Bren Macdonald

Technologist, VR Expert, Comedian

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about

Bren Macdonald is a technologist based out of Pittsburgh, PA

Portfolio

This is a gallery of videos and screenshots of my work from the VR Mine Training Platform. In particular, my contributions included:

  • Virtual reality direct interaction system
  • Drag and drop mapping interface for a player
  • Behaviors of interactable items inside the VR space
    • This includes the audio behaviors upon collision
  • A simplified editor interface, think “Unity Light” developed in conjunction with contractor support that I was the managing COR

Videos

The VR Mine Training Platform, even in its early phase has achieved acclaim from prominent safety organizations within the industry we targeted:

This is the VR Mine Rescue Platform being featured in a panel at the Augmented World Expo in 2024:

A link to the VR-MRT build is available upon request.

There was active recruitment underway for seeking training partners with the VR-MRT: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/mining/features/vr-mrt.html

Distributed Software

The fully published link to my prior work, the BG4 Training Simulation is available here: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/mining/Works/coversheet1877.html

Picture Gallery

These are some sample pictures of the work I’ve done and the areas into which I’ve deployed tech:

A team of simulated people approaching a virtual fire, with a picture-in-picture view showing the real world counterparts doing the same.
This is a team of colocated mine rescue trainees approaching a virtual fire. The multiplayer design of VR MRT allowed the players to safely work together despite wearing HMDs.
A screen shot of the main menu of a video game. Tiles showing available options are on the left hand side of the screen
I implemented and designed/iterated upon the primary UI/UX of the VR MRT
Virtual miners on the left panel, a solo remote player on the top right, and two colocated players on the bottom right
An early prototype of the VR MRT where players could either join remotely or play in a colocated conference room space
A virtual mine overhead display showing breadcrumb trails of where participants explored.
A virtual mine overhead display showing breadcrumb trails of where participants explored.
A game editor, showing thumbnails of available tiles on the left, an inspector window in the middle, and a window showing properties to edit on the right
This is the scenario editor, almost every component is dynamic, new tiles are added frequently and the inspector dynamically populates depending on a tile’s property needs
Virtual mine avatars huddled around a mine map.
Virtual mine avatars huddled around a mine map.
A mine rescue team doing virtual reality training on the left with a real-world mine map on the right
Mine rescue teams receiving training on the left, the right has the real world maps they create that we simulate
Real world miners huddled around a mine map.
Real world miners huddled around a mine map.
Virtual reality and real world miners exploring the virtual mine, a mine map in the bottom right corner.
Virtual reality and real world miners exploring the virtual mine, a mine map in the bottom right corner.
A user interface showing several buttons that allow a user to manipulate a virtual object on the screen.
This is a screenshot from the BG 4 Training Software I designed and developed.
A large cross shaped play space
This is the play space we created for our VR MRT
A solo trainee performign a hazard inspection in our 360 screen
A team of mine rescuers kneeling while looking at a simulated belt fire on the screen in front of them
Miners inside my lab’s 360 screen space, they are exploring a mine that was the predecessor to VR MRT

Not pictured are the years I’ve spent in managing multi-million dollar contracts for technology directing used by industry. These contracts included:

  • The implementation of a 10 meter wide 360 CAVE system and the creation of specialized interactive simulations therin
  • Mine rescue problem and level design with subject matter experts where I guided non-experts into concepts applicable for interactive simulated content
  • The development of custom explosion-proof luminaries
  • Research study for escapeway signage
  • A multi-year research study evaluating the use of LLMs to analyze historical data
  • A multi-year service contract to assist in the development of features for the VR-MRT

Creative Works

An assortment of my sketches are available here:

You can also listen to over 100 episodes I have recordhttps://drive.google.com/file/d/1Wkps7EjZEcWZqBS1Adm9q9ZNvoGY6X_S/view?usp=drive_linked and edited for the podcast No Story is Sacred.

Publications

Bellanca JL, Orr TJ, Hoebbel C, Helfrich W, Macdonald B, Navoyski J, Demich B, Mechling JJ, Schmidt PE, Chasko LL, Cohen J. (2023). Usability of collaborative “VR Mine Rescue Training” platform. APCOM 2023, Intelligent Mining: Innovation, Vision, and Value.

