MaKami College Takes Mixed Reality Research to Japan

In late December, while many people were busy setting up their Christmas trees and getting the last-minute items on their Christmas lists, MaKami researcher Mehrad Faridan was packing his suitcases for a six-month collaborative research project between MaKami College and the University of Tokyo.

Japan is known to be one of the world’s leading countries in technology, particularly in the areas of robotics, automotive engineering and electronics, so it makes sense that the University of Tokyo would also be home to one of the world’s largest public research facilities, specializing in areas such as hydrogen technologies, quantum research and artificial intelligence. It is the latter that brings Faridan, who has long held a fascination for Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality and its uses in practical settings.

A Calgary-based Mixed Reality Developer, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) Researcher & UX/UI Designer, Faridan specializes in researching all things VR/AR/XR, Haptics and Robotics, and how to bring them into the classroom.

“I’ve always wanted to use technology in new, practical ways to enhance remote education, collaboration and co-presence,” says Faridan from his 600 square foot apartment overlooking downtown Tokyo. “I think there are leaps and bounds to be made when it comes to bringing education to the next level, using various immersive technologies to teach what are traditionally taught in practical settings like massage therapy, personal training and even the arts like musical instruments.”

Faridan has worked with MaKami College as a Mixed Reality Developer and Researcher since May 2022. Since then, he has founded and lead a joint research collaboration between MaKami College and faculty from the University of Calgary to research, design and develop custom VR/AR/XR applications, including the world’s first XR application for Massage Therapy Education.

His award winning work has been published in various research journals, including a research paper on the use of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) in more tactile classroom settings, and Immersive Mixed Reality 3D Instruction.  

At the University of Tokyo, Faridan will be taking his research to the next level, learning cutting-edge ways mixed reality is being used right now in healthcare settings and more.

Over the next few weeks, we will follow Faridan along in his research travels, giving you updates on some of his findings as he makes his way through the hallways of the University of Tokyo, the busy bustling streets and the many research sites he visits.

Keep an eye out for this coming series here on our website or by following us on social media – scroll to the bottom of our website for direct links or just search @makamicollege on any social media site and be sure to follow us!