Umar Patel: Strategic Frameworks for Extended Realities

CESTA 2025 Winter Tuesday Lunch Seminars
Over the last several years, the advent of cutting-edge virtual and augmented reality devices‬ has elicited growing public interest in practical applications and use cases. Tech giants such as‬ Meta, Apple, Microsoft, and Google have invested billions into the extended reality space,‬ advancing high-powered hardware and software suites tailored for the emerging market.‬ More recently, the arrival of user-friendly devices like Meta’s Orion AR glasses, alongside‬ developer-centric operating systems such as visionOS and Android XR, is accelerating the‬ transition toward a future where XR technologies seamlessly integrate into daily life, similar to‬ the likes of cellular phones and laptops over the past two decades. However, while the‬ hardware landscape is rapidly evolving, the XR development ecosystem remains fragmented‬ and nascent. The absence of centralized communities or standardized design methodologies‬ across platforms poses significant barriers to entry for new creators seeking to craft immersive‬ experiences.‬ This talk will delve into the transformative potential of XR applications in fields such as digital‬ humanities, education, and industry, highlighting the foundational frameworks that can foster‬ more cohesive and impactful design practices. Attendees will also discover how generative AI is‬ poised to reshape immersive environments by enabling the creation of dynamic, multimodal‬ experiences that are more interactive, responsive, and tailored-unlocking new levels of‬ engagement and meaningful user interaction.‬
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About the Speaker
Umar Patel is an AI and Policy research developer at the Institute for Human-Centered Artificial‬ Intelligence (HAI), where he and his team at the Digital Economy Lab focus on developing‬ deliberative online platforms that leverage generative AI to foster effective decision-making‬ processes. Umar recently graduated from Stanford with his MS and BS in computer science‬ alongside a BA in archaeology, and through his work has curated powerful interdisciplinary‬ applications at the cross-section of computer science and digital humanities. Umar has been a‬ part of the CESTA community since his second year of undergraduate studies, working to‬ leverage AI to develop linguistic tools for low-resourced languages (such as Ottoman Turkish)‬ and expanding Ottoman heritage through immersive digital mediums such as extended reality.‬ Umar’s work in VR spans applications in digital heritage, education, and industry, with a focus‬ on user-centered design and immersive 3D engagement. Outside of CESTA and prior to joining‬ HAI, Umar has conducted research at several leading institutions, including the SLAC National‬ Accelerator Laboratory, the Virtual Human Interaction Lab, and the Stanford HCI Group.‬