VR Training on Issues of Youth Firearm Possession

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 Virtual Reality Training on Issues of Youth Firearm Possession.

PI. Tang. 8/5/2024-8/4/2025.

 

Funded by the God.Restoring.Order (GRO) Community, this research project will develop two VR scenarios that simulate environments designed to educate youth on applying critical skills in risky situations.

Team: Ming Tang, XR-Lab, Aaron Mallory, GRO.

XR-Lab students: Aayush Kumar, Mario Bermejo, Jonny Peng, Ahmad Alrefai, Rohit Ramesh, Charlotte Bodie 

The XR-Lab collaborated with the GRO community to leverage advanced extended reality (XR) technologies in the development of a virtual reality (VR) training application designed to strengthen the curriculum by reinforcing key competencies through immersive learning activities. In partnership, we evaluated the feasibility of integrating VR technology into the GRO training program, providing participants with an engaging narrative framework while equipping them with practical knowledge applicable to real-world contexts. The immersive VR scenarios addressed high-risk situations, including firearm possession and substance use, thereby creating a controlled environment for experiential learning and skill development.

The XR-Lab has harnessed advanced motion capture technology in this project to translate the movements of real people into lifelike digital characters. Every gesture, shift in posture, and subtle facial expression is carefully recorded and mapped to ensure authenticity and emotional depth in the virtual environment.

Our development team has worked closely and continuously with the GRO community, engaging in multiple motion studies, rehearsals, and testing sessions. This collaboration allows us to capture not just movement, but the nuance behind each action — the personality conveyed through body language, and the emotional context embedded in facial expression.

Through this process, the digital characters become more than avatars; they become authentic extensions of human experience, reflecting the stories. The result is an immersive, emotionally resonant experience where technology and humanity move together. 

 

GenAI+AR Siemens

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Automatic Scene Creation for Augmented Reality Work Instructions Using Generative AI. Siemens. PI. Ming Tang. co-PI: Tianyu Jiang. $25,000. UC. 4/1/2024-12/31/2024

Students: Aayush Kumar, Mikhail Nikolaenko, Dylan Hutson.

Sponsor: Siemens through UC MME Industry 4.0/5.0 Institute

Investigate integration of LLM Gen-AI with Hololens-based training. 

Reinforcement Learning

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XR-Lab’s project was selected to join the  Undergraduates Pursuing Research in Science and Engineering (UPRISE) Program
UNDERGRADUATE SUMMER RESEARCH PROGRAM IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
May 6 – July 26, 2024

 

Project title: Reinforcement Learning (RL) system in Game Engine

Student: Mikhail Nikolaenko. UC. PI: Ming Tang. 

This project proposes the development of a sophisticated reinforcement learning (RL) system utilizing the robust and versatile environment of Unreal Engine 5 (UE5). The primary objective is to create a flexible and highly realistic simulation platform that can model a multitude of real-life scenarios, ranging from object recognition, urban navigation to emergency response strategies. This platform aims to significantly advance the capabilities of RL algorithms by exposing them to complex, diverse, and dynamically changing environments. Leveraging the advanced graphical and physical simulation capabilities of UE5, the project will focus on creating detailed and varied scenarios in which RL algorithms can be trained and tested. These scenarios will include, but not be limited to, urban traffic systems, natural disaster simulations, and public safety response models. The realism and intricacy of UE5’s environment will provide a challenging and rich training ground for RL models, allowing them to learn and adapt to unpredictable variables akin to those in the real world.

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Honors Seminar student projects

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“Human-Computer Interaction in the Age of Extended Reality & Metaverse” student projects

Spring. 2024.  UC

Under the guidance of Ming Tang, Director of the XR-Lab at Digital Futures and DAAP, UC, this honors seminar course has propelled students through an immersive journey into the realm of XR. The course encompasses Extended Reality, Metaverse, and Digital Twin technologies, providing a comprehensive platform for theoretical exploration and practical application in XR development.

The coursework showcases an array of student-led research projects that investigate the role of XR in various domains, including medical training, flight simulation, entertainment, tourism, cultural awareness, fitness, and music. Through these projects, students have had the opportunity to not only grasp the intricate theories underpinning future HCI developments but also to apply their skills in creating immersive experiences that hint at the future of human-technology interaction.

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Digital Twin of Cincinnati

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A realtime flythrough demo for Digital Twin of City Cincinnati

Digital Futures Building at the University of Cincinnati

Destroy Alien buildings near the UC campus. Project developed by students Cooper Pflaum and Nishanth Chidambaram.