About
I work at the edge of human bodies, machines, and play.
I build things that didn’t exist before – research programs, products, and frameworks at the edge of what bodies and machines can do together.
My work has shaped engagement systems used by millions, contributed to $7M+ in competitive research funding, produced 65+ publications with 1,250+ citations, and shipped features that grew daily active users by 22% and cut service errors by 40%. I don’t just study human-technology interaction – I architect the conditions that make those interactions meaningful, measurable, and scalable.
Two-time ACM CHI Best Paper recipient. Vice-Chancellor’s Commendation holder. Contributor to the UKRI Somabotics programme. Currently a Research Fellow at Monash University and a Research Associate at the University of Nottingham’s Mixed Reality Lab.
What I do
Three ways I create value
From foundational research to shipped product – I operate across the full spectrum.
Mixed-Methods Research Leadership
I design and lead research programmes that combine qualitative depth with quantitative rigour – from rapid prototyping, to Wizard-of-Oz testing to longitudinal studies and 1:1 interviews spanning 100,000+ participants. Evidence informs and drives my work.
Human-Centred Product & Service Design
I translate research into action – improving products, services, and user journeys. At RMIT I reduced credentialing errors by 40% and saved 1,000+ faculty hours. At 7 Cups I drove a 50% engagement surge.
Emerging Technology & Embodied Interaction
I build and evaluate systems at the frontier – wearables, EMS, Pneumatics, Exoskeletons, AR/VR, and AI-enabled interfaces that reshape how bodies experience technology. Not in the lab only. In the wild, with real people, under real conditions.
Selected Impact
Research that moves numbers
- ★Best Paper Award ×2 – ACM CHI 2018 & 2024 Top 1% of all global submissions at the world's premier HCI conference
- 🎓Vice-Chancellor's Commendation for Thesis Excellence Monash University 2024 – highest academic honour for doctoral research
- 🏆Best Interactivity – ACM CHI PLAY 2023 Audience Choice Award for most innovative interactive system demonstration
- 🌍Invited talks at 8 universities across 4 countries Cambridge, UCL, Nottingham, Waterloo, Queensland, LMU Munich & more
- 💡Contributor – €6.5M UKRI Somabotics Programme AI, robotics & embodied arts at the University of Nottingham MRL
"Visionary HCI researcher and product leader bridging embodied technology and commercial impact – from award-winning academic work at CHI to measurable engagement lifts in live products."
— Dr. Rakesh Patibanda · Research Fellow, Monash UniversityFeatured Work
Select publications
A cross-section of peer-reviewed output — from foundational theory to playful systems.