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Metaverse of Simpson’s Victory City Reconstruct & Reimaging of Orville Simpson’s Vision of Urban Futures using AI

Ming Tang. $4500. Supported by SAID Simpson Urban Futures Grant Program. UC. 8. 2026-8. 2027

This project works on the AI-creation of an online Metaverse by reconstructing and reimaging Orville Simpson’s visionary “Victory City.” Using archival materials from the Simpson Collection—including drawings, paintings, and manuscripts—the project will generate digital interpretations of Simpson’s future city through AI-assisted visualization and 3D modeling. The platform will allow users to explore a multiplayer virtual city accessible through web browsers, mobile devices, and VR headsets. In addition to a virtual reconstruction of Victory City, the project will include a digital gallery presenting Simpson’s archival works and a digital installation at the Simpson Center, reintroducing Simpson’s ideas as a contemporary dialogue on sustainable urban futures.

The goal of this project is to translate Simpson’s visionary urban concepts into an interactive 3D digital environment that allows the public to experience and interpret his ideas spatially. Although Simpson’s online archive contains extensive drawings and models, these materials remain largely static. This project transforms them into an immersive platform where users can explore the spatial logic of Victory City. The project emphasis: 

  • AI-assisted visualization: generative AI tools will be used to produce architectural imagery, animations, and 3D models inspired by Simpson’s designs.
  • Construction of a Metaverse environment: a browser-based immersive environment will be developed to represent major elements of Victory City, including the central 102-story tower and the larger metropolitan system described in Simpson’s writings.

DOE Award: Genesis Mission

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 I am very excited to share that UC grant proposal, “AI-Enabled Prediction of Coupled Hydrologic and Biogeochemical Processes in Heterogeneous Subsurface Systems,” has been selected for the U.S. Department of Energy’s initiative to accelerate scientific breakthroughs through artificial intelligence. 

DOE Phase 1: The Genesis Mission: Transforming Science and Energy with AI.
Award Amount: $500,000
Project Period: 09/01/2026–05/31/2027
PI: Reza Soltanian, Co-I: Ming Tang
Partner Institutions: New Mexico State University (NMSU), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), and Certerra Subsurface Imaging.

Quoted from UC News: UC selected for federal initiative to use AI to advance scientific discovery. Project will develop new workflows for energy and environmental applications

The University of Cincinnati has been selected to participate in the U.S. Department of Energy’s new national initiative designed to accelerate scientific discovery through artificial intelligence. 

Led by Reza Soltanian, professor of subsurface energy and hydrogeology in UC’s Department of Geosciences, the multidisciplinary project will develop next-generation AI-enabled scientific workflows and digital twins that integrate geological information, advanced geophysical imaging, field observations, physics-based simulations and AI surrogate models to characterize and predict complex subsurface systems.

The UC-led team brings together expertise in hydrogeology, hydrobiogeochemistry, geophysics, artificial intelligence, numerical and surrogate modeling, advanced subsurface imaging and extended reality. The collaboration includes Ming Tang, professor in UC’s School of Architecture and Interior Design and director of the Extended Reality Lab at UC Digital Futures, along with researchers from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, New Mexico State University and industry partner Certerra Subsurface Imaging.

“The Department of Energy’s selection of this project reflects the strength of UC’s growing artificial intelligence ecosystem,“ Interim Vice President for Research Frank Gerner said.

“Through investments in initiatives such as Digital Futures and the Advanced Research Computing Center, we have created an environment where researchers can combine expertise in AI, data science and domain-specific scholarship to address complex challenges. Professor Soltanian and Professor Tang’s work demonstrate how these capabilities are advancing scientific discovery in ways that can have lasting impact on our energy and environmental future.“

 

Podcast: episode of Innovation By Design

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Podcast:  Designing with Immersion: Storytelling, Training, and Spatial Understanding

In this episode of Innovation By Design, Evan Troxel and Candace Kitchen talk with architect and educator Ming Tang, director of the XR Lab at the University of Cincinnati, about extended reality and the rapidly changing tools that make immersive experiences more accessible than ever.

Ming breaks down the differences between VR, AR, and mixed reality, shares the origin story of their own journey from early CAD and 3D rendering to immersive media, and explains why embodied, interactive experiences can communicate spatial intent in ways 2D drawings and screens cannot.

The conversation also introduces the D‑I‑C‑E framework (Dangerous, Impossible, Counterproductive, Expensive) for deciding when digital simulation is the right tool. 

  • Defining XR: VR vs AR vs mixed reality, and why the boundaries often blur in practice
  • VR for egress, fire/smoke, and safety training (and how behavior can differ from the real world)
  • Creation workflows: 3D modeling → Unity/Unreal → deploy to headsets
  • Storytelling, memory, and historic reconstruction in immersive media (including generative AI support)

Audio posdcast at Innovation by Design,  a podcast that explores the ideas, people, and technologies shaping the AEC industry. Each episode features conversations with forward-thinking architects, designers, engineers, and industry leaders who are redefining how spaces are imagined, constructed, and experienced.

