Research Focus
Transportation Safety
We study driver behavior, vulnerable road user safety, and human-vehicle automation interaction to enhance transportation safety. To date, our lab has secured over $1.25 million in funding to support transportation safety research initiatives.
Equipment: Driving and Bike Simulator, Motion Capture System, etc.
Selected Projects:
Selected Publications:
Extended Reality Applications
We specialize in developing extended reality (XR) applications and evaluating their impact across diverse populations, including students and workers. We have secured over $1.13 million in related research funding.
Equipment: VR/MR Headsets, Motion Capture System, etc.
Selected Projects: Enhancing Active Learning with VR, De-escalation Training, Future Grower Technologies
Selected Publications:
Engineering Education
We investigate how engineering education can be enhanced through innovative tools such as extended reality (XR) applications, physical prototypes, and experiential learning approaches. Our research in this area has been supported by over $1.4 million in external grant funding.
Equipment: VR/MR Headsets, physical prototypes.
Selected Projects: NSF IUSE, NSF ExLENT, MR for MoM (REU)
Selected Publications:
Human-Machine Systems
We collaborate with other UTA laboratories to study human-machine system interaction, leveraging these insights to inform the design of more effective and user-centered systems. To date, our work in this area has received $20,000 in grant funding, with several additional proposals currently under review.
Equipment: Robotic Arm (through collaboration), Exoskeleton (through collaboration).
Selected Projects:
Selected Publications: Elbow exoskeleton (https://doi.org/10.1177/20556683251347517)
Active Projects
Enhancing Active Learning in Additive Manufacturing Using an Assisted Virtual Reality Approach
This research project’s goal is to develop VR training software for environmentally controlled agriculture production. The project aims to create a greenhouse environmental control prototype in virtual reality to address the current lack of computer-based, environmental control systems technology in classroom settings and test the efficacy for training in high-risk production scenarios.
Fort Worth Police Department De-Escalation Training – AI Character Conversation Demo
This video is a demonstration of the conversation capabilities of the new AI character speech model created as a de-escalation training aide for the Fort Worth Police Department. This demo shows the lip sync and response generation capabilities of the simulation.