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Research

Connecting players & places across distance.

My research designs, builds, and evaluates location-based augmented reality games that let physically separated players share a single augmented space. Through a research-through-design approach, I study how AR can move beyond decoration to become a core mechanic — reframing place itself as a shared, interactive canvas across distance.

Read the PhD Thesis → Google Scholar ↗ Publications ↓
01

The driving question

“How can augmented reality make meaningful use of the real world to facilitate synchronous remote multiplayer gameplay?”

Most location-based AR games treat AR as an optional visual layer — players can often switch it off without changing the game. My doctoral research asks the opposite: what happens when AR becomes the mechanism that binds remote places and players together? I answer this across three empirical user studies, organised around three research questions on representing remote space, spatial decision-making, and interactive AR mechanics.

3Empirical user studies
128Study participants
5Peer-reviewed articles
4Design-guideline themes
02

Doctoral thesis

Dr. Yasas Sri Wickramasinghe at his PhD graduation, University of Canterbury
PhD · University of Canterbury · HIT Lab NZ

Designing Multiplayer Location-Based Augmented Reality Games that Connect Remote Players and Places

Supervised by Prof. Stephan Lukosch, A. Prof. Heide Lukosch, and James Everett, this thesis uses an iterative research-through-design method — cycles of design, development, and evaluation — to investigate how AR can represent remote spaces, support spatial decision-making, and drive engagement through core game mechanics. The work spans five peer-reviewed publications (Articles I–V) and contributes theoretically, empirically, methodologically, and practically to the design of remote multiplayer AR games.

Research through Design Spatial Presence Remote Multiplayer Meaningful Play
UC Research Repository ↗ Full Thesis PDF
03

Education & training

Jun 2022 — Jun 2025

PhD, Human Interface Technology

University of Canterbury · Aotearoa New Zealand

Thesis: Designing multiplayer location-based augmented reality games that connect remote players and places. Fully funded under the Applied Immersive Gaming Initiative (AIGI) scholarship — full details above.

Oct 2019 — Oct 2020

Specialisation in Virtual Reality

Goldsmiths, University of London
May 2013 — Oct 2017

BSc (Hons) in Information Technology

University of Moratuwa · Sri Lanka — Faculty of Information Technology
04

Three studies

Each study sharpens the next, building from how a remote place should look, to how players behave inside it, to the mechanics that make distributed play meaningful.

The three AR representations compared in Study 01: Window, Overlay and Tabletop views of the same remote room, each with a shared health-bar HUD
Study 01 Stimuli

Window, Overlay & Tabletop

The three AR techniques compared in Study 01 — each renders the same remote room differently. Window frames it as a portal players walk toward; Overlay extends it directly into the player's own space; Tabletop shrinks it to a detached, strategic miniature.

Study 01 · RQ1

Representing Remote Spaces

Compared three AR techniques — Overlay, Window, and Tabletop — for portraying a remote location. Overlay produced the strongest sense of “being there” and self-location; Window felt like the remote place extending into your own; Tabletop offered a detached strategic overview.

30 participants Entertainment Computing
Study 02 · RQ2

Decision-Making & Experience

A remote multiplayer AR hide-and-seek game compared against co-located play. AR shifted spatial strategies — players exploited mid-air and vertical space — and a lightweight frustum cue strengthened social connection without avatars or video.

60 participants IEEE VR · MDPI MTI
Study 03 · RQ3

Mechanics & Constraints

Introduced interactive core AR mechanics — real-time object manipulation, particle-effect feedback, and time pressure. These deepened strategic search behaviour and engagement when paired with clear feedback and well-calibrated constraints.

38 participants OzCHI 2025
05

Design guidelines

Synthesised from all three studies — practical guidance for designing AR games that connect remote players and places, and a throughline I bring directly into my postgraduate teaching.

01 — Remote Space Representation

Make the place feel present

Prioritise real-world-scale Overlay views for spatial presence, use Window “portals” as an intuitive interface for sharing resources between locations, and ground it all in high-fidelity 3D scans of the remote environment.

