HIT Lab NZ Research

Human Interface Technology takes a human-centred approach to the analysis, design, and development of interactive technologies to improve the human experience and to meet users’ needs. As an applied research centre, most projects carried out at the HIT Lab NZ are funded by external organisations and/or research grants.

Research Expertise

Our research explores how people use these technologies with the end goal of improving their user experience. The HIT Lab NZ is an international, multidisciplinary group of researchers with expertise in:

    • Virtual Reality
    • Augmented Reality
    • Applied Games
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Haptics

Research Approach

We take a human-centred approach by first considering the people we are looking to support, the tasks they need help with, and the environment they will be in before we design technical solutions for them.

Potential Research Partners

Many research projects are in collaboration with external partners and embedded in real-world use cases.

HIT Lab NZ engages with partners from industry, academia, and government, both nationally and internationally. We use our expertise to collaborate with and consult for many sectors including:

    • Health
    • Education and training
    • High-performance sports
    • Game development
    • Disaster management
    • Transportation
    • Environment
    • Construction
    • Tourism

If you want to discuss potential research projects working with our students, collaboration opportunities, or consultancies:

Research Publications and Outputs

Our staff and students regularly publish in a range of leading publications.

Discover HIT Lab NZ Research Projects

Immersive Regenerative Tourism Experiences

Immersive Regenerative Tourism Experiences

Impact of AR on Movement and Spatial Navigation

Impact of AR on Movement and Spatial Navigation

Human Augmentation for Rhythm Skill Acquisition in Elite Sport

Human Augmentation for Rhythm Skill Acquisition in Elite Sport

Immersive Virtual Tour Creator for Tangata Whenua

Immersive Virtual Tour Creator for Tangata Whenua

Matariki Mobile Mixed Reality

Matariki Mobile Mixed Reality

Connecting Remote Places and Players with Location-Based AR

Connecting Remote Places and Players with Location-Based AR

Realising Imagined Play

Realising Imagined Play

Beneath the Waves – Raranga Whāriki Papa Moana

Beneath the Waves – Raranga Whāriki Papa Moana

VR Baby Training Tool (VRBTT)

VR Baby Training Tool (VRBTT)

Training Mental Imagery Skills in Virtual Reality for Elite Athletes

Training Mental Imagery Skills in Virtual Reality for Elite Athletes

AR in Emergency Management

AR in Emergency Management

Virtual Reality Learning for Firefighters

Virtual Reality Learning for Firefighters

User Privacy and Expressiveness in VR

User Privacy and Expressiveness in VR

Applied Immersive Gaming Initiative – AIGI

Applied Immersive Gaming Initiative – AIGI

Effective Telediagnostic Platform with Rich Communication in Sensitive Situations

Effective Telediagnostic Platform with Rich Communication in Sensitive Situations

Ātea – Digital Marae

Ātea – Digital Marae

Exploring Game-Based Tools for Youth Social Anxiety

Exploring Game-Based Tools for Youth Social Anxiety

Agile Video Game Development

Agile Video Game Development

Gamification to Facilitate Resilience Planning

Gamification to Facilitate Resilience Planning

Immersive VR for Children in Formal Education

Immersive VR for Children in Formal Education

Effective Storytelling for Cinematic VR

Effective Storytelling for Cinematic VR

CityViewAR

CityViewAR

Multi-Sensory Virtual Reality

Multi-Sensory Virtual Reality

Smartphone in Virtual Reality

Smartphone in Virtual Reality

Air Attack Wildfire Simulation Training

Air Attack Wildfire Simulation Training

Sensory Surround System for Immersive Simulations

Sensory Surround System for Immersive Simulations

Avatar mediated system for communication and collaboration

Avatar mediated system for communication and collaboration

Indoor tracking using hybrid sensors

Indoor tracking using hybrid sensors

VESPHA

VESPHA

Virtual Labs

Virtual Labs