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
-
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
-
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
-
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.
-
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
2018
Journal Article
Gamification for development: a case of collaborative learning in Sri Lankan primary schools
Halloluwa, Thilina, Vyas, Dhaval, Usoof, Hakim and Hewagamage, K. P. (2018). Gamification for development: a case of collaborative learning in Sri Lankan primary schools. Personal and Ubiquitous Computing, 22 (2), 391-407. doi: 10.1007/s00779-017-1073-6
2018
Journal Article
Design participation lab
Brereton, Margot, Wilson, Cara, Dema, Tshering, Taylor, Jennyfer, Oliver, Jessie, Munoz, Diego, Bayor, Andy, Bircanin, Filip, Anggarendra, Riga, Capel, Tara, Kapuire, Gereon, Soro, Alessandro, Wheeler, Helvi, Sitbon, Laurianne, Roe, Paul, Wyeth, Peta, Ploderer, Bernd, Vyas, Dhaval, Zhang, Jinglan and Ambe, Aloha (2018). Design participation lab. Interactions, 25 (2), 14-17. doi: 10.1145/3184332
2018
Conference Publication
Designing for refugees: insights from design workshop
Almohamed, Asam, Vyas, Dhaval and Zhang, Jinglan (2018). Designing for refugees: insights from design workshop. 30th Australian Conference on Computer-Human Interaction, OzCHI 2018, Melbourne, Victoria, 4 -7 December 2018. New York, NY, United States: Association for Computing Machinery. doi: 10.1145/3292147.3292196
2018
Conference Publication
Value for money: co-designing with underbanked women from rural Sri Lanka
Halloluwa, Thilina, Bandara, Pradeepa, Usoof, Hakim and Vyas, Dhaval (2018). Value for money: co-designing with underbanked women from rural Sri Lanka. 30th Australian Conference on Computer-Human Interaction, OzCHI 2018, Melbourne, VIC, Australia, 4-7 December 2018. New York, United States: Association for Computing Machinery. doi: 10.1145/3292147.3292157
2017
Edited Outputs
OzCHI '17: 29th Australian Conference on Human-Computer Interaction
Alessandro Soro, Dhaval Vyas, Bernd Ploderer, Ann Morrison and Jenny Waycott eds. (2017). OzCHI '17: 29th Australian Conference on Human-Computer Interaction. OzCHI '17: 29th Australian Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, Brisbane, Australia, November 2017. New York, NY, United States: ACM.
2017
Conference Publication
Welcome from the technical program chairs
Vyas, Dhaval, Morrison, Ann, Soro, Alessandro, Waycott, Jenny and Ploderer, Bernd (2017). Welcome from the technical program chairs. 29th Australian Computer-Human Interaction Conference (OzCHI 2017), Brisbane, QLD Australia, 28th November-1st December, 2017. New York, NY USA: Association for Computing Machinery.
2017
Journal Article
Everyday resilience: supporting resilient strategies among low socioeconomic status communities
Vyas, Dhaval and Dillahunt, Tawanna (2017). Everyday resilience: supporting resilient strategies among low socioeconomic status communities. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, 1 (CSCW) 105, 1-21. doi: 10.1145/3134740
2017
Conference Publication
Designing for financial literacy: co-design with children in rural Sri Lanka
Halloluwa, Thilina, Vyas, Dhaval, Usoof, Hakim, Bandara, Pradeepa, Brereton, Margot and Hewagamage, Priyantha (2017). Designing for financial literacy: co-design with children in rural Sri Lanka. 16th IFIP TC 13 International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction (INTERACT), Mumbai, India, 25-29 September 2017. Cham, Switzerland: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-67744-6_21
2017
Journal Article
Sharing, saving, and living well on less: supporting social connectedness to mitigate financial hardship
Snow, Stephen, Vyas, Dhaval and Brereton, Margot (2017). Sharing, saving, and living well on less: supporting social connectedness to mitigate financial hardship. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 33 (5), 345-356. doi: 10.1080/10447318.2016.1243846
2017
Journal Article
Organizational affordances: a structuration theory approach to affordances
Vyas, Dhaval, Chisalita, Cristina M. and Dix, Alan (2017). Organizational affordances: a structuration theory approach to affordances. Interacting with Computers, 29 (2), 117-131. doi: 10.1093/iwc/iww008
2017
Conference Publication
Everyday creative uses of smartphone images in biomedical engineering laboratories
Vyas, Dhaval, Vyas, Hinal and Woodruff, Maria A. (2017). Everyday creative uses of smartphone images in biomedical engineering laboratories. 16th IFIP TC 13 International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction (INTERACT), Mumbai, India, 25-29 September 2017. Heidelberg, Germany: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-67744-6_22
2017
Conference Publication
Exploring the making activities of women in crisis situations
Capel, Tara and Vyas, Dhaval (2017). Exploring the making activities of women in crisis situations. DIS '17: Designing Interactive Systems Conference 2017, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, June 2017. New York, NY United States: Association for Computing Machinery. doi: 10.1145/3064857.3079153
2017
Conference Publication
Diversity and coherence in a hackerspace for people from a low socioeconomic community
