Overview
Background
Dr. Dhaval Vyas is a Senior Lecturer in the Human-Centred Computing discipline - a former ARC DECRA Fellow (2018-2022) and. He is a part of the Compassion Lab research group. His research spans the areas of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and Computer-Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW). In particular, he focuses on designing IT tools to support health and wellbeing of under-resourced communities. He has worked in academia and industry for over 15 years. He received a PhD in Human-Computer Interaction from University of Twente, the Netherlands; a master’s degree in Computer Science from Lancaster University, UK; and an undergraduate degree in Computer Science from Gujarat University, India.
Availability
- Dr Dhaval Vyas is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy, University of Twente
Research interests
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Compassion Lab: Designing for Under-served Communities
The Compassion Lab focuses on developing technologies for under-served communities in order to bring about social change, and improvement to their health and wellbeing. It has a strong user-centric focus that aims to study issues at the grass-root level using ethnography and involve people in the design and development of technological solutions. Target Domains and Communities: - Low SES Communities - Refugees and Asylum Seekers - Women in Crisis Situations - Rural Communities in Developing Countries - Older Adults
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Disabilities, Health and Wellbeing Tech
How can technologies provide the right kind of support to individuals going through various disabilities and health conditions? Using Virtual Reality (VR), storytelling and other forms of pervasive technologies are developed to provide adequate support. We work on the following topics: - Independent living for people with paraplegia - Mental health support for low SES community members - Enhancing social interactions in older adults
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Fostering DIY and ‘Making’ in Undeserved Communities
The Do-It-Yourself (DIY) and makerspace movements have shown the potential for high-tech innovation, democratizing production and creativity, and revamping of economies and broken educational systems. However, within HCI, the focus has mainly been on more affluent and technology-savvy population. HCI lacks the narrative on how DIY and making practices are associated with economically disadvantaged members of the community. In particular, the role of innovation hubs such as makerspaces and community-based social enterprises in uplifting the economically disadvantaged needs to be thoroughly investigated. In collaboration with makerspaces that involve economically struggling members of the community and job seekers, this project aims to investigate DIY and making practices of LSE members and develop a counter-narrative on makerspaces and its inclusiveness.
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Quantified Self & Activity Tracking for Healthy Living
Within the research topics of Quantified Self (QS) and Activity Tracking, I have been focusing on supporting engaging social experiences for users; rather than on behavior change. A set of Android-based applications is developed in workplace settings to support activity tracking and fitness promotion. The aim is to enable employees to interweave activity tracking in their everyday routines and enable engaging social interactions in workplaces.
Research impacts
A project management application developed in my ARC DECRA project has been in use at the Sunnybank Men’s Shed, since July 2020. The application allows members to coordinate various activities around the shed.
My ARC DECRA project has generated a great interest in e-waste recycling and social entrepreneurship through various media articles:
- ABC News: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-02-17/using-ewaste-to-build-3d-printers-and-electric-bikes-brisbane/9449604
- Channel Ten: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyze2_gSvyY
My research supported by the UQ Cyber Seed funding has led to enhancements in the design of the AI suit that our industry partner – Ariel Care Pty Ltd is building. Building functionalities around moisture detection and hoisting capabilities on smart beds were specific contributions of my research. This project and the role of UQ has been well discussed on the ABC News: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-12-25/are-high-tech-homes-the-future-for-assisted-living/101695802
Works
Search Professor Dhaval Vyas’s works on UQ eSpace
2024
Conference Publication
Understanding use of Large Language Models in Healthcare: An HCI Scoping Review
Bandara, Pradeepa, Halloluwa, Thilina and Vyas, Dhaval (2024). Understanding use of Large Language Models in Healthcare: An HCI Scoping Review. OzCHI 2024: 36th Australian Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 30 November - 2 December 2024. New York, NY United States: Association for Computing Machinery.
