The 2025 Student Research and Creative Works Expo at UA Little Rock was a vibrant celebration of imagination, technology, and student-driven innovation and the Emerging Analytics Center (EAC) was proud to be right at the heart of it.
Held on Friday, April 18, from 12pm to 4pm, the Expo transformed the campus into a showcase of research, creativity, and interdisciplinary projects. Students from across the university as well as from local high schools presented their work to faculty, peers, and the public. The EAC was thrilled to participate and contribute to this forward-thinking atmosphere.
One of the most talked-about demos came from Mohammad Jahed Murad Sunny, a graduate-student developer who showcased a life-sized VR twist on the classic buzz-wire game. The interactive experience challenged users’ precision and steady hands in a fully immersive environment. Faculty, students, and even the Dean of CSTEM lined up to test their skills, fascinated by the challenge and by the broader implications for training in fields like surgery and robotics. As Sunny explained: “VR is changing how we train for high-stakes tasks that demand fine motor control and spatial awareness.”
Jayasri Sai Nikitha Guthula shared how inspiring it was to see such a wide audience respond to their work: “The public really connected with what we were doing, everyone from younger students to professors, even Dr. Christina Drale, our chancellor, and company representatives from Forge. There was so much curiosity, great conversation, and a strong, positive atmosphere that highlighted just how impactful student research can be.”
Following each round of the buzz-wire demo, Atit Kharel, along with Meherun Shraboni and Praveshika Bhandari, all computer-science PhD students supported by the EAC, introduced attendees to DataEcho, an online frontend for analyzing and visualizing user-behavior data collected in XR environments. Using real-time data captured from immersive applications, DataEcho allows for 3d replays of a user’s session including gaze, 3d movement, and interactions from different perspectives. “Instead of just watching a video of someone’s gameplay,” Atit said, “researchers using DataEcho could interact with a full 3d interactive replay, allowing them to view and review performance from different angles. Our work received a lot of attention and opened up conversations about research, education, and how we can better understand behavior in immersive tech.”
Another standout project came from junior Martin “Marty” McCorkle, who is bringing science fiction closer to reality with his brain-controlled racing technology. Partnering with the EAC, Marty developed a brain-computer interface (BCI) that uses EEG signals and machine learning to control a VR racing simulator. The steering, braking, and acceleration uses only neural input! What started as a DIY dream evolved into a prototype powered by OpenBCI tech, Assetto Corsa Competizione, and a Jetson Nano. Marty’s work doesn’t just explore futuristic mobility, it has already inspired a future startup dedicated to creating low-cost, open-source BCI systems for education. While real-time brain-based driving still has its challenges, Marty and his team continue to refine the technology, even embedding it into motorcycle helmets, to push the boundaries of intuitive, mobile control.
It was a day full of excitement and questions, people were amazed at what our student teams are creating, developing, and building right here on campus. Our researchers and developers engaged with everyone: from prospective students to community leaders, sparking conversations about what’s possible when emerging tech meets real-world problems.
Events such as the Student Research and Creative Works Expo are a reminder of one of the core missions of the EAC: to push the boundaries of innovation while collaborating across disciplines. We left the Expo feeling not just inspired by the creativity across campus, but incredibly proud of how UA Little Rock and the community around us are shaping the future through technology.
