Hi! I am Punit.

I'm a

Resume (Updated October 2024)
Full CV upon request.

As a Computer Science graduate student specializing in game development, AR/VR/MR, haptics, and graphics I am deeply engaged in the intersection of technology and immersive user experiences.

My rich portfolio of projects—ranging from video games to AR-based educational tools—demonstrate my passion for AR/VR/MR and haptic technologies, aiming to revolutionize digital interactions and create intuitive, immersive experiences. My goal is to leverage my technical and creative problem-solving abilities in an innovative environment, contributing to impactful technological advancements.

Projects

  • All
  • Research Projects
  • Personal Projects
  • Hackathon

Tactile Narratives in Virtual Reality

TerraGPT: LLM-Driven Procedural Terrain Generator

Virtual Reality for Synergistic Surgical Training and Data Generation

Pockets: User-Assigned Menus Based on Physical Buttons for Virtual Environments

Collision Avoidance System in VR

EndoMIMYK

Slingshot

Tower of Hanoi

Proxy Interpreter

AI Assistant Jarvis

Computer Vision + Unity

Game Development with Unity

Game Oasis Hackathon

Skills

Programming Language: C++, C#, C, JavaScript, Python, SQL, HTML/CSS
Tools/Frameworks: Unity3D, CHAI3D, OpenGL, OpenXR, Blender, Visual Studio, Arduino, Git, CMake, React
Technologies: Extended Reality, AI, LLM, Prompt Engineering, HCI, Game Development, Computer Graphics, Haptics, Simulation, UI/UX Development, Object-Oriented Programming, CI/CD, Prototyping

Experience

Research Experience

 

Graduate Student Mentor

May 2024 - August 2024

University of Waterloo, ON, CA

Engaged in the WiM (Women in Mathematics) Directed Reading Program as a mentor, supervised four undergraduate students (mentees) on a mathematical research project.

 

Graduate Research Assistant

September 2022 - September 2024

University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, CA

Currently working as a Graduate Research Assistant at the Haptic Experience Lab under Prof. Oliver Schneider. I am actively engaged in cutting-edge research that explores the convergence of haptics and human-computer interaction (HCI). My focus is on investigating how tactile feedback can be leveraged to elevate user experiences in digital interfaces, contributing to the continuous evolution of interactive technologies.

  • Designed a physical prototype from scratch to enhance user experience in virtual reality using haptic feedback.
  • Programmed microcontrollers in C++ to convert audio signals into haptic feedback and developed a VR user interface in Unity using C# scripts to provide core functionality.
  • Supported the research efforts of an interdisciplinary team of 5-10 researchers.
  • Extended an open-source project Macaron with JavaScript, adding 5 new features to meet design goals, increasing its usability by 30%.

[Currently involved in a research project with pending publication. Further details will be shared post-publication to adhere to confidentiality requirements and research protocols.]



Graduate Student Mentor

September 2023 - December 2023

Computing Research Association, Washington, DC, US

Mentored two undergraduate students as a part of the UR2PhD program, a national initiative focusing on engaging women and gender-marginalized students in computing PhD programs.

Achievements/Tasks -

  • Guided and supported students in navigating the research process with their respective projects, fostering their interest and engagement in computing research.
  • Facilitated weekly virtual meetings to guide students through research methods, troubleshoot challenges, and provide academic and career guidance.
  • Monitored and evaluated students' progress, providing constructive feedback to enhance their research and professional development skills.
  • Actively participated in the virtual mentor training program, refining mentoring strategies to better support undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds.
[Completion Certificate]   [Letter of Completion]



Visiting Undergraduate Student

January 2021 - June 2021

Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, US

Worked as a research intern at the Laboratory for Computational Sensing and Robotics (LCSR) under Professor Mathias Unberath. The work is related to surgical procedures where I developed a drilling simulation for mastoidectomy surgeries.

