Our lab works closely with undergraduate students through structured research and design mentorships focused on immersive technology, surgical education, and interactive systems. Students contribute to real projects used in research, education, and clinical training—working alongside engineers, clinicians, and faculty mentors. Mentorships emphasize hands-on development, technical rigor, and thoughtful design, while supporting students at different stages of their academic and professional paths.
Through the PURM program, undergraduate students join the lab for focused summer research experiences. Students contribute directly to active projects in virtual reality, simulation tooling, and interactive surgical education.PURM mentorship emphasizes learning by doing—students prototype systems, test ideas, and iterate alongside lab mentors while gaining exposure to interdisciplinary collaboration in a clinical research environmen
We have hosted students through Drexel University’s Cooperative Education (Co-op) program for extended, full-time placements. Co-op students embed deeply into the lab’s development workflow and take ownership of substantial technical and creative work.Projects often span real-time 3D environments, VR interaction systems, tooling pipelines, and experimental research prototypes, offering students industry-relevant experience within an academic and clinical setting.
The lab supports Penn junior-level design projects and independent research efforts that explore immersive technology, healthcare simulation, and human–computer interaction. Students work in small teams to scope, design, and build feasible projects under close mentorship.These projects emphasize problem definition, technical execution, and communication—often contributing prototypes, tools, or studies that inform ongoing lab research.
Below is a selection of student projects developed through our undergraduate mentorship programs. These projects reflect a range of technical approaches, research questions, and creative outcomes, including VR simulations, AI-assisted tools, physical prototypes, and interactive exhibits.
Students: Kevin Du, McKenna Parker
Project Focus:
• Designed VR training modules for surgical airway management
• Studied usability and learner confidence in emergency cricothyrotomy simulations
• Created an AI RAG chatbot as a surgical reference tool, integrating LLMs with curated surgical data
Outcomes:
• Showed strong user acceptance of VR airway training modules
• Developed a prototype AI system to support real-time surgical education
Posters:
• Surgical Airway Training in Virtual Reality
• Development of an AI RAG Chatbot for Use as a Surgical Reference Tool
