Skip to main content
${alt}

Bill Kapralos
PhD

Associate Professor

Game Development and Interactive Media

Faculty of Business and Information Technology

Contact information

Software and Informatics Research Centre (SIRC) - Room 4383
North Oshawa
2000 Simcoe Street North
Oshawa, ON L1G 0C5

905.721.8668 ext. 2882

bill.kapralos@ontariotechu.ca
http://faculty.uoit.ca/kapralos

Research topics

  • immersive technologies
  • serious gaming
  • multi-modal virtual environments/simulation/reality
  • perception of auditory events
  • 3D (spatial) sound generation

Background

Dr. Bill Kapralos is an Associate Professor at Ontario Tech University, an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Engineering and Computer Science at York University (Toronto, Canada), and an Honourable Guest Professor at Shizuoka University (Hamamatsu, Japan). He is also the Technical Lead of the Collaborative Human Immersive Interaction Laboratory (CHISIL), a collaborative laboratory examining the application of virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed realities in clinical, medical, and patient education in the perioperative period. His current research interests include: immersive technologies, serious gaming, multi-modal virtual environments/simulation/reality, the perception of auditory events, and 3D (spatial) sound generation. He has led several large interdisciplinary and international medical-based virtual simulation/serious gaming research projects with funding from a variety of government and industry sources. He has been invited to speak on the topic of immersive technologies, virtual simulation, and serious gaming for medical education at numerous international events, including a keynote presentation at the Healthcare Simulation Network (SIM-one) SIM Expo in Toronto (November 30, 2017), and a keynote presentation at the IEEE International Conference on Interactive Mobile Communication, Technologies and Learning, San Diego (October 17, 2016). At the invitation of the Federal Republic of Germany, he took part in the week-long 'Electronic Start-Up: Industry 4.0 in Germany, Country of Innovation' Visitors Programme in August 2016. He currently leads the serious gaming theme within the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) Interactive and Multi-Modal Experience Research Syndicate (IMMERSe) initiative. Bill chaired the 2014 IEEE Games, Entertainment, and Media (GEM) conference, and the ACM FuturePlay International Conference on the Future of Game Design and Technology from 2007-2010. He co-chaired the 2015 IEEE GEM conference, and the ACM Virtual Reality Software and Technology Conference in 2012. He is a past recipient of an IBM Centres for Advanced Studies Faculty Award, a past co-recipient of a Google Faculty Award, a past recipient of a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Fellowship to conduct research in Japan, and a recent recipient of an Australian Government 2018 Endeavour Executive Fellowship to conduct research in Australia.

Education

  • Bachelor of Science (Honours Computer Science, first class, with distinction) York University in Toronto, Ontario
  • Master of Science (Computer Science) York University in Toronto, Ontario
  • PhD (Computer Science) York University in Toronto, Ontario

Research and expertise

  • serious gaming 
  • immersive technologies (virtual and augmented reality)
  • multimodal interactions and perceptual-based rendering
  • spatial (3D sound)
  • perception of auditory events

Involvement

  • Peer-reviewed journals

    (Names in bold denote students; names in bold followed by asterisk denote postdoctoral fellows.)

