Water Morris Maze
During my internship in spatial navigation research, I worked on developing and testing a virtual reality version of the Morris Water Maze, a widely used task for studying memory and navigation. The project involved designing interactive 3D environments where participants navigate a virtual arena to locate hidden targets using environmental cues.
The experience explored both egocentric and allocentric navigation strategies, requiring participants to rely on self-movement and spatial landmarks across multiple difficulty conditions. The system was designed with accessibility and usability in mind, incorporating guided practice, simplified controls, and gamified feedback to support a wide range of participants.
Through this work, I contributed to building an interactive environment that combines research-driven design with real-time user interaction, strengthening my skills in 3D systems, user navigation, and experience design that balances functionality with engagement.
Water Morris Maze
Water Morris Maze
Condition 1
Condition 4 Learning
Condition 4 (2D Placement)
Process
The Water Morris Maze was developed as an interactive virtual environment to study spatial navigation and memory. I designed a cylindrical arena where participants navigate from a fixed starting position to locate a hidden target using environmental cues. The system was built to simulate controlled navigation tasks while maintaining clarity, accessibility, and responsiveness within a 3D space.
The experience explores both egocentric and allocentric navigation strategies. Participants rely on self-movement and spatial memory, as well as environmental landmarks, depending on the condition. I implemented multiple difficulty levels and structured trials that gradually shift how users interpret space, removing or altering cues such as landmarks or starting positions to test different navigation behaviors and decision-making processes.
Throughout development, I focused on usability and engagement by simplifying controls, incorporating guided practice, and introducing gamified feedback systems. These elements help reduce cognitive load while keeping the experience interactive and accessible. The process strengthened my ability to design environments that balance research-driven structure with intuitive user interaction and real-time feedback.
Unity to WebGL pipeline (WIP) - May 2026 Update
To support WebGL deployment and browser-based accessibility, I am currently developing a new Records interface that allows researchers to navigate participant IDs, conditions, and detected trials directly from the application. This workflow is designed to make CSV data retrieval more accessible across desktop and mobile platforms while adapting Unity’s traditional local export pipeline for online use.
Tap and Drop Objects in 3D Space
Top View Map Testing Mobile
WebGL to Supabase
To support WebGL deployment and browser-based accessibility, I implemented Supabase as a centralized cloud storage solution for participant data. It allows researchers to access participant records without access to the testing device. It's improved data accessibility across multiple devices. It reduced reliance on local machine storage and suports browser-based deployment while preserving research data workflows.
Free to Play!
Unity to Andriod pipeline (WIP) - August 2026 Update
New menu screen, featuring settings icon and new animated menu
New Icon
Configured the Arena Quest store listing, content declarations, Android release settings, screenshots, and testing distribution through Google Play Console.