Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

The accelerating adoption of Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR) technologies across industries necessitates an innovative approach to optimize user experience (UX). This is particularly pertinent in high-stakes sectors such as aviation and aerospace, where the safety, efficiency, and satisfaction of users are paramount. Traditional UX evaluation methodologies fail to capture the complex nuances of human interaction within immersive environments. This proposal outlines a comprehensive five-year research plan to develop, validate, and implement a sector-specific integrative framework for UX evaluation and optimization in aviation and aerospace applications in training, maintenance, and service with a substantial focus on incorporating neuropsychophysiological data. The inclusion of neuropsychophysiological measurements offers objective insights into users' cognitive load, emotional states, and stress levels. This project thus aims to pioneer a sector-specific integrative framework, enhance the precision, reliability, and utility of UX assessments in high-stakes environments, and demonstrate the framework's applicability and adaptability to other industries. In Year 1, I will develop an integrative UX evaluation framework, combining self-reported, behavioral, and neuropsychophysiological data. The subsequent years will focus on applying and validating this framework across different immersive applications: pilot training in Mixed Reality (Year 2), under-the-wing aircraft support through AR (Year 3) and enhancing airport experiences through neurophysiological monitoring (Year 4). The final year will be dedicated to synthesizing knowledge, refining the framework, and generalizing findings across sectors. Leveraging my extensive UX research expertise, including in immersive environments, the program will run at HEC Montreal's Tech3Lab-a state-of-the-art facility equipped for advanced UX research. Collaborations with Canadian industrial partners in aviation and aerospace, keen to innovate and collaborate, will ensure the practical applicability of research findings. The diverse and engaging environment offered in the Tech3Lab and the exposure to academia-industry collaboration will form an attractive place for recruiting HQP from underrepresented groups, engaging them in every aspect of the program, and preparing them for both academic and industry career paths. Workshops, a dedicated website, social media, conference presentations and articles will foster broad dissemination and community engagement. In closing, this program is poised to make significant contributions by developing a validated, versatile integrative framework for UX evaluation, influencing the design and implementation of immersive technologies, enhancing effective and safe applications in high-stakes environments, fostering innovation across sectors and establishing a foundation for broader application across diverse industries.