    • Valdivia, R. Blanco, A. Uribe-Quevedo, L. Penuela, D. Rojas and B. Kapralos. Development and evaluation of two posture tracking user interfaces for occupational health care. Advances in Mechanical Engineering (to appear 2018) (2016 IF: 0.827)..
    • Shewaga, A. Uribe-Quevedo*, B. Kapralos, and F. Alam. A comparison of seated and room-scale virtual reality in a serious game for epidural preparation. IEEE Transactions on Emerging Topics in Computing, Special issue on Innovation in Technologies for Educational Computing. (to appear 2018) (2016 IF: 3.826).
    • Nguyen, A. Uribe-Quevedo*, B. Kapralos, M. Jenkin, K. Kanev, and N. Jaimes. An experimental training support framework for eye fundus examination skill development. Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering: Imaging & Visualization (to appear 2018).
    • Khan, and B. Kapralos. Fydlyty: A low-fidelity serious game authoring tool to facilitate medical-based cultural competence education. Health Informatics Journal (to appear 2018) (2016 IF: 3.021).
    • Shewaga, A. Uribe-Quevedo*, B. Kapralos, K. Lee, and F. Alam. A serious game for anesthesia-based crisis resource management training. ACM Computers in Entertainment, Special issue on Deep Learning, Ubiquitous and Toy Computing, 16(2):Article 6.
    • Khan, D. Rojas, B. Kapralos, L. Grierson, and A. Dubrowski. Using a social educational network to facilitate peer-feedback for a virtual simulation. ACM Computers in Entertainment, Special issue on Deep Learning, Ubiquitous and Toy Computing, 16(2):Article 5, 2018.
    • Welsher, D. Rojas, Z. Khan, L. Vanderbeek, B. Kapralos and L. E. M. Grierson. The flexible application of observational practice and educational networking across distributed medical education contexts. Simulation in Healthcare, 13(1):3-10, 2018. (2016 IF: 1.685).
    • H. Cheung, J. Koh, K. MacKinnon, C. Brett, D. J. Bägli, B. Kapralos, and A. Dubrowski. Web-based preparation reduces time to competency for simulation-based training in central venous catheterization – the role of observational practice and collaboration. Simulation in Healthcare, 11(5):316-322. (2016 IF: 1.615).
    • Nguyen, M. Melaisi, B. Cowan, A. Uribe-Quevedo*, and B. Kapralos. Low-end haptic devices for knee bone drilling in a serious game. World Journal of Science, Technology and Sustainable Development, Special issue on Gamification, Serious Games, Simulations, and Immersive Learning Environments in Knowledge Management Initiatives, 14(2/3):241-253, 2017.
    • Tawadrous, D. Rojas, B. Kapralos, A. Hogue, and A. Dubrowski. The effects of stereoscopic 3D on knowledge retention within a serious gaming environment. Multimedia Tools and Applications, 76:7301–7319, 2017. (2016 IF: 1.530).
    • Kapralos, K. Collins, and A. Uribe-Quevedo*. The senses and virtual environments. Senses and Society, 12(1): 69–75, 2017.
    • P Barneva, K. Kanev, B. Kapralos, M. Jenkin, and B. Brimkov. Integrating technology-enhanced collaborative surfaces and gamification for the next generation classroom. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 45(3):309–325, 2017.
    • Lam, B. Kapralos, K. Kanev, K. Collins, A. Hogue, and M. Jenkin. Sound localization on a horizontal surface: Virtual and real sound localization. Virtual Reality, Special Issue on Spatial Sound in Virtual and Augmented Reality, 19(3):213-222, 2015. (2016 IF: 0.628).
    • Cowan, D. Rojas, B. Kapralos, F. Moussa, and A. Dubrowski. Effects of sound on visual realism perception and task performance. Visual Computer 31(9): 1207-1216, 2015. (2016 IF: 1.468).
    • Kapralos, S. Fisher, J. Clarkson, and R. van Oostveen. A course on serious game design and development using an online problem-based learning approach. Interactive Technology and Smart Education, 12(2):116-136, 2015.
    • M. Williams-Bell, B. Kapralos, A. Hogue, B. Murphy, and E. J. Weckman. Using serious games and virtual simulation for training in the fire service: A review. Fire Technology, 51(3):553–584, 2015. (2016 IF: 1.471)
    • Gershon, S. Mann, and B. Kapralos. Games, entertainment, and media for life, health, and community. IEEE Consumer Electronics Magazine, July 2015, pp. 67-72.