02 — Player Interaction & Coordination

Lightweight presence beats fidelity

Visualise the remote player's viewpoint in real time and add voice. Minimal orientation cues (a frustum avatar) coordinated players as effectively as far heavier embodiment — connection without high-fidelity avatars.

03 — AR Mechanics & Constraints

AR as a core mechanic

Embed AR in the gameplay loop rather than as decoration: multiple remotely anchored objects, real-time manipulation, and carefully calibrated time pressure that stretches players without overwhelming them.

04 — Engagement & Spatial Decisions

Guide without removing the challenge

Subtle feedback — like particle trails marking object swaps — supports orientation while preserving discovery. Support onboarding to reduce early disorientation, and design for player safety during physical movement.

06

Other projects

ACM SUI 2024

Trust in Shared Augmented Reality

Investigating how design choices shape trust when users exchange virtual items in shared AR environments. A 36-participant study presented at the ACM Symposium on Spatial User Interaction 2024.

ACM DL Paper ↗
Illustration of trust and social interaction in shared augmented reality experiences
Location-based augmented reality research connecting remote players at HIT Lab NZ
2015 — 2019

NavitaZ VR Labs

Co-founded an AR/VR startup under the MIT Global Startup Labs programme. Built mobile AR apps and VR web applications in Sri Lanka — Microsoft Imagine Cup Runner-Up 2015.

StartupMIT GSLImagine Cup
07

Publication index

Google Scholar ↗
2025
Journal

Evaluating Spatial Decision-Making and Player Experience in a Remote Multiplayer Augmented Reality Hide-and-Seek Game

Wickramasinghe, Y.S., Lukosch, H.K., Everett, J., & Lukosch, S. — Multimodal Technologies and Interaction, 9(8), 79. MDPI.

Open Access DOI: 10.3390/mti9080079
Conference

On the Impact of Augmented Reality Game Mechanics on the Player Experience in Remote Multiplayer Gameplay

Wickramasinghe, Y.S., Lukosch, H., Everett, J., & Lukosch, S. — 37th Australian Conference on Human-Computer Interaction (OzCHI '25). ACM.

ACM DL DOI: 10.1145/3764687.3764699
Conference

Augmented Hide-And-Seek: Evaluating Spatial Decision-Making and Player Experience in a Multiplayer Location-Based Game

Wickramasinghe, Y.S., Lukosch, H., Everett, J., & Lukosch, S. — 2025 IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces (IEEE VR '25). IEEE.

IEEE Xplore ResearchGate
Journal

Representing Remote Locations with Location-Based Augmented Reality Game Design

Wickramasinghe, Y.S., Lukosch, H.K., Everett, J., & Lukosch, S. — Entertainment Computing, 53, 100932. Elsevier.

ScienceDirect DOI: 10.1016/j.entcom.2025.100932
Thesis

Designing Multiplayer Location-Based Augmented Reality Games that Connect Remote Players and Places

Wickramasinghe, W.A.U.Y.S. — PhD Thesis. University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.

UC Repository PDF
2024
Conference

Trustful Trading in Shared Augmented Reality

Ritter, M., Liew, K., Wickramasinghe, Y.S., & Lukosch, S. — Proceedings of the 2024 ACM Symposium on Spatial User Interaction (SUI '24). ACM.

ACM DL DOI: 10.1145/3677386.3682086
Tech Report

Trust and Trustworthiness While Exchanging Virtual Items in Shared Augmented Reality

Ritter, M., Lukosch, S., Liew, K., & Wickramasinghe, Y. — HIT Lab NZ, University of Canterbury.

Google Scholar
2023
Conference

Designing Immersive Multiplayer Location-Based Augmented Reality Games with Remotely Shared Spaces

Wickramasinghe, Y.S., Lukosch, S., & Lukosch, H. — 54th Conference of the International Simulation and Gaming Association (ISAGA 2023), pp. 204–214.