Achievements/Tasks -

  • Built a high-fidelity prototype for an anatomy-focused virtual drilling simulator leveraging CHAI3D, OpenGL, and C++.
  • Developed an algorithm for drill-shaft collisions, providing haptic feedback for virtual surgical interactions, contributing to an accuracy of less than 1 mm translation error during tool movement, as verified by 500 recorded frames in vision-based tracking experiments.
  • Published research, awarded outstanding paper award, and featured at TechXplore reaching an audience of over 2,000 professionals in the medical and robotics fields.



Research Intern

August 2020 - January 2021

Massachusetts Institute Of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA, US

Worked on a research project "Pockets" under the supervision of Mr. Aubrey Simonson (Graduate Research Assistant) at the MIT Media Lab in the Fluid Interfaces Research Group headed by Professor Pattie Maes.

Achievements/Tasks -

  • Implemented Pockets, a VR belt interface for efficient, intuitive tool access and occlusion reduction in virtual environments.
  • Devised and scripted a color picker tool using shader programming to obtain pixel colors, enabling the generation of paint blobs and supporting paintbrush operations.
  • Published findings at ACM SIGGRAPH 2021 Posters, sharing research with an international audience of over 3000 attendees.



Professional Experience



Research Engineer

May 2022 - July 2022

Uhmazing, Denver, Colorado, US

Uhmazing is an interdisciplinary team of machine learning researchers, data scientists, designers, and medical professionals innovating at the intersection of machine learning and XR technologies.

I worked as a full-time research engineer to contribute building an AI companion.

Achievements/Tasks -

  • Engineered and iterated a low-fidelity AI companion prototype using Unity, C#, and Firebase.
  • Utilized speech-to-text API to enable natural language processing and interaction with the AI companion.
  • Collaborated with a cross-functional team of 10 to refine the product vision, resulting in a 25% increase in user engagement.


Business Technology Analyst

January 2022 - April 2022

Deloitte USI, Bangalore, Karnataka, IN

Deloitte provides audit, consulting, financial advisory, risk advisory, tax, and legal services with approximately 457,000 professionals globally, and operates in over 150 countries.

I worked as a full-time Business Technology Analyst contributing towards the development of a financial auditing tool.

Achievements/Tasks -

  • Maintained a financial auditing tool using Java, improving the efficiency of the auditing process by 20%.
  • Collaborated with a team of 5-10 to gather requirements, design, and implement new features to the auditing tool.
  • Conducted extensive testing and debugging, ensuring the accuracy of financial data with a 99% reliability rate.
  • Kept up-to-date with the latest technologies and tools relevant to the financial auditing industry, and shared knowledge with team members to improve the overall quality of the product.


Additional Experience



Graduate Teaching Assistant

September 2022 - September 2024

University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, CA

Currently involved as a Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) for an undergraduate-level course on CS230 - Introduction to Computers and Computer Systems.

Previously TA'd courses: CS 115 - Introduction to Computer Science 1, CS230 - Introduction to Computers and Computer Systems, and CS 246 - Object-Oriented Software Development

Achievements/Tasks -

  • Graded assignments, projects, and exams for over 200 students, providing constructive feedback to improve their performance.
  • Assisted in proctoring exams and supporting a classroom environment of 100+ students each semester.Worked
   

Unity Developer Intern

June 2019 - July 2019

Mimyk Medical Simulations, Indian Institute of Science Bangalore

MIMYK is a deep-tech spin-off from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru. They build intelligent and immersive solutions for medical procedures. These systems are powered by AR/VR, Robotics, and Visual Computing technologies.

I worked as an Intern at Mimyk Medical Simulation, IISc Bangalore under the supervision of Dr. Nithin Shivashankar and Dr. Shanthanu Chakravarthy. I contributed to the team's efforts in developing a novel endoscopy simulator (EndoMIMYK).

Achievements/Tasks -

  • Designed and built 3D interactive training modules for medical simulation using Unity 3D and C#.
  • Developed a new feature, streamlining workflows for over 4 different surgical tools in the simulator.
  • Created 3D models and animations in Blender for the simulator, enhancing user interaction with various tools.


