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Research

Scientific inquiry & publication.

My research centres on location-based augmented reality — designing, building, and evaluating systems that connect remote players through shared spatial experiences. I explore how AR can extend human interaction across distance, blending physical environments with digital layers.

Google Scholar ↗ HIT Lab NZ Project ↗ PhD Thesis ↗
01

Active Projects

Diagram of location-based augmented reality research connecting remote players at HIT Lab NZ
Principal Investigator

Location-Based AR Games Connecting Remote Players & Places

Postdoctoral research at HIT Lab NZ designing, building, and evaluating multiplayer location-based AR games. Players at different physical locations share a single augmented space through custom Unity + Niantic Lightship systems.

AR GamesRemote PlayHCI
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
Participants at a virtual and augmented reality research workshop
IEEE VR 2025 · MDPI

Multiplayer AR — Player Experience & Spatial Decision-Making

A 60-participant empirical study comparing AR hide-and-seek against traditional gameplay. Published in IEEE VR 2025 and Multimodal Technologies & Interaction (MDPI).

60 Participants12 Publications5 Venues in 2025
2015 — 2019

NavitaZ VR Labs

Co-founded 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 GSL
Citation Metrics — Google Scholar, 2026
Publications12
Citations7
Since 20216
h-index1
Active Years2015 — 2025
02

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. 1 citation

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. 1 citation

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. 1 citation

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. 4 citations

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. 1 citation

UoM Repository
03 — 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.
Collaboration

Interested in collaborating on XR research?

Get in Touch → Google Scholar ↗