2024
Journal Article
“Making for Others”: A Creative Inquiry Into Understanding Older Men’s Motivations for Making
Vyas, Dhaval, Khristi, Franklin and Worthy, Peter (2024). “Making for Others”: A Creative Inquiry Into Understanding Older Men’s Motivations for Making. International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction, 1-11. doi: 10.1080/10447318.2024.2387917
2023
Journal Article
ShedBox: enabling digital storytelling in men’s sheds
Vyas, Dhaval and Bahl, Raunaq (2023). ShedBox: enabling digital storytelling in men’s sheds. Behaviour and Information Technology, ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print), 1-16. doi: 10.1080/0144929X.2023.2242510
2023
Conference Publication
The pragmatics of sustainable unmaking: informing technology design through e-waste folk strategies
Khan, Awais Hameed, Sabie, Samar and Vyas, Dhaval (2023). The pragmatics of sustainable unmaking: informing technology design through e-waste folk strategies. ACM Designing Interactive Systems, Philadelphia, PA USA, 10-14 July 2023. New York, NY, USA: ACM. doi: 10.1145/3563657.3596056
2023
Journal Article
Refugee entrepreneurial trajectories
Lee, Chuike, Viller, Stephen and Vyas, Dhaval (2023). Refugee entrepreneurial trajectories. Proceedings of the ACM Human-Computer Interaction, 7 (CSCW2), 1-26. doi: 10.1145/3610204
2023
Conference Publication
Democratizing making: scaffolding participation using e-waste to engage under-resourced communities in technology design
Vyas, Dhaval, Khan, Awais Hameed and Cooper, Anabelle (2023). Democratizing making: scaffolding participation using e-waste to engage under-resourced communities in technology design. Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '23), Hamburg, Germany, 23 - 28 April 2023. New York, United States: ACM. doi: 10.1145/3544548.3580759
2023
Journal Article
Crossing the threshold: pathways into makerspaces for women at the intersectional margins
Hedditch, Sonali and Vyas, Dhaval (2023). Crossing the threshold: pathways into makerspaces for women at the intersectional margins. ACM Proceedings on Human-Computer Interaction, 7 (CSCW1) 123, 1-40. doi: 10.1145/3579599
2023
Journal Article
Making practices in pursuit of ecological ethos: learnings from three ecovillages in Australia
Tao, Hongyi and Vyas, Dhaval (2023). Making practices in pursuit of ecological ethos: learnings from three ecovillages in Australia. International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction, 40 (13), 1-17. doi: 10.1080/10447318.2023.2188537
2023
Journal Article
Design justice in practice: community led design of an online maker space for refugee and migrant women
Hedditch, Sonali and Vyas, Dhaval (2023). Design justice in practice: community led design of an online maker space for refugee and migrant women. ACM Proceedings on Human-Computer Interaction, 7 (4) 3567554, 1-39. doi: 10.1145/3567554
2023
Journal Article
“It’s just like doing meditation”: Making at a Community Men’s Shed
Vyas, Dhaval and Quental, Diogo (2023). “It’s just like doing meditation”: Making at a Community Men’s Shed. ACM Proceedings on Human-Computer Interaction, 7 (GROUP) 14, 1-28. doi: 10.1145/3567564
2022
Conference Publication
Onboarding, learning transfer and job performance in hybrid work environments
Kromah, Momo, Ayoko, Oluremi, Tann, Ken and Vyas, Dhaval (2022). Onboarding, learning transfer and job performance in hybrid work environments. 35th Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management, Gold Coast, QLD Australia, 5-7 December 2022.
2022
Journal Article
Engaging with under-resourced communities for user research through self-reported videos
Vyas, Dhaval, Durrant, Abigail and Vines, John (2022). Engaging with under-resourced communities for user research through self-reported videos. ACM Proceedings on Human-Computer Interaction, 6 (CSCW2) 513, 1-26. doi: 10.1145/3555626
2022
Conference Publication
Shedding ageist perceptions of making: creativity in older adult maker communities
Anderson, India and Vyas, Dhaval (2022). Shedding ageist perceptions of making: creativity in older adult maker communities. C&C '22: Creativity and Cognition, Venice, Italy, 20-23 June 2022. New York, United States: Association for Computing Machinery. doi: 10.1145/3527927.3532800
2022
Journal Article
Towards a Conceptual Framework for Understanding the Challenges in Refugee Re-settlement
Almohamed, Asam Hamed Abbas, Talhouk, Reem and Vyas, Dhaval (2022). Towards a Conceptual Framework for Understanding the Challenges in Refugee Re-settlement. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, 6 (GROUP) 3492856, 1-29. doi: 10.1145/3492856
2022
Conference Publication
Making in/with Nature: Lessons from an Eco-village for Sustainable Making
Tao, Hongyi and Vyas, Dhaval (2022). Making in/with Nature: Lessons from an Eco-village for Sustainable Making. 9th Congress of the International Association of Societies of Design Research (IASDR 2021), Hong Kong, China, 5–9 December 2021. Singapore: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-981-19-4472-7_1
2021
Conference Publication
DIY homes: placemaking in rural eco-homes
Tao, Hongyi and Vyas, Dhaval (2021). DIY homes: placemaking in rural eco-homes. 18th IFIP TC 13 International Conference, Bari, Italy, 30 August-3 September 2021. Bari, Italy: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-85613-7_25
2021
Conference Publication
Multisensory augmented reality
Karunanayaka, Kasun, Nijholt, Anton, Halloluwa, Thilina, Ranasinghe, Nimesha, Wickramasinghe, Manjusri and Vyas, Dhaval (2021). Multisensory augmented reality. Multisensory Augmented Reality, Virtual, 30 Aug 2021. Cham, Switzerland: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-85607-6_77
2021
Conference Publication
A gendered perspective on making from an autoethnography in makerspaces
Hedditch, Sonali and Vyas, Dhaval (2021). A gendered perspective on making from an autoethnography in makerspaces. DIS '21: Designing Interactive Systems Conference, Online, 28 June - 2 July 2021. New York, NY, United States: ACM. doi: 10.1145/3461778.3462015
2021
Conference Publication
Critical moments: supporting homeless journeys through design
Chandra, Rashmi and Vyas, Dhaval (2021). Critical moments: supporting homeless journeys through design. CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems , Yokohama, Japan, May 2021. New York, NY, United States: Association for Computing Machinery. doi: 10.1145/3411763.3451790
2021
Journal Article
Exploring entrepreneurial activities in marginalized widows: a case from rural Sri Lanka
Rathnayake, Upul Anuradha, Halloluwa, Thilina, Bandara, Pradeepa, Narasinghe, Medhani and Vyas, Dhaval (2021). Exploring entrepreneurial activities in marginalized widows: a case from rural Sri Lanka. ACM Proceedings on Human-Computer Interaction, 5 (CSCW1) 142, 1-24. doi: 10.1145/3449216
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Dhaval Vyas is:
- Available for supervision
Before you email them, read our advice on how to contact a supervisor.
