Extreme environments, such as the Antarctic, place extraordinary demands on the human body. For example, thick protective clothing restricts touch and fine motor control, while the absence of visual landmarks compromises depth perception. Moreover, researchers often handle wildlife, such as penguins and seals, demanding they work quickly, safely and quietly.
Conventional design methods are ill-equipped to address the unique physical and sensory challenges of extreme environments. This calls for a fundamentally different approach to bridge the gap between designers and the extreme context they are designing for. This PhD project will use immersive Virtual Reality (VR) to simulate sensory and physical constraints of Antarctic fieldwork, letting designers experience and address embodied demands directly, without the cost or risk of testing prototypes in the field.
The successful candidate will work with Antarctic researchers to identify key experiential and perceptual challenges, build and evaluate a multimodal VR framework simulating core aspects, and construct fieldwork prototypes to demonstrate the effectiveness of the novel design process. They will gain hands-on experience in VR development, human-centred design, and interdisciplinary collaboration with Antarctic scientists, and contribute new tools and methods to support the safety and effectiveness of researchers working in one of Earth's most extreme environments.
Supervisors
Primary Supervisor: Donald Degraen
Other Supervisor(s): Michelle LaRue
Key qualifications and skills
Essential
- Strong programming skills (C#, ideally with Unity or Unreal Engine) for VR application development
- Background in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Computer Science, Design, Cognitive Science, or a related field
- Basic understanding of user-centred design methods
- Ability to design, run, and analyse empirical user studies (qualitative and/or quantitative methods)
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
Desirable
- Prior experience with multisensory interaction design
- Experience with rapid prototyping and digital fabrication (3D printing, electronics) for building fieldwork prototypes
- Knowledge of qualitative research methods (e.g., interviews, workshops, thematic analysis) for expert consultation and evaluation
- Interest in or prior exposure to Antarctic science, extreme-environment research, or field ecology
- Familiarity with somaesthetic or embodied design approaches
Does the project come with funding
Per annum: Stipend of $32,650 plus PhD tuition fees. The project also has up to $5,000 available for research expenses across the duration of the degree.
Funding duration: Three years (360 points)
Final date for receiving applications
27 October 2026
How to apply
This is a UC Commitments Doctoral Scholarship and applications must be made through the Scholarship Portal in your myUC account. Emailed applications will not be considered. Find out more here: University of Canterbury Scholarship Portal - UC Commitments - Designing for Extremes: Immersive VR Simulation for Embodied Technology Design in Antarctic Fieldwork
Keywords
virtual reality; extreme environments; Antarctic fieldwork; embodied interaction; multisensory perception; human-centred design; somaesthetic interaction design; sensory simulation
