Rakesh Patibanda, an accomplished Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) expert, brings a multidisciplinary approach to human-centred research, design, and technology development. His expertise lies in identifying user needs, applying human-centred research methods, and leveraging technology affordances to craft compelling products.
With a solid decade of industry and academic experience, Rakesh has designed playful technologies and developed gamified mental and physical health platforms. As a strong advocate for human-centric design, he consistently adopts cutting-edge methodologies to address users’ pain points and requirements.
Rakesh is now pursuing his PhD at the Exertion Games Lab at Monash University, under the mentorship of Prof. Florian ‘Floyd’ Mueller and Prof. Elise van den Hoven, who leads the Materialising Memories program at UTS. His research interest lies at the intersection of play, technology, and the human body. Specifically, his research focuses on understanding the designing play using technologies that enable users to share bodily control. As technologies allowing users to share control over their actions, such as exoskeletons, AI and self-driving cars, become increasingly pervasive, his work holds substantial implications for game design, interaction design and human-computer interaction.
Before starting his PhD, Rakesh completed his Master of Design by Research under the guidance of Associate Prof. Jonathan Duckworth and Prof. Florian ‘Floyd’ Mueller.
