Dr Sam TrollandPhD graduate & Research Fellow
Dr Sam Trolland is an interactive media artist and creative technology researcher, working at the intersection of movement, sensing and immersive installation. Originally an engineer, Sam began experimenting with the creative applications of movement sensing as an expressive medium, drawing him toward creative coding, interactive projection installation, and the creation of bespoke instruments for creative expression and performance. He has a hands on approach and a passion for creating systems and devices that sense and react to their environment, with his work spanning embedded firmware, digital fabrication, material prototyping, wearable and tangible interaction, and real-time movement analysis and visualisation software.
Sam completed his PhD at SensiLab under the supervision of Professor Jon McCormack and Dr Alon Ilsar in 2025, titled Personalised and Inclusive Gestural Instruments for Artists. The research explored how gestural instruments can be personalised to an artist’s practice to support and enhance their expression in performance. This was explored through four case study collaborations with practising artists, developing interactive systems tailored to each performer’s movement capabilities and creative imperatives. This work culminated in an interactive paintbrush instrument developed for Conduit Bodies, a disability-led production presented at Melbourne Fringe Festival, recognised with a five-star review and a Green Room Award for Outstanding Technical Achievement in Experimental Theatre. Sam’s practice-based PhD advances personalisation as a design methodology for embodied creative technologies by proposing that gestural instruments should be tailored to a performer’s movement capabilities and creative imperatives to effectively enhance expression. This work earned an Honourable Mention at CHI 2026 and a Vice-Chancellor’s Commendation for Thesis Excellence.