Hello there!

I’m Víctor, and I care about making new technologies intuitive and approachable

My multidisciplinary background in design and computer science allows me to develop interactive applications from early research to final implementation, bridging the gap between technical complexity and user needs.

Key skills

Programming

Virtual Reality

Human-Robot Interaction

User Experience Design

Haptics

Interaction Design

Virtual Environments

User Studies

Featured Projects

Kerflow

A walking simulation in virtual reality for bedridden patients with limited mobility

Actronika

UX/UI design, VR development, and haptic design for industrial, research, and entertainment contexts

Unitouch Studio: Case Study

Designing from scratch a haptic effect creation tool for Actronika

Doctoral Work

My doctoral research was focused on increasing the usability and haptic rendering of encountered-type haptic interfaces

Publications

Watch out for the Robot! Designing Visual Feedback Safety Techniques When Interacting With Encountered-Type Haptic Displays

Víctor Rodrigo Mercado, Ferran Argelaguet, Géry Casiez, and Anatole Lecuyer
Frontiers in Virtual Reality
Video | PDF | DOI

Depiction of the different visual effects for representing contacts in mixed reality

“Kapow!”: Studying the Design of Visual Feedback for Representing Contacts in Extended Reality

Julien Cauquis, Víctor Rodrigo Mercado, Ferran Argelaguet, Géry Casiez, Jean-Marie Nomand, and Anatole Lecuyer
ACM Symposium on Virtual Reality Software and Technology (ACM VRST)
Video | PDF | DOI

“Alfred: The Haptic Butler” On-Demand Tangibles for Object Manipulation in Virtual Reality using an ETHD

Víctor Rodrigo Mercado, Thomas Howard, Hakim Si-Mohammed, Ferran Argelaguet, and Anatole Lecuyer
Conference Paper on IEEE World Haptics Conference (IEEE WHC)
Video | PDF | DOI

Diagram showcasing the core components of an ETHD system

“Haptics on Demand” A Survey on Encountered-Type Haptic Displays

Víctor Rodrigo Mercado, Maud Marchal, Anatole Lécuyer
IEEE Transactions on Haptics (ToH)
DOI

Display of visual effects for augmenting contacts with objects in mixed reality

“Kapow!”Augmenting Contacts with Real and Virtual Objects Using Stylized Visual Effects

Víctor Rodrigo Mercado, Jean-Marie Normand, and Anatole Lécuyer
Poster for IEEE International Symposium on Mixed and Augmented Reality
Video| PDF | DOI

Setup for the the haptic display dedicated to use interaction techniques for increasing the contact with physical surface

Design and Evaluation of Interaction Techniques Dedicated to Integrate Encountered-Type Haptic Displays in Virtual Environments

Víctor Rodrigo Mercado, Maud Marchal, Anatole Lécuyer
Conference Paper on IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces (IEEE VR)
Video| PDF | Presentation Video | DOI

Diagram showcasing the core components of the ENTROPiA system

ENTROPiA: Towards Infinite Surface Haptic Displays in Virtual Reality Using Encountered-Type Rotating Props

Víctor Rodrigo Mercado, Maud Marchal, Anatole Lécuyer
IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics (TVCG)
Video| PDF | Presentation Video | DOI

Education

PhD in Informatics (2018 - 2021)

INSTITUT NATIONAL DES SCIENCES APPLIQUES (Rennes, France)
Thesis title: Touching Objects in Virtual Reality Using Next-Generation Haptic Interfaces
Supervisor: Anatole Lécuyer

Master of Science in Intelligent Systems (2016-2018)

TECNOLÓGICO DE MONTERREY (Monterrey, Mexico) Thesis title: Implementation and Evaluation of a User-Centered Designed Paradigm for Motor Imagery based Brain-Computer Interface
Supervisor: Dr. Luz-María Alonso-Valerdi

Bachelor of Arts in Animation and Digital Art (2012-2016)

TECNOLÓGICO DE MONTERREY (Puebla, Mexico)
Graduated with honors

Skills

Development

Unity, C#, C++, Unreal, Javascript, Svelte, Java, Rust

Design

Adobe XD, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Figma, Adobe Premiere Pro, Blender, FreeCAD

Soft Skills

Adaptability, Creativity, Active Listening

Spoken Languages

Español, English, Français

UX Methods

User interviews, card sorting, guerrilla usability testing, user experiments, surveys, stakeholder co-design, observational studies