Gaming & Esports Applied Research (GEAR)
GEAR is a transdisciplinary team of computer scientists and engineers, health professionals, graphic designers, human-computer interaction scientists, and cognitive psychologists with the capacity to rapidly prototype, develop, evaluate, and deploy video games for a variety of research applications. We focus on the applications of games as tools for education, empowerment, rehabilitation, community engagement, health interventions, and entertainment. Additionally, our research on esports includes the development of novel tools to support a variety of esports stakeholders, creation of esports STEAM curriculum for schools, and technologies to support esports player health and safety.
Games
- Augmented and virtual reality
- Game-based assessment
- Cognitive training
- Physical therapy
- Medical professional training
- STEAM engagement
- Civic engagement
- Accessibility design
- Older adult gaming
- Player data logging and analytics
Past Projects
BubbleTrip
BubbleTrip was created with ACT, Inc. This collaboration explored how a traditional pen-and-paper personality test could be turned into a game that is both scientifically valid and reliable in measuring student personality, even when the personality questions are removed from play.
Food For Thought
Food for Thought is a cognitive training game created under a National Science Foundation grant designed to challenge executive control function, and be appropriate and desirable to play by older adults experiencing age-related cognitive decline.
GT@DragonCon
Scientists, engineers, and artists from GEAR organize a variety of gaming and esports panels every year at DragonCon to educate and excite the public on Georgia Tech gaming and esports research. Panel topics include Gaming and Disability, Augmented and Virtual Reality, Unusual Jobs in the Gaming Industry, and Should I Go to School for Games?
Esports
User Support Technologies
Research into the appropriate design and application of interactive technology tools that support and augment fan experiences, aid in team coaching and management, create new business strategies for the esports industry, and more.
STEM Engagement
Esports in schools provide fantastic opportunities in motivating students to develop STEM skills, including hardware engineering, software programming, video editing, web design, as well as communication and leadership abilities. We are working with schools to help develop best practices and curricula to meet the needs of educators.
Player Health and Support
Engaging with professionals in the medical and esports industries, we are creating tools to support the physical, emotional, and mental health of esports players, while also examining the sociological implications of esports in a young demographic.
VIP Future Experience of Esports Class
In the Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP) class on the Future Experience of Esports, a team of hand-picked undergraduate and graduate students representing a wide variety of backgrounds and majors works on industry-inspired problems with gaming and esports partners. Three teams in this VIP class tackle research, development, and design of technologies that 1) create novel augmented reality experiences for fans, 2) help to understand factors around professional esport team cohesion and performance, and 3) support both professional and high school esport athlete health, wellness, and safety.
These teams of students work with our partners from Hi-Rez Studios, Atlanta Reign, Northside Hospital, the Georgia Scholastic Esports Foundation (GSEF), Skillshot Media, and other local and international gaming and esports industry professionals to create new technologies and solutions that promote human health and performance in gaming and esports.
Who We Support
Georgia Tech and our partners are seeking collaborators to work with us on gaming and esports applied research with impacts on user health and entertainment. For more information contact:
Laura Levy, Research Director, Gaming & Esports Applied Research (GEAR)
laura@imtc.gatech.edu