3D Design Intern

May 2019 - June 2019

WowExp Technologies Pvt. Ltd., Bangalore, Karnataka

WoWExp is building a Generative AI product called WoW FinGPT. It is A revolutionary product to assist the investment and trading analysts with the power of fine-tuned LLMs and selected datasets.

Achievements/Tasks -

  • Developed 3D content using open-source libraries for the company’s website.
  • Worked with babylon.js to simulate 3D graphics on the website.
  • Learned how a startup works at an early stage.


Game Development Intern

January 2019 - March 2019

StareOut Games, Hyderabad, Telangana

StareOut Games is a game studio with the vision to build games in the hyper-casual and casual segments.

Achievements/Tasks -

  • Worked with Marvelous Designer to design various cloth simulations.
  • Worked with babylon.js to simulate 3D graphics on the website.
  • Learned how an early-stage startup works.


Volunteer and Leadership Experience



Game Development and AR/VR Lead

July 2018 - August 2021

The Society of Coders (TSoC), IIITNR Chhattisgarh

The Society of Coders is IIIT-Naya Raipur’s official coding club. Started by students in a bid to spur the coding culture at this fledging college, the club is responsible for hosting and conducting a diverse range of coding events - hackathons, workshops, coding competitions and much more.

Achievements/Tasks -

  • Conducted workshops for unity3D and its applications.
  • Delivered lectures on applications of AR/VR and the basics of game development.
  • Mentored junior developers and provided guidance on technical issues, resulting in improved team performance and increased productivity.


Event Head

March 2018

Technovate (Technical & Cultural Fest), IIITNR Chhattisgarh

Achievements/Tasks -

  • Planned and executed a successful LAN gaming tournament as part of a technical fest.
  • Oversaw all aspects of the tournament, including equipment setup, rule enforcement, and prize distribution, ensuring a smooth and fair competition for all participants.
  • Developed marketing strategies to attract participants and promote the tournament.
  • Demonstrated strong leadership, communication, and organizational skills throughout the planning and execution of the event, receiving positive feedback from both participants and organizers.

Collaborations

News

Publications

Pockets: User-Assigned Menus Based on Physical Buttons for Virtual Environments
Simonson, A., Kunjam, P., and Maes, P.
In SIGGRAPH '21 Posters: Special Interest Group on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques, ACM (2021).
[PDF] [DOI]

Virtual reality for synergistic surgical training and data generation
Munawar, A., Li, Z., Kunjam, P., Nagururu, N., Ding, A.S., Kazanzides, P., Looi, T., Creighton, F.X., Taylor, R.H. and Unberath, M.
In Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering: Imaging & Visualization (2021).
[PDF] [DOI]

Education



Master of Mathematics in Computer Science

September 2022 - September 2024

University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, CA

Cumulative GPA: 91.25/100

Pursuing Master of Mathematics in Computer Science with a fully funded scholarship. I am actively involved in research at the Haptic Experience Lab, which is affiliated with the Games Institute at the University of Waterloo. Under the guidance of Prof. Oliver Schneider, my work focuses on advancing the field of human-computer interaction (HCI).

Coursework -

  • Human-Computer Interaction
  • Advance Topics in Computer Graphics (Rendering)
  • Haptic Computing
  • Advanced Topics in Software Engineering (Software Analytics for Release Pipelines)


  • Bachelor of Technology in Computer Science & Engineering

    August 2017 - August 2021

    International Institute of Information Technology, Naya Raipur, IN

    Relevant Coursework -

  • Introduction to Computers & Programming (C)
  • Data Structures and Algorithms
  • Operating System
  • Object Oriented Methodologies (Java)
  • Design and Analysis of Algorithms (C)
  • Software Engineering
  • Big Data Technology
  • Contact

    Location:

    45 High Street, Waterloo, ON N2L 3X7