Human-centered eXtended Reality (HeXD) Lab

At the Human-centered eXtended Reality (HeXD) Lab, we advance intelligent and adaptive extended reality (XR) systems, including augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR).

Our research integrates human behavioral understanding (e.g., visual attention, cognitive load, and user intent) and environmental understanding (e.g., scene semantics and spatial context) to create immersive experiences that respond to users, their activities, and their surroundings.

Drawing on human-computer interaction, computer graphics, computer vision, and artificial intelligence, we develop and evaluate XR systems that enhance human capabilities across training, productivity, creativity, and accessibility. Our goal is to make immersive technologies more intuitive, context-aware, and responsive to human needs.

News

Oct 18, 2026	Dr. Alghofaili will serve on the SIGGRAPH 2027 Technical Papers Committee.
Oct 05, 2026	Ben (Xulong) Tang will join Sony Creative AI Lab as a Research Intern.
Jul 20, 2026	Our paper CustomDance: Customized 3D Dance Generation with Coarse-to-Fine Human-Centered Interactive System was conditionally accepted to SIGGRAPH ASIA.
Apr 27, 2026	Dr. Alghofaili was nominated for the 2026 Provost’s Award for Faculty Excellence in Undergraduate Research Mentoring.
Apr 15, 2026	Congrats to Sarah for recieving the Undergraduate Research Scholar Award for the second time!
Mar 13, 2026	Our paper Gaze-based Prediction of Cognitive Load in Augmented Reality was conditionally accepted to ETRA.
Dec 13, 2025	Our paper Personalized Dance Synthesis Based on Physical and Cognitive Intensities was conditionally accepted to IEEE VR.
Nov 14, 2024	Congratulations to Sarah and Venkatasai for recieving the Undergraduate Research Scholar Award!
Nov 14, 2024	Congratulations to Anish for recieving the Undergraduate Research Scholar Award!

Selected Publications

SIGGRAPH Asia

CustomDance: Customized 3D Dance Generation with Coarse-to-Fine Human-Centered Interactive System

Xulong Tang, Kaixing Yang, Xiaohu Guo, Balakrishnan Prabhakaran, and Rawan Alghofaili

In Proceedings of the SIGGRAPH Asia 2026 Conference Papers, 2026

Bib HTML PDF Video

@inproceedings{tang2026customdance,
  title = {CustomDance: Customized 3D Dance Generation
                 with Coarse-to-Fine Human-Centered Interactive System},
  author = {Tang, Xulong and Yang, Kaixing and Guo, Xiaohu and Prabhakaran, Balakrishnan and Alghofaili, Rawan},
  booktitle = {Proceedings of the SIGGRAPH Asia 2026 Conference Papers},
  year = {2026},
}

PACM HCI · ETRA

Gaze-based Prediction of Cognitive Load in Augmented Reality

Greeshma Nerella, Daisy Gan, Brendan David-John, and Rawan Alghofaili

Proc. ACM Hum.-Comput. Interact., May 2026

DOI Bib HTML PDF

@article{nerellaGazebasedPredictionCognitive2026,
  author = {Nerella, Greeshma and Gan, Daisy and David-John, Brendan and Alghofaili, Rawan},
  title = {Gaze-based Prediction of Cognitive Load in Augmented Reality},
  year = {2026},
  issue_date = {May 2026},
  publisher = {Association for Computing Machinery},
  address = {New York, NY, USA},
  volume = {10},
  number = {3},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1145/3806040},
  doi = {10.1145/3806040},
  journal = {Proc. ACM Hum.-Comput. Interact.},
  month = may,
  articleno = {ETRA026},
  numpages = {18},
  keywords = {Eye-Tracking, Cognitive Load, Augmented Reality, Behavioral Analysis},
}

IEEE VR

Personalized Dance Synthesis Based on Physical and Cognitive Intensities

Xulong Tang, Eun Yeo, Ruiyu Mao, Xiaohu Guo, and Rawan Alghofaili

In 2026 IEEE Conference Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces (VR), May 2026

DOI Bib HTML PDF Video

@inproceedings{ardance,
  title = {Personalized Dance Synthesis Based on Physical and Cognitive Intensities},
  booktitle = {2026 {{IEEE}} Conference Virtual Reality and {{3D}} User Interfaces ({{VR}})},
  author = {Tang, Xulong and Yeo, Eun and Mao, Ruiyu and Guo, Xiaohu and Alghofaili, Rawan},
  year = {2026},
  volume = {},
  number = {},
  pages = {261-271},
  keywords = {Feedback;Circuits;Video games;Videos;Graphical user interfaces;Amplitude shift keying;Protocols;Amplitude modulation;Video equipment;HTTP;Exergaming;Generative Design;Optimization;Augmented Reality},
  doi = {10.1109/VR67842.2026.00048},
}

