Kevin O’Mahony

Kevin O’ Mahony is a Research Fellow specialising in user experience (UX) and extended reality (XR) research and innovation at the Nimbus Research Centre, MTU. Working in Nimbus Research Centre for 15 years, Kevin has extensive experience covering UX and XR research, and entrepreneurial expertise having worked on research and industry funded projects at national and EU levels. Kevin has played a key role having led or contributed to more than 100 projects funded by Enterprise Ireland, supporting over 50 start-ups and SMEs. Kevin takes a lead role in shaping the vision and strategy of Nimbus Centre’s User Experience and Extended Reality Groups. In this capacity, he oversees UX and XR research projects, collaborating on both UX and XR research and industry projects. Leveraging the capabilities of the UX and XR Labs infrastructure, the UX and XR research teams at Nimbus have undertaken innovative research projects covering VR training, digital twins, and AR guidance within smart manufacturing and AEC sectors. As his own research areas can be applied to most research domains, his support for the wider research community focuses on applying his expertise in extended reality, user experience and design innovation to diverse research domains in collaboration with research entities across MTU. This involves awareness-raising, training, and collaboration on proposals and projects. Kevin is the Industry Coordinator for NExIS (Network of Extended reality Innovation Suites) project, where he works closely with the NExIS team and wider stakeholders building opportunities to improve capacity in Extended Reality across learning, research, industry collaboration and technical integration. Currently pursuing his Ph.D. in the Media Communications Department at MTU, Kevin’s research focuses on human-centered gesture design methodologies, with a specific emphasis on personalising gesture interactions across smart environments. His research delves into the intricate areas of personalisation of gesture interactions, carefully considering cultural needs and social contexts within shared smart computing environments. A pivotal aspect of his work is the design of a human-centered gesture design methodology, where gesture interaction vocabularies can be personalised to cater to diverse cultural and personal preferences in controlling shared smart environments. In all aspects of his work, Kevin’s interests are in helping people have enhanced interactive experiences with technology. His goal is to craft meaningful interactions with digital interfaces that are both inclusive and engaging, seamlessly integrating technology into the rich diversity of human experiences.