    • Lam, B. Kapralos, K. Collins, A. Hogue, K. Kanev, and M. Jenkin.  Sound localization on table-top computers: A comparison of two amplitude panning methods. ACM Computers in Entertainment, 12(2):Article 12, 2014.
    • Collins and B. Kapralos. Sound design for interactive media: Introducing students to sound. Journal of Sonic Studies 6(1), 2014.
    • Rojas, B. Kapralos, A. Hogue, K. Collins, L. Nacke, S. Cristancho, C. Conati, and A. Dubrowski. The effect of sound on visual fidelity perception in stereoscopic 3-D. IEEE Transactions on System Man and Cybernetics part B, 43(6): 1572 – 1583, 2015. (2016 IF: 6.22)
    • Bellotti, B. Kapralos, K. Lee, P. Moreno-Ger, and R. Berta.  Assessment in and of serious games: An overview. Advances in Human Computer Interaction, Special Issue on User Assessment in Serious Games and Technology-Enhanced Learning, 2013(2013): Article ID 136864.
    • Tawadrous, S. Kevan, B. Kapralos, and A. Hogue.  A serious game for incidence response education and training. International Journal of Technology, Knowledge & Society, 8(4):177-184, 2012.
    • R. Harris, R. Herpers, M. Jenkin, R. S. Allison, H. Jenkin, B. Kapralos, D. Scherfgen, and S. Felsner. The relative contributions of radial and laminar optic flow to the perception of linear self-motion.  Journal of Vision 12(10):Article 7, 2012. (2016 IF: 2.671)
    • E. M. Grierson, M. Barry, B. Kapralos, H. Carnahan, and A. Dubrowski. The role of collaborative interactivity in the observational practice of clinical skills. Medical Education, 46(4):409-416, 2012. (2016 IF: 4.005)
    • Cowan, and B. Kapralos. A real-time, GPU-based method to approximate acoustical reverberation effects. Journal of Graphics, GPU, and Game Tools, 15(4):210-215, 2011.
    • Kapralos, C. Johnston, K. Finney, and A. Dubrowski.  A serious game for training health care providers in interprofessional care of critically-ill and chronic care patients.  International Journal of Emerging Trends in Web Intelligence, Special Issue on Ubiquitous and Collaborative Computing, 39(4):273-281, 2011.
    • Kapralos, M. Hogan, A. Pribetic, and A. Dubrowski.  Virtual simulations and serious games in a laptop-based university: Gauging faculty and student perceptions. Interactive Technology and Smart Education, 8(2):106-120, 2011.
    • Hogue, B. Kapralos, and F. Desjardins. The role of problem-based learning in IT. Interactive Technology and Smart Education, 8(2):120-134, 2011, 2011.
    • Hogan, B. Kapralos, S. Cristancho, K. Finney, and A. Dubrowski.  Bringing community health nursing to life with serious games. International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship, 8(1), Article 8, 2011. (2016 IF: 0.629)
    • Cowan, H. Sabri, B. Kapralos, M. Porte, D. Backstein, S. Cristancho, and A. Dubrowski.  A serious game for total knee arthroplasty procedure education and training. Journal of Cybertherapy and Rehabilitation, 3(3):285-298, 2010. 
    • Collins, B. Kapralos, and K. Kanev.  Smart table computer interaction interfaces with integrated sound. Journal of Three Dimensional Images, 24(3):58-67, 2010.
    • Cowan, and B. Kapralos. GPU-based real-time acoustical occlusion modeling.  Virtual Reality, 14(3):183-196, 2010. (2016 IF: 0.628)
    • Cowan, and B. Kapralos. GPU-based one-dimensional convolution for real-time spatial sound generation. Loading… Feature Issue: FuturePlay 2008 Edition. 3(9), 2009.
    • Kapralos, M. Jenkin and E. Milios. Sonel mapping: A probabilistic acoustical modeling method.  Building Acoustics, 15(4):289-313, 2008.
    • Kapralos, M. Jenkin, and E. Milios.  Virtual audio systems. Presence: Teleoperators and Virtual Environments, 17(6):527-549, 2008. (2016 IF: 0.750)
    • Kapralos, M. Jenkin and E. Milios. Audio-visual localization of multiple speakers in a video teleconferencing setting. International Journal of Imaging Systems and Technology, 13(1):95–105, 2003. (2016 IF: 1.139)
    • Milios, B. Kapralos, A. Kopinska and S. Stergiopoulos. Sonfication of range information for 3D space perception. IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering, 11(4):416–421, 2003. (2016 IF: 3.410)
  • Book chapters

