I am a lecturer in games development, with a background in 3D modelling, game assets, and environment. My major research since past ten years has been mainly centered around cultural heritage ranging from digital reconstruction to virtual preservation. Being mainly involved with the practical aspects of digital heritage and using a combination of various scanning and modelling techniques, I was able to use most of that knowledge in game development. This is due to increasing usage of digitized assets in the gaming industry in the recent years. With an engineering background gradually shifted to creative multimedia, some of my research activities include sustainable design and development ranging from architecture and products to serious games and virtual reality experiences. This has enabled me to collaborate with various research centers. For example, in 2019, I developed and exhibited a VR recycling game for one of the largest United Nations events in Malaysia through Jeffrey Sachs Center on Sustainable Development. In addition to content creation and technical aspects of game development, I am also interested in virtual user experience, mainly in form of digital heritage, virtual museums, immersive storytelling, and testing new ideas in VR. I have published a few works in this field through the data collected from the work that I have exhibited in various events e.g. Digital Heritage 2018 International Congress and Expo in San Francisco. I supervise PhD candidates in areas related to games art, creative multimedia, digital heritage, sustainable design, serious games, immersive storytelling in VR, and relevant user experience. If you are interested in any of these areas do not hesitate to be in touch.
Academic qualifications
PhD - Creative Multimedia - Multimedia University, Malaysia Master’s - Multimedia Knowledge Management - Multimedia University, Malaysia Bachelor's - Chemical Engineering - Tehran Azad University, Iran
Expertise
- 3D Modelling
- Photogrammetry
- 3D Visualization
- Real-Time Technologies
- Game Development
- Virtual Reality
Research interests
- Digital Heritage
- Virtual Reality
- Sustainable Design
- Creative Multimedia
- Serious Games
- Next-Gen Architecture
Grants
GRTIN-IRG-117-2021 “Jeffery Cheah Foundation” First-Time VR Users Compared to Early Childhood Behaviour, Total value MYR5,000 (January 2021 – December 2021). GRTIN-RSF-SOA-CRCDM-02-2020 “Jeffery Cheah Foundation” VR Applications for Access in Absence of Access: Creation, Experimentation, and Adaptation, Total value MYR10,000 (January 2020 – December 2020). INT-2019-SOA-CRCDM-02 “Jeffery Cheah Foundation” Large Scale Full Immersive Virtual Reality Experience Targeting Cultural Heritage of Malaysia: Researcher Approach to the Future of Museums in Malaysia, Total value MYR25,000 (January 2019 – December 2019). INTs-2017-SOA-CRCDM-03 “Jeffery Cheah Foundation” Possibilities and Outcomes of Technology Involvement in Household Waste Management in Malaysia, Targeting Sunway Group High-Rise Residential Buildings, Total value MYR10,000 (January 2017 – December 2017).
Teaching
- 3D Modelling for Realism
- Advanced Realtime Technologies
- 3D Modelling Foundations
- 3D game Asset Foundations
- Digital reconstruction Architecture
- Product Visualization Prototyping 3D Assets
Publications
- Esmaeili, H., & Thwaites, H. (2021). Addressing environmental awareness through immersive VR experiences, gamification and hypothetical scenario development. Virtual Creativity, 11(2), 223-236.
- Santano, D., Esmaeili, H., Thwaites, H., & Amar, S. (2021). Unmasking the Mah Meri mask: A digitization journey for AR and VR. Virtual Creativity, 11(1), 33-51.
- Thwaites, H., Santano, D., Esmaeili, H., & See, Z. S. (2019). A Malaysian cultural heritage digital compendium. Digital Applications in Archaeology and Cultural Heritage, 15, e00116.
- Esmaeili, H., Thwaites, H., & Woods, P. C. (2018). A Conceptual Human–Centered Approach to Immersive Digital Heritage Site/Museum Experiences: The Hidden Waterfall City.
- In 2018 3rd Digital Heritage International Congress (DigitalHERITAGE) held jointly with 2018 24th International Conference on Virtual Systems & Multimedia (VSMM 2018) (pp. 1-4).
- IEEE. Esmaeili, H., & Thwaites, H. (2018). What Happened Here? An Immersive Virtual Story Narrated by Users. In 2018 IEEE Games, Entertainment, Media Conference (GEM) (pp. 1-9).
- IEEE. Esmaeili, H., Thwaites, H., & Woods, P. C. (2017). Workflows and challenges involved in creation of realistic immersive virtual museum, heritage, and tourism experiences: a comprehensive reference for 3D asset capturing.
- In 2017 13th International Conference on Signal-Image Technology & Internet-Based Systems (SITIS) (pp. 465-472).
- IEEE. See, Z. S., Sunar, M. S., Billinghurst, M., Dey, A., Santano, D., Esmaeili, H., & Thwaites, H. (2017). Exhibition approach using an AR and VR pillar. In SIGGRAPH Asia 2017 Mobile Graphics & Interactive Applications (pp. 1-1).
- Esmaeili, H., Thwaites, H., & Woods, P. C. (2017). Immersive virtual environments for tacit knowledge transfer focusing on gestures: A workflow. In 2017 23rd International Conference on Virtual System & Multimedia (VSMM) (pp. 1-6). IEEE.
- Esmaeili, H., Woods, P. C., & Omar, A. A. (2016). Automated network for knowledge transfer between resource management agencies: Real-time monitoring/database for household waste management in high-rise residential buildings in Malaysia.
- In 2016 22nd International Conference on Virtual System & Multimedia (VSMM) (pp. 1-7).
- IEEE. Esmaeili, H., Thwaites, H., & Woods, P. C. (2016, October). e-Reconstruction and e-archiving of iconic architectural heritage: A complete example.
- In 2016 22nd International Conference on Virtual System & Multimedia (VSMM) (pp. 1-8).
- IEEE. Esmaeili, H., & Woods, P. C. (2016). Calm down buddy! it's just a game: Behavioral patterns observed among teamwork MMO participants in WARGAMING's world of tanks.
- In 2016 22nd International Conference on Virtual System & Multimedia (VSMM) (pp. 1-11).
- IEEE. Esmaeili, H., Woods, P. C., & Houshangi, T. (2016). An overview of independent learning environments provided by self-access media: A lesson from CG industry.
- In 2016 22nd International Conference on Virtual System & Multimedia (VSMM) (pp. 1-5).
- IEEE. Esmaeili, H., Woods, P. C., & Thwaites, H. (2015). Virtual Preservation of Contemporary Architectural Heritage in Developing Countries in Absence of Protection: Digital Reconstruction, Recording, and Archiving before Complete Disappearance.
- In 2015 11th International Conference on Signal-Image Technology & Internet-Based Systems (SITIS) (pp. 796-803).
- IEEE. Esmaeili, H., Woods, P. C., & Thwaites, H. (2014). Realisation of virtualised architectural heritage.
- In 2014 International Conference on Virtual Systems & Multimedia (VSMM) (pp. 94-101).
- IEEE. Santano, D., & Esmaeili, H. (2014). Aerial videography in built heritage documentation: The case of post-independence architecture of Malaysia.
- In 2014 International Conference on Virtual Systems & Multimedia (VSMM) (pp. 323-328).
- IEEE. Esmaeili, H., Woods, P. C., Thwaites, H., & Hashim, K. (2014). Digital Archiving of Architectural Heritage. In Reinventing Cities and Places: International Urban Design Conference on Cities, People and Places (pp. 97-107).