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AI symposium, Bearcat AI Award

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AI & Emerging Technology Symposium, UC Bearcat AI Award,  

Presentation at the UC 2026 AI & Emerging Technology Symposium on 02/18/2026 at UC TUC Center.

AI-Based Spatial Computing with BIM: Performance, Sustainability, and Wayfinding on the UC Campus

This project introduces an AI-enhanced spatial computing framework that integrates building-scale digital twins with intelligent autonomous navigation. Using BIM-derived geometry and utility metadata, the system combines LLM-assisted building-performance analytics with predictive modeling to support sustainable operations across an interactive, campus-scale digital twin environment. In parallel, we present INARA, a ROS 2–based indoor navigation platform that merges BIM-accurate simulation environments with a hybrid deep-reinforcement-learning and classical-control architecture, enabling safe, adaptive mobile-robot navigation within UC facilities.

Together, these systems advance AI-driven spatial computing by unifying building analytics, embodied intelligence, and digital–physical interoperability—laying the foundation for next-generation smart-building management and autonomous robotic applications.

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Therapeutic Crisis Intervention Simulation, Phase 3

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We are excited to announce the launch of Phase 3 of the VR-Based Employee Safety Training: Therapeutic Crisis Intervention Simulation project, building on the success of the previous two phases. This interdisciplinary collaboration brings together the Immersive Learning Lab and the Employee Safety Learning Lab at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC), in partnership with the Extended Reality Lab (XR-Lab) at the University of Cincinnati. 

This phase will focus on developing an advanced virtual hospital environment populated with digital patients to simulate a variety of real-world Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI) scenarios. The digital twins encompass both the hospital setting and patient avatars. The project aims to design immersive training modules, capture user performance data, and conduct a rigorous evaluation of the effectiveness of VR-based training in enhancing employee safety and crisis response capabilities

Principal Investigator: Ming Tang. Funding Amount: $38,422. Project Period: April 1, 2025 – December 1, 2026

CCHMC Collaborators: Dr. Nancy Daraiseh, Dr. Maurizio Macaluso, Dr. Aaron Vaughn.

Research Domains: Virtual Reality, Safety Training, Therapeutic Crisis Intervention, Mental Health, Digital Twins, Digital Humans, Human Behavior Simulation.

We look forward to continuing this impactful work and advancing the role of immersive technologies in healthcare education and safety training

Concept of Digital Twin: Digital Patient + Digital Hospital.

publicaiton
Daraiseh, N. M., Tang, M., Macaluso, M., Aeschbury, M., Bachtel, A., Nikolaenko, M., … Vaughn, A. (2025). Virtual Reality Training to De-escalate Patient Aggressive Behavior: A Pilot Study. International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2025.2576635

SMAT: Scalable Multi-Agent AI for DT

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SMAT: Scalable Multi-Agent Machine Learning and Collaborative AI for Digital Twin Platform of Infrastructure and Facility Operations.

Principal Investigators:

  • Prof. Sam Anand, Department of Mechanical Engineering, CEAS
  • Prof. Ming Tang, Extended Reality Lab, Digital Futures, DAAP

Students: Anuj Gautam, Manish Aryal, Aayush Kumar, Ahmad Alrefai, Rohit Ramesh, Mikhail Nikolaenko, Bozhi Peng

Grant: $40,000. UC Industry 4.0/5.0 Institute Consortium Research Project: 03.2025-01.2026

Partner: Cincinnati Incorporated

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P&G VISM

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Project VISM (Virtual Interactive Simulation for Material customization)
Interactive Visualization with User-Controlled, Procedural-Based, and Physical-Based Material Customization.

PI. Ming Tang.

P&G Team: Kim Jackson, Andrew Fite, Fei Wang, Allison Roman

UC Team: Ming Tang, Aayush Kumar, Yuki Hirota

Sponsor: P&G. 12/01/2024 – 5/31/2025

Amount: $28,350

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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. $20,000. 

Funded by the God.Restoring.Order (GRO) Community, this research project will develop several 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.