HAL Science Proceedings PDF
2022
Journal

Generating Dynamic Indoor Environments with Virtual Reality Markups

Wickramasinghe, W.A.U.Y.S., De Saram, P.S.R.S., Liyanage, C.P., & Rangika, L.N.R. — Journal of Software Engineering & Software Testing, 6(3), 34–75. ManTech Publications.

Google Scholar
Conference

A Review on Reimagining Medical Education with Virtual Reality in Emerging Medical Disciplines

Inparajah, J., & Wickramasinghe, W. — 15th International Research Conference, p. 36.

Google Scholar
2017
Conference

Virtual Reality Markup Framework for Generating Interactive Indoor Environment

Wickramasinghe, W., De Saram, P., Liyanage, C.P., Rangika, L.N.R., et al. — 2017 IEEE 3rd International Conference on Engineering Technologies and Social Sciences (ICETSS). IEEE.

IEEE Xplore
2015
Conference

A Mobile Application with Augmented Reality to Enhance Sinhala Learning Experience for Children

Wickramasinghe, W., & Gunasekara, E.H.D.A. — Research Symposium of the Information Technology Research Unit (ITRU 2015). University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka.

UoM Repository
08 — Network

Collaborators & links

Co-authoring with researchers at HIT Lab NZ, University of Moratuwa, and Niantic Aotearoa.

Profile

Google Scholar

Full citation record and publication history.

 Lab

HIT Lab NZ — AR Games Project

The location-based AR games research project page.

 Thesis

PhD Thesis — UC Repository

Full dissertation at the University of Canterbury.

 Profile

Yoobee Research Profile

Institutional research profile at Yoobee Colleges.
09

Recognition & service

Funding, honours and academic service alongside the research itself.

Funding

Grants & scholarships

PhD research fully funded under the Applied Immersive Gaming Initiative (AIGI); XR work at HIT Lab NZ backed by a Niantic Studio Developer Accelerator Grant.

Niantic Accelerator Grant · 2024 AIGI Full Scholarship · 2022–25
Recognition

Awards & distinctions

From national hackathons in Sri Lanka to research and innovation awards at the University of Canterbury.

Napkin Challenge Winner · 2024 Visualize Your Thesis — People's Choice · 2022 99X Excellence Awards · 2018–20 99X Emerging Xian Nominee · 2020 Imagine Cup Runner-Up · 2015 Hackanix Champion · 2015 Fuegostica Runner-Up · 2015 Dialog “Mora Hack” · 2016 Google Translation Marathon · 2016
Service

Academic service

Peer reviewing for the journals and conferences I publish in (listed below), volunteering for the communities behind them, and mentoring postgraduate students at the University of Canterbury.

Reviewer · 5 venues Volunteer, IEEE VR · 2024 Volunteer, ISAGA · 2024 Postgrad Mentor, UC · 2024–25
Training

Certifications

Continuing education spanning AI fluency, higher-education pedagogy, agile delivery, and research methods.

AI Fluency for Educators, Anthropic · 2025 Certificate in Teaching Higher Education Scrum Foundation Professional Certificate Eye Trackers in Research, Tobii Academy GitLab Certified Associate Online Presence & Digital Footprint, Edinburgh Customer Journey Mapping, Coursera

Peer review

Journals and conferences I serve as a reviewer for, across HCI, virtual reality and interaction design.

International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction

International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction

Taylor & Francis
Reviewer Journal
IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces

IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality & 3D User Interfaces (IEEE VR)

IEEE
Reviewer Conference
OZCHI, the Australian Conference on Human-Computer Interaction

OZCHI — Australian Conference on Human-Computer Interaction

CHISIG · ACM Digital Library
Reviewer Conference
Multimodal Technologies and Interaction journal

Multimodal Technologies and Interaction (MTI)

MDPI
Reviewer Journal
ACM Symposium on Virtual Reality Software and Technology

ACM Symposium on Virtual Reality Software & Technology (VRST)

ACM · Since 2025
Reviewer Conference
Collaboration

Interested in collaborating on XR research?

Book a Research Consultation → Google Scholar ↗