Behind the Scenes at ICT today: USC student writer Ava Izadi interviewed David Cobbins, Creative Producer, Mixed Reality Lab (MxR), for an upcoming article on his work at ICT and prior service as a U.S. Army non-commissioned officer and combat medic.
During the interview, David Cobbins presented several of MxR’s research projects, including ELITE: Emergent Leader Immersive Training, an instructional platform, delivered via digital devices, which provides opportunities to practice skills in realistic and relevant training scenarios with virtual human role-players and real-time data tracking tools which allow for structured feedback.
As project leader on ELITE, Cobbins demonstrated how the platform leverages more than a decade of USC Institute for Creative Technologies’ research into instructional design, virtual human technologies, intelligent tutoring, and storytelling, and is now a required prerequisite for attending Army Warrant Officer School.
DAVID COBBINS
David Cobbins is a former United States Army Non-Commissioned Officer and Combat Medic. He holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin and a graduate degree from the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts. David has previously worked for the Department of Veteran Affairs and Warner Brothers Studios. He currently serves as a creative Producer for ICT’s Mixed Reality Lab, and as Project Leader for the Emerging Leader Immersive Training Environment (ELITE), as well as Co-Lead on both the Digital Interactive Victim Intake System (DIVIS), and Leaders Enhanced & Applied Doctrine System (LEADS). David has also been a writer and creative consultant on game, television, film and military related projects over the last 10 years.
AVA IZADI
Ava Izadi is a Student Writer at USC, contributing to both Keck Medicine and Viterbi School of Engineering while pursuing her Master’s in Public Relations and Advertising at USC Annenberg. She holds a BA in Communication Studies with a minor in Public Relations from Chapman University. In addition to her writing role, Ava serves as a Graduate Research Assistant at USC Annenberg and previously worked as an Assistant Learning Specialist with USC Athletics’ Academic Services department. She is an active member of USC PRSSA (Public Relations Student Society of America), the National Society of Collegiate Scholars and the USC Persian Student Organization.
MIXED REALITY LAB (MxR)
The Mixed Reality Lab (MxR) was established at the University of California Institute for Creative Technologies in 2008, with the goal of exploring emerging human-machine interactions and coming up with innovative hardware, platform, and system solutions along the way.
Under Director David Nelson, MxR’s resulting research in virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) has pushed immersive technology out of the lab and introduced it to the public, directly impacting the development of high-end VR headsets like the Oculus Rift and inspiring the creation of low-cost VR headsets like Google Cardboard.
MxR has since broadened its focus to include Extended Reality User Interfaces & Experiences (XR UI/UX), Spatial Data Visualization, Adaptive HMI, Generative AI Content Creation, and Immersive Story-Based Learning. From training and operations, to education and entertainment, MxR continues to create substantial impact through its rapid prototyping ethos and thoughtful approach to human centered design.
We will update this post with a link to Ava Izadi’s article when it comes out ahead of Veterans Day, on the USC Viterbi School of Engineering site.