Thanks Eddie J. Baranek and Michelle M. Bassett at Bassett Strategic Communication and Marketing to organize the recording. Please visit their channels at

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/totaldoorsystems/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TotalDoor1

 

Poster in Creativity & Cognition

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VR as a Creative Medium for Immersive Storytelling: An Autobiographic Design Exploration

Bozhi Peng, Heekyoung Jung, Ming Tang, and Yoshiko Burke. 2026. VR as a Creative Medium for Immersive Storytelling: An Autobiographic Design Exploration. In Proceedings of the  Creativity & Cognition 2026 conference (C&C ’26,  London. UK. 2026). Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, 1363–1370.  https://doi.org/10.1145/3803784.3816833

This project explores virtual reality (VR) as a creative medium for expressing personal memories through space, movement, and interaction, while evoking shared experiences. Using autobiographic and research through design approaches, three VR scenes were developed through iterative prototyping and first-person inquiry to investigate immersive storytelling. Guided by the framework of immersion, presence, and interactivity, the project examines how design decisions shape immersive experience in VR through the alignment of perception, embodied movement, and responsive interaction. The work demonstrates how personal memory can function as a generative resource for experiential storytelling rather than representational narration. It also reflects on the potential and limitations of autobiographic design as a method of creative inquiry in VR and identifies future directions for engaging collective and cultural memory through audience participation.

Besides the proceeding book, the publication is also included in the ACM Digital Library. 

 

Historic Avondale in VR

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Virtual Reality Development for Historic Avondale and Digital Heritage 

Principal Investigator (PI):  Anne Delano Steinert, Co-PI: Ming Tang. ($14,000 allocation to DAAP)
Society and Culture Grant, UC Research Office.  2026. University of Cincinnati. Timeline: 1/13/2026-07/01/2026 


Project Overview

The Historic Avondale Digital Heritage Project aims to create an immersive Virtual Reality (VR) reconstruction of Cincinnati’s historic Avondale neighborhood, focusing on cultural heritage preservation and community engagement. Through a collaborative effort between A&S and DAAP’s XR-Lab, the project will visualize approximately six urban blocks of Avondale as they appeared in a historically significant period in 1950s, enabling users to explore the environment through VR headsets and interact with its digital elements. 

This initiative supports experiential learning, public history dissemination, and digital preservation. The final VR experience will be designed for accessibility on standalone VR headsets (Meta Quest) and optimized for community outreach, classroom education, and museum-style exhibition. 

 

 Scope of Work

The Extended Reality Lab (XR-Lab) will lead the technical development, 3D modeling, and immersive environment creation. 
Specific responsibilities include: 

  • Environment Modeling: Develop a high-fidelity 3D digital model of approximately six blocks of historic Avondale, including building facades, streetscapes, and key landscape features based on historical references. 
  • Visual Assets: Integrate architectural elements, materials, vegetation, street furniture, and atmospheric lighting to accurately represent the period context. 
  • Immersive Interactivity: Configure the scene for full VR immersion, allowing users to navigate and interact using Meta Quest headsets. 
  • Narrative Integration: Collaborate with the A&S team to embed audio narratives, historical commentary, and interpretive storytelling within the VR experience. 
  • Optimization & Testing: Optimize performance for standalone VR headsets, conduct iterative testing, and ensure accessibility and stability for public demonstration. 
  • Deployment: Package and deliver a functional VR build ready for viewing via Meta Quest Browser or as an installable application. 

 Deliverables

  • VR Model of Historic Avondale – A completed, interactive VR environment covering approximately six city blocks. 
  • High-Fidelity Visual Assets – Accurately modeled architecture, landscape, and environmental elements. 
  • Integrated Audio Narratives – Recorded and embedded voiceovers provided by A&S collaborators. 
  • VR-Ready Application – Optimized and deployable version compatible with Meta Quest 3 headsets. 
  • Documentation Package – Summary of technical workflow, file structure, and recommendations for future updates or expansion. 

Figure 1. Coloraization of a historic photo with AI. Reality Capture. By student Edwina Adu Bimpong, Mario Bermejo.

Figure 2. video clips based on historic photo, using AI. 

Figure 3. AI-augmented reconstruction.

Student team: Braxton Xavier Bush, Nicholas R. Lysaght, Logan Aleczander Saylor, Lucas Frank Tereck, Lillian Denise Wick, Mario Bermejo, Edwina Adu Bimpong, Collin Andrew Bradley, Raamprakash Kalaiyarasan, Prize Mathew, and Bozhi Peng. Aayush Kumar as TA.