SIGGRAPH

Dragon’s Path: Synthesizing User-Centered Flying Creature Animation Paths for Outdoor Augmented Reality Experiences

Minyoung Kim, Rawan Alghofaili, Changyang Li, and Lap-Fai Yu

In ACM SIGGRAPH 2024 Conference Papers, Denver, CO, USA, May 2024

DOI Bib HTML PDF Video

@inproceedings{ardragon,
  author = {Kim, Minyoung and Alghofaili, Rawan and Li, Changyang and Yu, Lap-Fai},
  title = {Dragon's Path: Synthesizing User-Centered Flying Creature Animation Paths for Outdoor Augmented Reality Experiences},
  year = {2024},
  isbn = {9798400705250},
  publisher = {Association for Computing Machinery},
  address = {New York, NY, USA},
  url = {https://doi-org.libproxy.utdallas.edu/10.1145/3641519.3657397},
  doi = {10.1145/3641519.3657397},
  booktitle = {ACM SIGGRAPH 2024 Conference Papers},
  articleno = {77},
  numpages = {11},
  keywords = {character animation, mixed reality, scene understanding},
  location = {Denver, CO, USA},
  series = {SIGGRAPH '24},
  news = {Featured in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVUmZRqHiX0&t=131s">ABC News</a>},
}

Featured in ABC News

IEEE VR

WARPY: Sketching Environment-Aware 3D Curves in Mobile Augmented Reality

Rawan Alghofaili, Cuong Nguyen, Vojtěch Krs, Nathan Carr, Radomír Měch, and 1 more author

In 2023 IEEE Conference Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces (VR), May 2023

Bib HTML PDF Video

@inproceedings{warpy,
  title = {{{WARPY}}: {{Sketching}} Environment-Aware {{3D}} Curves in Mobile Augmented Reality},
  booktitle = {2023 {{IEEE}} Conference Virtual Reality and {{3D}} User Interfaces ({{VR}})},
  author = {Alghofaili, Rawan and Nguyen, Cuong and Krs, Vojtěch and Carr, Nathan and Měch, Radomír and Yu, Lap-Fai},
  year = {2023},
  pages = {367--377},
}

CHI

Scene-Aware Behavior Synthesis for Virtual Pets in Mixed Reality

Wei Liang, Xinzhe Yu, Rawan Alghofaili, Yining Lang, and Lap-Fai Yu

In Proceedings of the 2021 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, May 2021

Bib HTML PDF Video

@inproceedings{pet,
  author = {Liang, Wei and Yu, Xinzhe and Alghofaili, Rawan and Lang, Yining and Yu, Lap-Fai},
  title = {Scene-Aware Behavior Synthesis for Virtual Pets in Mixed Reality},
  booktitle = {Proceedings of the 2021 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems},
  series = {CHI '21},
  year = {2021},
  publisher = {ACM},
}

CHI

Lost in Style: Gaze-driven Adaptive Aid for VR Navigation

Rawan Alghofaili, Yasuhito Sawahata, Haikun Huang, Hsueh-Cheng Wang, Takaaki Shiratori, and 1 more author

In Proceedings of the 2019 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, Glasgow, UK, May 2019

Bib HTML PDF Video

@inproceedings{lostvr,
  author = {Alghofaili, Rawan and Sawahata, Yasuhito and Huang, Haikun and Wang, Hsueh-Cheng and Shiratori, Takaaki and Yu, Lap Fai},
  title = {Lost in Style: Gaze-driven Adaptive Aid for VR Navigation},
  booktitle = {Proceedings of the 2019 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems},
  series = {CHI '19},
  year = {2019},
  publisher = {ACM},
  location = {Glasgow, UK},
  keywords = {Games/Play, Virtual/Augmented Reality, Eye Tracking},
}

IEEE VR

Optimizing Visual Element Placement via Visual Attention Analysis

Rawan Alghofaili, Michael Solah, Haikun Huang, Yasuhito Sawahata, Marc Pomplun, and 1 more author

In 2019 IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces (VR), May 2019

Bib HTML PDF Video

@inproceedings{vr2019opt,
  title = {Optimizing Visual Element Placement via Visual Attention Analysis},
  booktitle = {2019 {{IEEE}} Conference on Virtual Reality and {{3D}} User Interfaces ({{VR}})},
  author = {Alghofaili, Rawan and Solah, Michael and Huang, Haikun and Sawahata, Yasuhito and Pomplun, Marc and Yu, Lap-Fai},
  year = {2019},
  pages = {464--473},
}