Augmented/Virtual Reality and Human-Machine Interfaces

Person wearing a virtual reality headset in a lab

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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 creating technologies that enhance human well-being through empathetic, emotionally intelligent, and human-centered design across robotic and digital interactions.

See our new website here.

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

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

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.