Available projects
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Fostering “Making” Practices in People from Low Socio-Economic Backgrounds - PhD scholarship
This project aims to foster making and DIY (do-it-yourself) practices in low socioeconomic status (SES) communities. Working closely with an e-waste recycling makerspace based in Brisbane, this project will study the existing practices of makers from low SES and involve them in co-designing a technology that will help them in their future making activities.
Outcomes of this project will include:
- An alternative narrative on makerspaces, backed by empirical data, on the role DIY and making practices play within low SES communities.
- An innovative co-design method that will involve ‘making workshops’ to bootstrap development of ideas for empowerment and creativity.
- Self-made, DIY technology prototypes that support low SES members in their specific needs.
- A theory of ‘Creative Collaboration’ for engaging people from low SES backgrounds in DIY and making practices.
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Connecting Making and Health in Communal Makerspaces - PhD Scholarship
This PhD project will be part of an Australian Research Council grant. The project aims to understand connections between making and health, and explores ways through designing technologies to support and foster making. It aims to study communal maker organizations such as men’s shed, women’s craft groups, and library-based maker organizations.
Outcomes of this project will include:
- An empirical understanding of creative collaborative practices at communal makerspaces, using participatory and ethnographic approaches.
- A theory that establishes relationship between health and making.
- A user-centric technology that enables and fosters making in communal settings.
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Designing for Under-served Communities (Multiple opportunities)
I am looking for PhD, Master's and Bachelor's students to work on a wide range of projects.
The Compassion Lab focuses on developing technologies for under-served communities in order to bring about social change, and improvement to their health and wellbeing. It has a strong user-centric focus that aims to study issues at the grass-root level using ethnography and involve people in the design and development of technological solutions.
Target Domains and Communities (including but not limited to):
- Low SES Communities
- Refugees and Asylum Seekers
- Women in Crisis Situations
- Rural Communities in Developing Countries
- Older Adults
Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
Designing mixed reality to foster making practices in low socioeconomic status communities
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Paola Leardini, Dr Fred Fialho Leandro Alves Teixeira
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Doctor Philosophy
Developing inclusive and culturally sensitive design guidelines for AI-enabled smart homes for people with disabilities in developing countries, based on local needs, preferences, and values
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Guangdong Bai
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Doctor Philosophy
Human-Centered Independent Living for People with Paraplegia
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Stephen Viller
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Master Philosophy
IoT and Smart Homes for People with Disabilities
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Marie Boden
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Doctor Philosophy
Leapfrogging women who are refugees and migrants (WRAMs) into STEM skills through Makerspaces
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Paul Henman
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Doctor Philosophy
Designing technologies for newly-arrived humanitarian entrants: Fostering a sense of home during early-stage resettlement
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Aparna Hebbani
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Doctor Philosophy
Fostering Making Practices in People from Low Socio-Economic Backgrounds
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Stephen Viller
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Doctor Philosophy
Extended Reality for Architecture, Engineering and Construction (XR+AEC)
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Fred Fialho Leandro Alves Teixeira
Completed supervision
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2023
Master Philosophy
Making for Others: Connecting Men's Sheds and Society Through "Making"
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Peter Worthy
Media
Enquiries
Contact Dr Dhaval Vyas directly for media enquiries about:
- CSCW
- Human Computer Interaction
- Makerspace
- MobileHCI
- Ubiquitous Computing
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