VR, AR, and Real-Time Projects

Each of the projects below was created using virtual reality, augmented reality, or real-time production. Spanning AR and VR experiences and interactive 3D assets, these works are the result of collaborations with artists, technologists, and brands. They explore themes of digital intimacy, hyper-connectivity, and online identity, merging nostalgia and internet culture with emerging technologies. Software used for these projects varies, with the VR projects developed in Unreal Engine, the real-time assets being created in ZBrush, Substance Painter and Autodesk Maya, and the AR projects developed in Lens Studio or a custom app with AR Kit.

No ESC — VR Game

No ESC is a short VR game created in 2018 for the Oculus Quest, developed in Unreal Engine 4. The game explores the stress caused by the hyper-connectivity of our devices. It recreates the pressure we feel when constantly urged to answer an email, pick up a call, or reply to a text message.

The setting is steeped in nostalgia, filled with pop culture references that carry a dark undertone. A Pulp Fiction poster hangs on the wall, and Final Destination plays on the TV—subtly foreshadowing an ominous future. As the player moves through the room, pop songs play on the radio, with stations rapidly changing and the music growing louder and more chaotic.

After two minutes, weapons begin falling from the sky, allowing the player to destroy all the technology around them. Suddenly, the scene shifts to a serene, natural environment—completely free of devices. A sense of peace settles in. But just as the screen fades to black, a final text message appears.

There really is no escape.

This game was created by: Nicole Ruggiero (3D Artist & Art Director), Jeremy McKeheen (3D Artist), Prashast Thapan (Developer), Michelle Cortese (UI/UX & Developer), and Calvin Pia (Sound Designer). For more information on No ESC, including where it has been shown, please visit this webpage.

Slide To Expose — Augmented Reality Bedroom Exhibition

Slide To Expose is an augmented reality project by Nicole Ruggiero, Molly Soda, and Refrakt that was created in 2017. It explores digital intimacy, privacy, the concepts of life and death online, and how our devices—particularly our phones—shape and redefine those experiences.

The project was brought to life through Refrakt's custom augmented reality phone app that uses ARKit. The artists began by conceptualizing the physical bedroom space, keeping in mind that viewers would need to explore it using their phones with the Refrakt app's AR detecting camera. Within the room, approximately 30 physical triggers were designed and placed—images, logos, and text on blankets, posters, and computer screens—that, when scanned, would activate augmented reality visuals. Once a trigger is detected, a corresponding 3D animation, 2D animation, or image appears as an overlay within the Refrakt app.

Below, you’ll find examples of the triggers and their AR counterparts, as well as the exhibition room itself. To learn more about the exhibition, please visit this webpage.

How The Internet Changed My Life — VR Experience

How The Internet Changed My Life is a six person documentary-style art exhibition that launched in 2020. For a portion of the exhibition, Nicole Ruggiero, along with The Glad Scientist and Dylan Banks, created an interactive VR experience to tell the stories of four out of the six individuals. The experience was created in Unreal Engine 4 and lives on the Oculus Quest 2 and uses the hand tracking features (no controllers required). This was done to make the experience more accessible. The project was originally developed in Unreal Engine 4 for Magic Leap, but was pivoted to the Oculus Quest 2 for accessibility reasons.

During the experience, the viewer begins in an ethereal lobby featuring four pedestals, each representing a different level option.

After selecting a level by touching one of the pedestals, the player enters one of four timed mini-games, each offering a unique experience.

• "In Da Club" is a music-listening game where the player picks up CDs and brings them to a CDJ to play.
• "Deep Fry" allows the player to pick up memes and dunk them in a deep fryer.
• "Wave of Virality" challenges the player to match emojis with specific hand gestures.
• "Cake Sitting" is a cake-smashing experience (and yes, it's very fun).

Each mini-game lasts approximately 2–3 minutes, as the experience is designed for an in-person gallery exhibition, and we wanted to be mindful of queue formation. Players can return to the home level anytime by touching a physical "Return to Lobby" button.

These mini-games were inspired by four individuals' unique experiences with the internet and represent just a portion of the overarching exhibition. For more information on How The Internet Changed My Life, please visit this webpage.

How The Internet Changed My Life, VR World, Deep Fry
Paired with Franziska Von Guten's Portrait
Nicole Ruggiero, Daniel Sabio, Dylan Banks, 2021

How The Internet Changed My Life, VR World, Cake Sitting
Paired with Lindsay Dye's Portrait
Nicole Ruggiero, Daniel Sabio, Dylan Banks, Sam Clover, 2021

Real-time 3D — Avatar Blendshapes & Clothing

Between 2023 and 2025, Ruggiero collaborated with various clients to create blendshapes for ARKit and real-time applications, as well as avatar outfits for mobile apps, VR environments, and WebVR.

For the blendshape process, she used ZBrush and Autodesk Maya to sculpt and refine the blendshapes before integrating the character into Unreal Engine for live facial motion capture. The avatar outfit creation process involved modeling in ZBrush and texturing in Substance Painter.

Below, you'll find a video of Ruggiero demonstrating live blendshape motion capture in Unreal Engine, followed by stills showcasing the avatar outfits she has designed. To explore more examples of her real-time avatar outfit work, click here.

3D Face Filter — Lens Studio

In 2020, during a Snapchat Residency, Ruggiero created a 3D face filter that was inspired by companion characters in video games and her late cat, Beebs. The filter features a 3D cat head with bat wings that covers and moves with the user's face. To achieve this result she used the following programs: ZBrush, Autodesk Maya, Substance Painter, and Lens Studio.

The creation process began with sculpting the cat head in ZBrush, followed by retopologizing a low-poly version using quad draw in Maya. Next, the blendshapes were sculpted in ZBrush before exporting the low-poly head with blendshapes to Lens Studio, where the face filter was developed.

Real-time GLBs

These real-time GLBs below were created in 2024 as a personal project to be used as real-time 3D assets for AR-enabled apps and web experiences. The creatures are both fun, silly characters that exist within the same universe. The GLBs were created in ZBrush, Substance Painter, and Cinema 4D.