About me

Academic experiences

First class honours MSc adn BSc degrees in Computer Science with dissertations on a web platform for the AI analysis of workouts conceived for the coaches (MSc) and an interactive 3D model viewer with shaders based on OpenGL written in C++.

I am currently a PhD researcher at Liverpool John Moores University.
My research project is called NIHSS Simulator, an application realiset to study the effectiveness of clinical assessment of acute stroke in a virtual environment. NIHSS simulator is a serious game in the form of a training package for healthcare workers involved in the care of acute stroke patients. Developed using Unreal Engine 4.
Since the focal point of my research was to provide an effective and realistic simulation environment to the user, during my PhD I focused my work on researching how to adopt the latest Unreal Engine features in order to obtain the desired result. I created my own game levels using professional assets and creating/editing new assets using 3D modeling (3ds Max) and texturing (Quixel) to achieve the realistic look I needed. I implemented a fully working game settings manager that is capable of adapting to the specific PC computing power. Thanks to the Level Sequence feature of Unreal Engine I animated by hand and by motion capture suit (Perception Neuron v2) various characters including some Metahumans. Finally, I created by scratch all the game logic using C++ and Blueprints (where necessary). Some results of this work have been tested by various users and the results published (some are currently still in process of publication).

Other experiences

During my BSC I worked on various group projects using multiple software. The first project I worked on was a simple horror game developed for Oculus Rift where I was the leader of the team assigned to modeling(landscapes, buildings, and props) and scene creation. The last and most important project was made during my computer graphics laboratory and HCI laboratory. We decided to learn the game creation pipeline from the foundation to the very end product, realizing a scene set in the Europa Atrium of the Costa Concordia after the disaster, using software such as 3ds Max, Quixel Suite, ZBrush, and Unreal Engine 4.

During my Master's degree, I worked on a Computer Vision project where the objective was to create an algorithm for real-time detection of racing gates for first-person view racing drones, with graphical assistance for the pilot. The first version of the project has been implemented with Computer Vision and Machine learning techniques using Tensorflow and Python libraries.

From September 2018 to June 2019 I've been working through a research scholarship. The project was called “Development of intelligent algorithms and interfaces for managing running workouts”. The objective was to build a prototype that will analyze, using intelligent algorithms, all the interactions occurring and ongoing between a trainer and his clients and show the workout to the trainer using intelligent and proactive interfaces.

During the last 5 years, I also used Unreal Engine to create and have fun outside the academic world. One example is my participation in the Accessibility VR/AR game jam 2020, where I and two other game developers created a Star Wars pod racing-like game that the user can easily control using just a motion controller. I also always loved art and level design so I often like to relax while creating pleasant environments intertwined with statues and classical art. Although my latest project is the creation of the demo of a game that takes advantage of the new Data Layer feature of the World Partition in Unreal Engine 5 as a game mechanic.