Augmented/Virtual Reality and Human-Machine Interfaces | Case School of Engineering

Person wearing a virtual reality headset in a lab

Human-machine interface technology is used by almost all industrial organizations—including energy, transportation, manufacturing and more.

At Case Western Reserve, we’re plugging into cognitive enhancements and looking deeper into the human body. By fusing human and machine intelligence, our researchers have developed new ways to treat brain disease—specifically therapeutic virtual environments and neuroprosthetic interfaces designed to help people with neurological injury (due to stroke, cerebral palsy, and spinal cord injury) regain lost vestibular and limb function.

We are also developing mixed reality human-machine interfaces to control large swarms of autonomous robots. Furthermore, our work in designing closed-loop control systems to enhance assistive neuromuscular and haptic electrical stimulation will lead to new rehabilitation strategies and sense of immersion in virtual environments and video games.

Labs and Facilities

ECSE Undergraduate Computer Lab
Interventions and Interfaces Research Group
Jennings Computer Center Lab
Kevin Kranzusch Virtual Worlds (Gaming and Simulation) Laboratory
Nord Computer Laboratory

Institutes, centers and labs related to Augmented/Virtual Reality and Human-Machine Interfaces

SaPHaRI Lab

In the Social and Physical Human-Robot Interaction (SaPHaRI) Lab at Case Western Reserve University’s Case School of Engineering, we focus on social and physical human-robot interaction.

Enhanced Robotic Interfaces and Experiences (ERIE) Lab

The Enhanced Robotic Interfaces and Experiences (ERIE) Lab’s mission is to develop integrated and intelligent multi-modal sensing and feedback interfaces that enable humans to control robots intuitively and effectively

Faculty who conduct research in Augmented/Virtual Reality and Human-Machine Interfaces

Alexis E. Block

Assistant Professor, Department of Electrical, Computer and Systems Engineering

Marc Buchner

Associate Professor Emeritus, Department of Electrical, Computer and Systems Engineering

Director, Virtual Worlds Lab - Gaming and Simulation

Applies computer gaming technology and digital signal processing, especially VR and AR, to problem-solving in fields including psychology, nursing and medicine

M. Cenk Cavusoglu

Nord Professor of Engineering

Professor, Department of Electrical, Computer and Systems Engineering

Director, Medical Robotics and Computer Integrated Surgery Laboratory

Develops next-generation medical robotic systems for surgery and image-guided interventions

Vipin Chaudhary

Department Chair, Computer and Data Sciences Department

Kevin J. Kranzusch Professor

Professor, Computer and Data Sciences Department

High Performance Computing and Applications to Science, Engineering, Biology, and Medicine; Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning/Data Science; Computer Assisted Diagnosis and Interventions; Medical Image Processing; Computer Architecture; Quantum Computing.

Zonghe Chua

Assistant Professor, Department of Electrical, Computer and Systems Engineering

I develop intelligent telerobotic systems that sense and reason about their operator to deliver smart multisensory feedback that enhances the human-robot system performance.

Michael Fu

Timothy E. and Allison L. Schroeder Assistant Professorship in Computer and Data Sciences

Assistant Professor, Department of Electrical, Computer and Systems Engineering

Develops virtual environments and neural interfaces to improve human health after neurological injury

Emily Graczyk

Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering

Development and clinical assessment of neural interfaces and stimulation approaches to restore and enhance somatosensory function

Lab website: https://www.graczyklab.com/

Wyatt Newman

Professor Emeritus, Department of Electrical, Computer and Systems Engineering

Designs intelligent robots, machines and software for diverse applications