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Postdoctoral Researcher · Senior Lecturer

Yasas Wickramasinghe

Dr. Yasas Sri Wickramasinghe, augmented reality researcher and lecturer

Let's Build Immersive Futures

Location-based AR & spatial computing research — turned into things people can actually use.

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150K+ ↗ learners reached through platforms I helped build

AR · XR · HCI research at HIT Lab NZ in collaboration with Sony Interactive Entertainment.

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Thousands of learners across universities, MOOCs and workshops — from Colombo to Christchurch.

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About Me

If You're SERIOUS About Immersive Technology, I'd Love to Collaborate.

I'm Dr. Yasas Sri Wickramasinghe — a Postdoctoral Researcher at HIT Lab NZ (University of Canterbury) and Senior Lecturer at Yoobee College of Creative Innovation. I hold a PhD in Human Interface Technology, with a dissertation on designing multiplayer location-based AR games that connect remote players and places.

My work is conducted with industry partners including Sony Interactive Entertainment (Japan) and Niantic, Inc. Earlier I co-founded NavitaZ VR Labs under the MIT Global Startup Labs programme and led Sri Lanka's first large-scale MOOC platform.

Trusted by
HIT Lab NZ, University of Canterbury — augmented reality research lab logo Sony Interactive Entertainment logo Niantic Spatial logo
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Dr. Yasas Sri Wickramasinghe at his PhD graduation, University of Canterbury
What I Explore

3 Frontiers My Research Pushes Forward

Where spatial computing meets human behaviour — backed by peer-reviewed work and real industry deployment.

Location-Based AR

Designing multiplayer AR experiences that meaningfully connect remote players to real-world places.

Spatial Computing & XR

Studying how immersive interfaces reshape cognition, trust, and decision-making in shared spaces.

Player Experience & HCI

Evaluating how people feel, behave, and collaborate inside the systems we design and deploy.

Selected Work

From Lab to Real Impact — Research That Ships.

A player wearing a headset to experience a location-based augmented reality game
Entertainment Computing · Elsevier · 2025

Representing Remote Locations with Location-Based AR Game Design

A multiplayer location-based AR system, designed and evaluated with Sony Interactive Entertainment, exploring how players experience and represent distant real-world places together — published across leading HCI venues.

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In the News

On Stage, in the Field & in the News.

Invited talks, international collaborations and outreach — moments where the research reaches real people and places.

Dr. Yasas Sri Wickramasinghe presenting at the Interactive Content Design Lab, Tohoku University, JapanCollaboration
Tohoku University · Dec 2025

Research Visit to Tohoku University — An NZ–Japan AR Collaboration

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Yasas Sri Wickramasinghe presenting Breaking the Wall of Loneliness through Play at Falling Walls Lab New Zealand 2024Falling Walls Lab
Royal Society Te Apārangi · 2024

Breaking the Wall of Loneliness Through Play

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Yasas Sri Wickramasinghe on the AR game development panel at the New Zealand Game Developers Conference 2023NZGDC 2023
YouTube · Panel

Talking AR Game Design on the National Stage

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What I Do

Research, Teaching & Building That Lasts.

Bridging rigorous academic research with hands-on engineering and high-engagement teaching.

Research & Publications

Peer-reviewed work in AR, XR and HCI — from study design and experimental platforms to journal and conference papers.

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Teaching & Supervision

Master's-level courses in information systems and project management, plus capstone and thesis supervision — gamified and high-engagement.

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XR & Software Development

Building immersive prototypes and production systems with Unity, OpenXR and Niantic Lightship — drawing on a senior engineering background.

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Talks & Consulting

Speaking and advising on immersive media, spatial computing strategy, and translating emerging XR research into product.

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In Their Words

What Collaborators & Students Say

Dr. Yasas Sri Wickramasinghe collaborating with HIT Lab NZ and Sony Interactive Entertainment research partners
"
Yasas brings rare range — the rigour of a researcher and the instincts of a builder. His work on location-based AR genuinely advanced how we think about connecting remote players, and his teaching makes complex ideas click for students.
Research & Industry PartnersHIT Lab NZ · Sony Interactive Entertainment
Collaboration

Let's Take Your Immersive Idea to the Next Level.

Whether it's a research collaboration, a guest talk, or building the next spatial experience — I'd love to hear from you.

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Who is Dr. Yasas Sri Wickramasinghe?

Dr. Yasas Sri Wickramasinghe is an augmented reality researcher, university lecturer and software builder based in Christchurch, New Zealand. He is a Postdoctoral Researcher at HIT Lab NZ (University of Canterbury) and a Senior Lecturer at Yoobee College of Creative Innovation.

What does Yasas Sri Wickramasinghe research?

His research focuses on location-based augmented reality (AR), spatial computing and human-computer interaction (HCI) — in particular multiplayer AR games that connect remote players and places, conducted with industry partners including Sony Interactive Entertainment and Niantic.

Where does he teach?

He is a Senior Lecturer at Yoobee College of Creative Innovation, teaching postgraduate information systems and project management, including the Master of Business Informatics (MBI) programme across the Auckland and Christchurch campuses.

What web products has he built?

He has designed and built HouseScout (a property-intelligence dashboard for Christchurch home buyers), Faro (a machine-learning flight-fare timing assistant) and Yoobees (an EdTech attendance and learning-support platform). See the Products page.

How can I get in touch?

You can reach out via the contact page for research collaborations, guest talks, consulting and academic mentorship.