PhD Studentship - Affordable 3D Scanning and Data Visualisation Solutions in eXtended Reality (XR) for Coastal Challenges

Supervisor(s)

1. Professor Yang Jiang University of Hull
2. Professor Stewart Mottram University of Hull
3. Dr Alan Greaves University of Liverpool

Enquiries email: livingwww@hull.ac.uk

Funding for UK students

Subject areas

• Computer sciences
• Physical & Environmental Sciences

Project description

The accelerating impacts of climate change—particularly those related to water, such as flooding, coastal erosion, and rising sea levels—demand new digital solutions that can help scientists, policymakers, and communities visualise environmental change and interact with simulated scenarios spanning the past, present and potential futures. Immersive technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and eXtended Reality (XR) are revolutionising how spatial and environmental data are explored, offering interactive 3D environments that promote deeper understanding, empathy, and engagement.

Recent advances in digital technologies are dramatically changing the accessibility and affordability of 3D visualisation. These innovations open new possibilities for generating realistic, dynamic, and data-driven Digital Twins that can be explored through XR platforms. This project will build on these technological shifts to design and test sustainable, open-source workflows that support immersive environmental visualisation and wider community engagement.

This PhD aims to design, prototype, and evaluate affordable and sustainable 3D scanning-to-XR workflows for representing and simulating climate-related environmental change. The objectives of this project can be outlined as below:

• To explore, identify and test low-cost 3D scanning solutions (e.g. photogrammetry, LiDAR on mobile devices, open-source depth sensing) and integrate them with accessible XR platforms such as WebXR, mobile AR or Standalone XR HMDs.
• To research and develop workflows for AI-assisted 3D reconstruction, texture mapping, other low-cost modelling techniques and interactive environmental data visualisation.
• To work with communities, local councils, and cultural partners within Hull’s Living with Water initiative to co-create immersive storytelling experiences addressing water resilience.
• To assess usability, accessibility, and impact of the developed tools through workshops, user testing, and case studies; investigate and evaluate open-access solutions for academic outputs.

The research will generate scalable digital solutions for representing and responding to water-related climate issues. The open, affordable XR toolkit and digital workflows investigated and developed through this project could be adopted by wider stakeholders such as schools, museums, environmental communities, and local authorities to engage with diverse audiences. Beyond technological innovation, the project aims to contribute to cultural resilience—helping communities live not in fear of, but in creative dialogue with, water.

Please click on the Apply button for further information and to make your application.

Eligibility requirements

We anticipate that most applicants will have a first-class honours degree or master’s qualification. However, we are committed to widening access to doctoral study and therefore welcome applications from candidates with a good first degree (at least 2:1 or equivalent) who can also show relevant experience or circumstances, such as professional training or work experience.

This 3.5-year PhD scholarship cover fees at the Home (UK) rate, plus a stipend set at the UKRI nationally agreed rates. Currently £21,196 per annum at 2026/27 rates, increasing in line with UKRI guidelines for subsequent years (subject to progress).

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