Taylor, Jennyfer Lawrence, Vyas, Dhaval and Sharp, Tony (2017). Diversity and coherence in a hackerspace for people from a low socioeconomic community. 29th Australian Computer-Human Interaction Conference, OzCHI 2017, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 28 November -1 December 2017. New York, NY United States: Association for Computing Machinery. doi: 10.1145/3152771.3152797
2017
Conference Publication
Rebuilding social capital: Engaging newly arrived refugees in participatory design
Almohamed, Asam, Vyas, Dhaval and Zhang, Jinglan (2017). Rebuilding social capital: Engaging newly arrived refugees in participatory design. 29th Australian Computer-Human Interaction Conference, OzCHI 2017, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 28 November - 1 December 2017. New York, NY United States: Association for Computing Machinery. doi: 10.1145/3152771.3152778
2017
Conference Publication
Women in crisis situations: empowering and supporting women through ICTs
Capel, Tara, Vyas, Dhaval and Brereton, Margot (2017). Women in crisis situations: empowering and supporting women through ICTs. 16th IFIP TC 13 International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction (INTERACT), Mumbai, India, 25-29 September 2017. Heidelberg, Germany: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-67684-5_5
2017
Edited Outputs
Proceedings of the 29th Australian Conference on Computer-Human Interaction - OZCHI '17
Alessandro Soro, Dhaval Vyas, Bernd Ploderer, Ann Morrison, Jenny Waycott and Margot Brereton eds. (2017). Proceedings of the 29th Australian Conference on Computer-Human Interaction - OZCHI '17. 29th Australian Conference on Computer-Human Interaction, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 28 November - 1 December 2017. New York, NY United States: ACM Press.
2016
Conference Publication
Designing for the marginalized: A step towards understanding the lives of refugees and asylum seekers
Almohamed, Asam and Vyas, Dhaval (2016). Designing for the marginalized: A step towards understanding the lives of refugees and asylum seekers. 11th ACM SIGCHI Conference on Designing Interactive Systems, DIS 2016, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 4-8 June 2016. New York, NY United States: Association for Computing Machinery. doi: 10.1145/2908805.2909415
2016
Journal Article
Exploring interactions with 'Smart' design objects
Vyas, Dhaval, Kroner, Alexander and Nijholt, Anton (2016). Exploring interactions with 'Smart' design objects. International Journal of Mobile Human Computer Interaction, 8 (1), 59-82. doi: 10.4018/IJMHCI.2016010103
2016
Conference Publication
Using self-reported experiences to explore the issues of women in crisis situations
Capel, Tara, Taylor, Jennyfer Lawrence and Vyas, Dhaval (2016). Using self-reported experiences to explore the issues of women in crisis situations. 28th Australian Computer-Human Interaction Conference, OzCHI 2016, Launceston, TAS Australia, 29 November - 2 December 2016. New York, NY United States: Association for Computing Machinery. doi: 10.1145/3010915.3010962
2016
Conference Publication
Interaction design for tablet based edutainment systems for mathematical education of primary students
Halloluwa, Thilina, Vyas, Dhaval, Sahama, Tony, Hewagamage, K. P. and Usoof, Hakim (2016). Interaction design for tablet based edutainment systems for mathematical education of primary students. 15th International Conference on Advances in ICT for Emerging Regions, ICTer 2015, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 24- 25 August 2015. Piscataway, NJ United States: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. doi: 10.1109/ICTER.2015.7377706
Funding
Past funding
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Dhaval Vyas is:
- Available for supervision
Before you email them, read our advice on how to contact a supervisor.
Available projects
-
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.
-
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.
-
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
-
Doctor Philosophy
Human-Centered Independent Living for People with Paraplegia
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Melanie Hoyle, Dr Wei Qi Koh
-
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: Professor Tim Miller, Associate Professor Guangdong Bai
-
Master Philosophy
Critical Making and Design Ethics: A Foucauldian Perspective on Surveillance, Control and Biopower in Designed Digital Interactivity
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Stephen Viller
-
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
-
Doctor Philosophy
Designing Digital Technologies for Grassroots Sustainable Practices in Eco-Villages
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Paola Leardini, Dr Fred Fialho Leandro Alves Teixeira
-
Master Philosophy
IoT and Smart Homes for People with Disabilities
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Marie Boden
-
Doctor Philosophy
Using Human-Centered Design Approach to Support Refugee Entrepreneurial Pathways
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Stephen Viller
Completed supervision
-
2024
Doctor Philosophy
Leapfrogging women who are refugees and migrants (WRAMs) into STEM skills through Makerspaces
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Paul Henman
-
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
Need help?
For help with finding experts, story ideas and media enquiries, contact our Media team: