching and Learning Environments. 2022-2027.