Bellanca, J. L., Macdonald, B., Navoyski, J., Hrica, J. K., Orr, T. J., Demich, B., & Hoebbel, C. L. (2023). Using near-miss events to create training videos. Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration, 40(4), 1091-1099. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42461-023-00774-6

Sammarco, J. J., Demich, B., Macdonald, B. D., Rubinstein, E. N., & Martell, M. (2020). Recognition of illuminated coloured markers that designate primary and secondary mine escapeways. Lighting Research & Technology, 52(8), 959-975. https://doi.org/10.1177/1477153520916776

Martell, M. J., Sammarco, J. J., & Macdonald, B. D. (2019). Effects of light spectrum on luminance measurements in underground coal mines. IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications, 55(6), 6670-6677. https://doi.org/10.1109/TIA.2019.2933808

Orr, T. J., Bellanca, J. L., Navoyski, J., Macdonald, B., Helfrich, W., & Demich, B. (2020). Development of visual elements for accurate simulation. In D. N. Cassenti (Ed.), Advances in human factors and simulation: Proceedings of the AHFE 2019 international conference on human factors and simulation, July 24-28, 2019, Washington DC, USA 10 (pp. 287-299). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-20148-7_26

Martell, M. J., Sammarco, J. J., Macdonald, B., & Rubinstein, E. (2020). Detectability of a self-illuminating lifeline for self-escape in smoke conditions of an underground mine. Lighting Research & Technology, 52(1), 64-78. https://doi.org/10.1177/1477153519829187

Bellanca, J. L., Orr, T. J., Helfrich, W. J., Macdonald, B., Navoyski, J., & Demich, B. (2019). Developing a virtual reality environment for mining research. Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration, 36, 597-606. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42461-018-0046-2

Sammarco, J. J., Macdonald, B. D., Demich, B., Rubinstein, E. N., & Martell, M. J. (2019). LED lighting for improving trip object detection for a walk-thru roof bolter. Lighting Research & Technology, 51(5), 725-741. https://doi.org/10.1177/1477153518783816

Eiter, B. M., Bellanca, J. L., Helfrich, W., Orr, T. J., Hrica, J., Macdonald, B., & Navoyski, J. (2018). Recognizing mine site hazards: Identifying differences in hazard recognition ability for experienced and new mineworkers. In D. N. Cassenti (Ed.), Advances in Human Factors in Simulation and Modeling: Proceedings of the AHFE 2017 International Conference on Human Factors in Simulation and Modeling, July 17–21, 2017, The Westin Bonaventure Hotel, Los Angeles, California, USA 8 (pp. 104-115). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-60591-3_10

Boltz, S., Macdonald, B. D., Orr, T., Johnson, W., & Benton, D. J. (2016, December). A Visualization Tool for Integrating Research Results at an Underground Mine. In AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts (Vol. 2016, pp. ED42B-04).

Hoebbel, C., Bauerle, T., Mallett, L., & Macdonald, B. (2016). Moving beyond mandated training. Coal Age, 121(8), 58-61.

Bellanca, J. L., Orr, T. J., Helfrich, W., Macdonald, B., Navoyski, J., & Eiter, B. (2017). Assessing hazard identification in surface stone mines in a virtual environment. In V. G. Duffy (Ed.), Advances in Applied Digital Human Modeling and Simulation: Proceedings of the AHFE 2016 International Conference on Digital Human Modeling and Simulation (pp. 217-230). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-41627-4_20

Eiter B., Bellanca J.L., Orr T., Helfrich W., Navoyski J., & Macdonald B.D. (2016). Hazard recognition. Pit and Quarry, 52-53.

Hoebbel, C., Bauerle, T., Macdonald, B., & Mallett, L. (2015, November). Assessing the effects of virtual emergency training on mine rescue team efficacy. In Conference Proceeding, Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference (I/ITSEC), Orlando, FL.

Navoyski, J., Macdonald, B., Helfrich, W., Brinich, M. J., Mallett, L. G., Beshero, D., & Roth, P. (2015). BG 4 Benching Trainer software: instructor’s guide. Centers for Disease Control.

Bellanca J.L., Eiter B.M., Orr T.J. & Macdonald BD (2015). “The effect of the simulation environment on cognitive workload metrics” in APCOM 2015, Application of Computers and Operations Research in the Mineral Industry: proceedings of the 37th International Symposium, May 23-27, 2015, Fairbanks, Alaska,794-799.

Orr T.J., Macdonald B.D., Iverson S.R., & Hammond W.R. (2015). Development of a generic mine visualization tool using unity. In Proceedings of the Thirty-Seventh International Symposium on the Application of Computers and Operations Research in the Mineral Industry, Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration, Englewood.

Zielinski, D., Macdonald, B., & Kopper, R. (2014, March). Comparative study of input devices for a VR mine simulation. In 2014 IEEE Virtual Reality (VR), 125-126. https://doi.org/10.1109/VR.2014.6802083

Eck, T. J., Wiedefeld, W. G., Hynds, D. M., Schenck, J. R., Brasher, W. E., & Macdonald, B. D. (2013). Method and system for articulated character head actuation and control (U.S. Patent No. 8,371,893). U.S. Patent and Trade-mark Office.