NASA Collaboration: Advancing Human–Machine Interaction in Autonomous Flight

Kaiwen Yang, founder of Skape Innovations, served as a VR/UX subject matter expert consultant for a NASA initiative exploring how virtual reality can be used to study passenger comfort and interaction in autonomous air taxis.

The project examined the intersection of aerospace engineering, human factors, and immersive design, using simulation to understand how future passengers might experience trust, orientation, and spatial awareness in autonomous flight.

Kaiwen’s role centered on developing the UX testing framework and study plan, while also facilitating communication between VR specialists and aerospace engineers — ensuring human-centered considerations were integrated into a traditionally technical domain.

The outcome was a functional prototype and testing blueprint that enabled NASA’s teams to evaluate comfort, interface design, and usability within an immersive environment.

This collaboration demonstrated how immersive simulation can serve as both a design tool and a research instrument, shaping decisions before any physical system is built.

The insights gathered from this project continue to inform Skape Innovations’ broader practice, where research, strategy, and immersive design converge to support complex, high-stakes innovation.

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TESTMONIAL:

“Kaiwen served as the VR/UX subject matter expert for a NASA research project exploring passenger comfort in autonomous air taxis. He bridged communication between VR specialists and aerospace engineers, developing a custom UX testing framework and detailed research plan. I’ve also worked with him at the Nikkei National Museum, where he led the creation of an immersive virtual museum experience during the pandemic. His contributions were thoughtful, reliable, and of exceptional quality.”

Trisha Epp -- Director of Innovation, Freelancer.com, NASA Tournament Lab

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