    (Names in bold denote students; names in bold followed by asterisk denote postdoctoral fellows.)

    • Kapralos, A. Uribe-Quevedo, and A. Dubrowski. Immersive technologies for medical education. In N. Lee (Ed.) Encyclopedia of Computer Graphics and Games, Springer International Publishing, 2017.
    • Ortiz-Padilla, A. Uribe-Quevedo* and B. Kapralos. Designing hand tracking exergames with virtual toys. In P. Hung (Ed.) Computing in Smart Toys, Springer International Series on Computer Entertainment and Media Technology (to appear).
    • Kapralos, F. Moussa, K. Collins, and A. Dubrowski. Levels of fidelity and multimodal interactions. In P. Wouters and H. van Oostendorp (Eds.) Techniques to Improve the Effectiveness of Serious Games, Springer Advances in Game-based Learning Book Series, Ch. 5, pp. 79-101, 2017.
    • Brooks, S. Branham, B. Kapralos, and L. Jain. An overview of recent advances in technologies of inclusive well-being. In A. Brooks, S. Branham, B. Kapralos, and L. Jain (Eds.) Recent Advances in Technologies for Inclusive Well-Being: From Worn to Off-body Sensing, Virtual Worlds, and Games for Serious Applications, Springer Intelligent Systems Series, Ch. 1, pp. 1-11, 2017.
    • Cowan, and B. Kapralos. An overview of serious game engines and frameworks. In A. Brooks, S. Branham, B. Kapralos, and L. Jain (Eds.) Recent Advances in Technologies of Inclusive Well-Being: Wearables, Virtual Interactive Spaces (VIS)/Virtual Reality, Emotional Robots, Authoring tools, and Games (Serious/Gamification), Springer Intelligent Systems Reference Library Series, Ch. 2, pp. 15-38, 2017.
    • A. Uribe-Quevedo*, and B. Kapralos. Shoulder rehabilitation exergaming. In A. Brooks, S. Branham, B. Kapralos, and L. Jain (Eds.) Recent Advances in Technologies of Inclusive Well-Being: Wearables, Virtual Interactive Spaces (VIS)/Virtual Reality, Emotional Robots, Authoring tools, and Games (Serious/Gamification), Springer Intelligent Systems Reference Library Series, Ch. 6, pp. 105-125, 2017.
    • Kapralos, K. Kanev, and M. Jenkin. Advanced sound integration for toy-based computing. In P. C. K. Hung (Ed.) Mobile Services for Toy Computing, Springer, International Series on Computer Entertainment and Media Technology, Chapter 6, pp. 107-127, 2015.
    • Kanev, I. Oido, P. Hung, B. Kapralos, and M. Jenkin. Case study: Approaching the learning of kanji through augmented toys in Japan. In P. C. K. Hung (Ed.) Mobile Services for Toy Computing, Springer, International Series on Computer Entertainment and Media Technology, Chapter 9, pp. 175-192, 2015.
    • Kapralos, F. Moussa, and A. Dubrowski. An overview of virtual simulations and serious games for surgical education and training. In Technologies of Inclusive Well-Being. A. Brooks, S. Brahnam, and L. Jain (Eds.), Springer Series Studies in Computational Intelligence, Heidelberg, Germany,  Chapter 14, pp. 289-306, 2014.
    • de Ribaupierre, B. Kapralos, F. Haji, E. Stroulia, A. Dubrowski, and R. Eagleson. Healthcare training enhancement through virtual reality and serious games. In M. Ma, C. Lakhmi, L. Jain, and P. Anderson (Eds.), Virtual, Augmented Reality and Serious Games for Healthcare 1, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, Chapter 2, pp. 9-27, 2014.
    • Stuckless, M. Hogan, and B. Kapralos. Virtual simulations and serious games in community health nursing education: A review of the literature. In M. Ma, C. Lakhmi, L. Jain, and P. Anderson (Eds.), Virtual, Augmented Reality and Serious Games for Healthcare 1, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, Chapter 7, pp. 145-158, 2014.
    • A. Garcia-Ruiz, A. Edwards, R. Aquino-Santos, J. Tashiro, and B. Kapralos. Towards usable collaborative virtual reality environments for promoting listening comprehension. In G. Vincenti, and J. Braman (Eds.) Multi-User Virtual environments for the Classroom: Practical Approaches to Teaching in Virtual Worlds, Chapter 24, pp. 386-411.
    • A. Garcia-Ruiz, J. Tashiro, B. Kapralos, and M. Vargas Martin.  Crouching tangents, hidden danger: Assessing developments of dangerous misconceptions within serious games for healthcare education.  In S. Hai-Jew (Eds.) Virtual Immersive and 3D Learning Spaces: Emerging Technologies and Trends, Chapter 14, pp. 269-306.