01
Context-aware spatial guidance
Designing adaptive information support that responds to task state, user proficiency, and evidence of uncertainty while preserving independent judgment.
- XR
- Task analysis
- Human performance
Spatial computing · Construction · Learning science
Xiaohui “Sophia” Wang
Assistant Professor of Construction Management
I develop systematic and adaptive ways to deliver task-critical information in three-dimensional spaces, helping people understand situations, act safely, and learn to reason independently.
X 44.8755
Y −91.9193
Research environmentInformation → cognition → action
PositionAssistant Professor
InstitutionUW–Stout Polytechnic
Ph.D.Architectural Engineering · Penn State
Research modeBuild · Observe · Adapt
Research agenda
Spatial information that adapts to people and place.
My work asks what information should be delivered, when, and in what form to support learning and performance in complex engineering tasks.
02
Human-centered digital twins
Connecting physical observations, digital task models, and spatial interfaces to create interpretable feedback loops for construction learning and work.
- BIM
- Digital twins
- Decision support
03
Human–robot collaboration
Investigating how workers interpret robot intent, anticipate actions, and coordinate shared tasks through transparent spatial information.
- HRI
- Trust
- Coordination
Research in action
From physical procedure to adaptive spatial guidance.
Experiments connect field practice, immersive simulation, and detailed analysis of how information changes what learners see and do.
Featured research · Abstract spatial overlays
See the invisible layer of the task.
Watch equipment actions change the surrounding information. The featured demo connects each action with updated displays and moving voltage cues, with time to inspect the response before continuing.
From watching to doing · Works on your phone
Try the interactive spatial learning lab.
Featured · Augmented information
Change the system. See the response.
Follow a two-minute first-person Unity demonstration: change the power command, operate the AC and DC disconnects, then inspect the updated meters and moving voltage cues after each action.
Full HD · 1920 × 1080 · English narration and captions. A recorded excerpt from the Unity training environment.
A research framework
From task state to meaningful support.
My augmented-information taxonomy organizes spatial support across preparation, guidance, and feedback. A policy-based framework then selects representations according to the task objective, learning phase, and user proficiency.
01Observe
02Interpret
03Support
04Evaluate
Selected publications
Evidence from immersive procedural learning.
2026ITcon 31 · Journal article
Enhancing Safety-Critical Procedural Training for Battery Energy Storage Systems Using Immersive Virtual Reality
X. Wang and J. I. Messner
2026Computing in Civil Engineering 2025
Developing a Taxonomy of Spatial Information for Augmented Reality Training
X. Wang, J. I. Messner, and R. M. Leicht
2025Computing in Civil Engineering 2024
Designing Augmented Information Strategies for Immersive Virtual Reality Procedural Learning
X. Wang and J. I. Messner
2024Computing in Civil Engineering 2023
Virtual Reality Design Features That Impact the Efficiency and Accuracy of Electrical Workforce Training Scenarios
X. Wang, J. I. Messner, R. M. Leicht, and A. Mackey
Teaching
Making professional reasoning visible.
I design learning experiences that connect representations with project conditions and practical decisions. Students compare alternatives, explain their choices, test ideas, and receive feedback that supports increasing independence.
UW–StoutAEC 270 · Heavy Construction Methods and Equipment
UW–StoutAEC 131 · Architectural Graphics
Penn StateAE 222 · Building Materials, Methods, and Modeling II
120students in AE 222
11teaching assistants supervised
4current course sections
Trajectory
Engineering practice informs the research.
University of Wisconsin–Stout
Assistant Professor, Construction Management
Computer Integrated Construction Research Group
Doctoral researcher, Penn State
TRIO Electric
Workforce Training Development Specialist
Architectural design and engineering
Structural engineering and BIM practice