LEMUR Publications

IEEE VR 2025

DREAM MR: Distraction Regulation for Effective Attention Management using Mixed Reality

This paper presents the initial plan to develop DREAM MR, an assistive framework to regulate the amount of distractions a person perceives from the environment. The objective of the framework is to temporarily and seamlessly attenuate elements in the vicinity of a workspace that have the potential to distract users from their current task. For each object, the amount of attenuation to apply over time will be determined by calculating three criteria: potential for distraction and overstimulation, relevance to the task, and ability to promote connectedness to the environment. DREAM MR will achieve this by leveraging recent advancements in Mixed Reality such as real-time environment tracking and understanding and video pass-through.

arXiv 2025

Analyzing the Impact of Augmented Reality Head-Mounted Displays on Workers' Safety and Situational Awareness in Hazardous Industrial Settings

This paper evaluates how AR head-mounted displays affect safety and situational awareness in a simulated hazardous industrial space. Sixty participants completed guided tasks using a Trimble XR10 (HoloLens 2), a RealWear Navigator 520, or a smartphone baseline. Results show higher contact incidents and lower perceived safety/usability with the XR10, and overall reduced hazard perception with AR-HMDs, highlighting the need for safety-preserving capabilities before deployment in hazardous settings.

Endangered Language Preservation and Learning study

IEEE VR 2025

So yu waan tu lern Limon Kryol? Considerations of Virtual Reality for Endangered Language Preservation and Learning

This project explores how Virtual Reality (VR) can be used to preserve and promote endangered languages. While VR applications for language learning have typically focused on widely spoken languages, our work addresses the challenges of supporting underrepresented communities. We are developing a mobile VR environment centered on Limonese Creole, an endangered language from Costa Rica’s Caribbean region. By enabling users to learn and practice this language in immersive settings, the project highlights both the potential of VR for cultural preservation and the unique complexities of designing for endangered languages.

ISEA 2025

Ocean of Memories: Raising Marine Awareness through Creativity and Augmented Reality

This paper details the design and evaluation of "Ocean of Memories," an augmented reality experience that integrates storytelling, interactive drawing, and participatory pledges to foster empathy for marine ecosystems. Through public demonstrations and user testing, the study shows how AR can translate environmental awareness into tangible conservation actions, highlighting AR's potential as a tool for environmental education and advocacy.

IEEE ISMAR 2024

INDYvr: Towards an Ergonomics-based Framework for Inclusive and Dynamic Personalizations of Virtual Reality Environments

This paper introduces INDYvr, an ergonomics-based framework that dynamically adjusts the VR environment, fostering a personalized and inclusive experience. INDYvr will acquire the user's physical attributes and capabilities and translate them into a parametric model, which is then used to dynamically adjust the VR environment to improve the user's reachability and walkability.

IEEE FIE 2023

Don't Walk Away! Virtual Safety Boundaries for Collaborative Virtual Reality Learning Environments

This Work-in-Progress Research paper explores how to design and implement Collaborative Virtual Reality Learning Environments (CVRLE) taking Teacher-Student Dynamics (TSD) into account. CVRLEs engage students in a virtual representation of a learning space. However, they do not incorporate TSDs, which are key elements of in-person teaching.

IEEE FIE 2023

Towards an Intelligent Tutoring System for Virtual Reality Learning Environments

This Work-in-Progress Research paper explores the development of an Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS) inside a Virtual Reality Learning Environment (VRLE). As technology becomes more pervasive in teaching, platforms that afford immersive learning experiences, such as VRLEs, are receiving increased attention.

Publications