Passaic Today

An interdisciplinary team at Montclair State University has been awarded a $533,798 grant by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to study human-machine interaction through simulated driving experiments. The project is led by Professor Rui Li, with co-principal investigators Stefan Robila, Jennifer Yang, and Gustavo Heidner.

The research will focus on understanding the dynamics between humans, machines, and environments using the Montclair extended reality-based driving simulator (XR-Drive). This simulator was developed with NSF support and will be used throughout the three-year project.

Professor Rui Li expressed that "the success of this NSF project is a very important step for me and my team’s research at Montclair," emphasizing its potential to foster collaborative studies across multiple disciplines.

The XR-Drive simulator will enable realistic simulations of various driving scenarios within a virtual environment. It aims to provide students with immersive experiences in multimodal interaction, computational sensing, psychology, spatial cognition, human biomechanics, and motor control.

Md Liaquat Hossain, Director of Montclair’s School of Computing, stated that “this project highlights the transformative computing research taking place in Montclair’s School of Computing.” He noted the project's role in creating hands-on research opportunities for students and fostering interdisciplinary connections.

Lora Billings, Dean of the College of Science and Mathematics at Montclair State University, remarked on the commitment to both research and education: “This interdisciplinary project will provide hands-on experiences that prepares our students for the future STEM workforce.”

The XR-Drive simulator's capabilities include an immersive audio-visual system that generates synchronized auditory information alongside visual cues. This enhances realism while providing programmable vehicle control for customizable simulation conditions.

Rui Li also mentioned that “by supporting interdisciplinary studies,” this equipment serves as a platform enabling student involvement in science and engineering tasks while developing necessary skills across disciplines.