Associate ProfessorHoushyar Asadi

Associate Professor Houshyar Asadi is currently an Australian Research Council (ARC) DECRA Fellow and leads research in the area of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based motion simulator technologies. He also leads the Motion Simulation Technologies Lab, where his research focuses on AI-driven Driving and Flight Motion Simulator platforms, Motion Cueing Algorithms (MCA), and Human Performance Assessment in immersive Virtual Environments (VE) such as Immersive Simulations, Interactive Virtual Worlds, Virtual Reality (VR) environments, and Mixed Reality (MR). His research on human performance in VEs includes driver and pilot distraction analysis, behavior prediction, cognitive load assessment, emotion recognition, motion perception, and motion sickness analysis within virtual driving and flight scenarios.

He received his Bachelor of Engineering degree (First Class Honors) in Electrical-Control Systems, his Master's degree in Industrial Electronic and Control Engineering (High Distinction), and his Ph.D. in the research area of human perception-based washout filtering for motion simulators using AI in 2008, 2012, and 2015, respectively. His Ph.D. thesis won the Alfred Deakin Medal for Best Doctoral Thesis at Deakin University. Upon completing his Ph.D. in just 2.5 years, he joined the Institute of Intelligent Systems Research and Innovation (IISRI) at Deakin University as a Research Fellow in 2015.

Associate Professor Asadi has been serving as the Lead Investigator, researching and implementing novel AI-based Motion Cueing Algorithms (MCAs) and motion control systems for various motion simulators, including but not limited to a series of Universal Motion Simulators (UMS). The family of UMS (comprising core UMS, mobile UMS, and Infinity UMS) is the first and only haptically-enabled robotic-based motion simulation platform in Australia.

Associate Professor Asadi has made significant advancements in AI-based MCAs, human perception modeling, motion control, and simulator kinematics to produce realistic driving and flying motion sensations for motion simulator users, including UMS users. He has designed and implemented several novel AI-based MCAs for the UMS family, enabling these simulators to provide the most realistic motion simulations without causing simulator (motion) sickness, a common issue in simulators worldwide. The effectiveness of these MCAs has been confirmed through numerous successful objective and subjective evaluations. This research has led to the establishment of a Deakin spin-off company to commercialize the UMS, attracting over $54 million in contracts in less than three years.

In addition, Associate Professor Asadi and his team have made significant advancements in developing innovative AI-based human performance monitoring systems. These systems are designed to monitor human behavior when immersed in driving and flight simulators, interactive virtual and VR environments, enabling a comprehensive understanding of user experiences. They assess various factors including emotional responses, cognitive load, comfort levels, motion sickness, human perception, driver and pilot distraction analyses and predicts behavior in virtual recreations of real-world scenarios. They are also pioneering novel technologies, such as innovative haptic/vibrotactile technologies for motion simulators, aimed at further enhancing fidelity and immersive capabilities.

In addition, Associate Professor Asadi conducts novel research on intelligent vehicular technologies and has developed autonomous vehicles and advanced technologies, such as Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS), aimed at enhancing road/air safety while incorporating physiological data of drivers/pilots. These developments have been rigorously tested and validated in both motion simulators and real-world environments.

In collaboration with colleagues, Associate Professor Asadi has secured research funding totaling over $16.3 million from a range of sources including the Australian Research Council (ARC DECRA, DP and LIEF), industrial partners, governmental bodies, and international organizations. Some of the research projects  he led utilize motion simulators and VR systems for virtual prototyping and testing of vehicles, as well as for enhancing road and air safety through user training initiatives and enhancing vehicular technologies.

Associate Professor Asadi has published more than 170 papers in high quality journals and conferences. Notably, his contributions have been recognized globally, as evidenced by his inclusion among the top 2% of cited scientists worldwide, as listed by Stanford University and Elsevier.
His scholarly endeavours have won a number of prestigious awards including ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA), ARC Discovery Project (DP),  DAAD - VIC Research Funding Scheme – Veski in collaboration with German Aerospace Center, Avalon National Defence Innovation Award (High Commendation for Training); Australian Endeavour Fellowship; Franklin V. Taylor Memorial Finalist Award (SMC2018); IEEE SMC Best Chapter Award, Alfred Deakin Medal for Best Doctoral Thesis, International Postgraduate Research Scholarship from Australia (IPRS), Deakin Postgraduate Research Scholarship, National Research Fund AFR Scholarship, Vice-Chancellor award as a top student (Bachelor's degree), and etc.

In his leadership capacity, Associate Professor Asadi has demonstrated a proactive approach in guiding and supervising research teams, comprising both Postdoctoral fellows and PhD students, across various domains including AI, motion simulation technologies, human performance, and robotics. Furthermore, he has played integral roles within the academic community, co-chairing the IISRI Technology, Innovation, and Commercialization Committee, and serving on the IISRI Research and Publication Committee, as well as the HDR committee. Currently, he continues to contribute significantly as the IISRI Publication Coordinator and a member of the HDR Committee.