dr. Wendy Powell

Bio

I am an Associate Professor and Philip Eijlander Fellow in the Department of Cognitive Science & Artificial Intelligence. I worked in physical rehabilitation for a number of years, before undertaking a degree in Computer Science (Open University) and a PhD in Virtual Reality at the University of Portsmouth, where I worked as a Reader in Virtual Reality until 2018. I have published a in academic journals, proceedings, white papers and book chapters, as well as in online and print media  (virtual and augmented reality, virtual rehabilitation, the influence of VR systems on perception and behaviour, applications of immersive technology etc)

Teaching

I have been researching and teaching in VR and interactive technologies since 2005, and I am passionate about understanding emerging technologies and the ways in which we interact  with them. 

My current courses include: Virtual and Augmented Reality; Human-Computer Interaction for CSAI; Statistics for CSAI II

In addition I offer supervision for a range of Masters and PhD  projects in Virtual and Augmented Reality and Human-Computer Interaction. 

I believe in equipping students with the key knowledge and skills to acquire a deep subject knowledge and to  become lifelong independent learners. 

Collaboration

I have been involved as Principal Investigator or Co- Investigator in projects totalling around one million Euros, including: Avatars for elderly care (Technology Strategy Board), the use of interactive technology to support vulnerable young people (Department for Education), Virtual Reality for phantom limb pain in amputees (HEIF and Set Squared), the use of mixed reality for teaching biochemistry (Innovate UK) and real-time physiological monitoring in VR for training (QinetiQ plc).   

I work with a wide range of academic and industry partners on cross-disciplinary projects,  and I am also a consultant for VIA Research Ltd.

Highlights

I am a Senior Member of the Institute of Electronics and Electrical  Engineers (IEEE) and represent them to the media as a Technical Expert in Virtual Reality. I am also a member of the International Society for Virtual Rehabilitation (ISVR) and a member of the international Women in VR network.

Some of my recent activities include authoring a Virtual Reality white paper commissioned by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, delivering an invited Keynote speech for EuroVR, Judging the VR Awards,  and organising a workshop on Applied VR for Enhanced Health at IEEEVR Osaka.

Recent publications

1. LoCoMoTe – a Framework for Classification of Natural Locomotion in VR…

   Croucher, C., Powell, W., Stevens, B., Miller-Dicks, M., Powell, V., Wiltshire, T., & Spronck, P. (Accepted/In press). LoCoMoTe – a Framework for Classification of Natural Locomotion in VR by Task, Technique and Modality. IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics.

2. Influence of Photorealism and Non-Photorealism on Connection in Socia…

   Bierhuizen, N., Powell, W., Mioch, T., Niamut, O., & Stokking, H. (Accepted/In press). Influence of Photorealism and Non-Photorealism on Connection in Social VR. In Annual Review of Cybertherapy and Telemedicine Interactive Media Institute.

3. Simulation

   Brighton, H., & Powell, W. (2022). Simulation. In V. P. Glăveanu (Ed.), The Palgrave Encyclopaedia of the Possible (pp. 1-7). Springer Nature.

4. The simulator sickness questionnaire, and the erroneous zero baseline…

   Brown, P., Spronck, P., & Powell, W. (2022). The simulator sickness questionnaire, and the erroneous zero baseline assumption. Frontiers in Virtual Reality, 3, 1-14. Article 945800.

5. Virtual Reality as a Pain Distraction Modality for Experimentally Ind…

   Brown, P., Powell, W., Dansey, N., Al-Abbadey, M., Stevens, B., & Powell, V. (2022). Virtual Reality as a Pain Distraction Modality for Experimentally Induced Pain in a Chronic Pain Population: An Exploratory Study. Cyberpsychology behavior and social networking, 25(1), 66-71. Advance online publication.