Mritunjay Kumar · Department of Design, IIT Delhi

Research Group - WAH Studio

Mritunjay Kumar’s research lies at the intersection of AI, design, emotion, creativity, and human wellbeing. His goal is to use technology to help people create better, feel better, and live better.

He completed his PhD in Design at IIT Kanpur, where he studied how emotions influence creativity using behavioral observation and facial expression analysis supported by Support Vector Machines. He also holds a Master’s degree in Human Computer Interaction from IIT Kanpur and a Bachelor’s degree in Knitwear Design from NIFT Chennai.

Since joining the Department of Design at IIT Delhi in 2025, he has been developing WAH Studio as a research initiative dedicated to designing AI and technological systems and solutions that align with human emotions and advance human wellbeing.

Research Interests

AI for Human Flourishing and Wellbeing
Emotion-Informed Human-AI Interaction
Immersive and Interactive Technologies for Well-Being
Design AI Interventions for Societal Impact
Computational Modeling of Emotion and Creativity

Doctoral Reasearch Opportunities

WAH Studio welcomes doctoral students interested in combining design research with computational and experimental methods.

Our work includes:

Behavioural and experimental studies
Physiological and multimodal sensing
Affective computing
AI/ML modelling
Producing prototypes and deliverable outcomes
Humans-centred design approaches

We develop intelligent systems and solutions that enhance well-being across sectors such as healthcare, education, creative industries, and public systems, as well as through immersive and interactive technologies.

Our research aligns with priorities in human-centered AI, digital wellbeing, immersive systems, and responsible technology innovation.

For inquiries:

mritunjay@design.iitd.ac.in

Publications

Orcid

Google Scholar

Journal

Kumar M, Roy S, Bhushan B, Sameer A (2022) Creative problem solving and facial expressions: A stage based comparison. PLoS ONE 17(6): e0269504. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0269504

Conference papers & book chapters

Kundal, A., Kumar, M., Vadalkar, S.,and Mangwani, T. (2023) Liberal Education as a Catalyst in Shaping the Future of Design, in Derek Jones, Naz Borekci, Violeta Clemente, James Corazzo, Nicole Lotz, Liv Merete Nielsen, Lesley-Ann Noel (eds.), The 7th International Conference for Design Education Researchers, 29 November - 1 December 2023, London, United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.21606/drslxd.2024.078
Kumar, M., Bhushan, B., Sameer, A., & Kundal, A. (2023). Laterality in gesture-based video games. In T. Ahram & C. Falcão (Eds.), Human Factors in Virtual Environments and Game Design (AHFE Open Access, Vol. 96). AHFE International. https://doi.org/10.54941/ahfe1003863
Kumar, M., Roy, S., Sameer, A., & Kundal, A. (2023). Examining the effects of near and far cues on creativity. In E. Markopoulos, R. S. Goonetilleke, & Y. Luximon (Eds.), Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (AHFE Open Access, Vol. 74). AHFE International. https://doi.org/10.54941/ahfe1003317
Kumar, M., Roy, S., Bhushan, B., Sameer, A., Mittal, S., Sarkar, B. (2021). Understanding the Dynamics of Emotions During the Design Process. In: Chakrabarti, A., Poovaiah, R., Bokil, P., Kant, V. (eds) Design for Tomorrow—Volume 2. Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies, vol 222. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-0119-4_38
Kumar, M., Ranjan, R., Bhushan, B., Roy, S., & Sameer, A. (2021). Pupil dilation, emotion valence, and recall of visual images. In E. Markopoulos, R. S. Goonetilleke, A. G. Ho, & Y. Luximon (Eds.), Advances in Creativity, Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Communication of Design (Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems, Vol. 276). Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-80094-9_59
Mittal, S., Roy, S., Kumar, M., Sameer, A. (2021). Introducing Visual Literacy Activities for Primary School Children in India. In: Chakrabarti, A., Poovaiah, R., Bokil, P., Kant, V. (eds) Design for Tomorrow—Volume 3. Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies, vol 223. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-0084-5_61
Kumar, M., Ranjan, R., Bhushan, B., Sameer, A. (2017). Preferences in Recall of Pleasant and Unpleasant Images. In: Chakrabarti, A., Chakrabarti, D. (eds) Research into Design for Communities, Volume 2. ICoRD 2017. Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies, vol 66. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-3521-0_59
Kumar, M., Roy, S., Sameer, A. (2017). Influence of Creative Thinking and Playfulness on Creative Styles of the Individuals. In: Chakrabarti, A., Chakrabarti, D. (eds) Research into Design for Communities, Volume 2. ICoRD 2017. Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies, vol 66. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-3521-0_40
Kumar, M., Mittal, S., Roy, S., Bhushan, B., Bajpai, A., & Sameer, A. (2017). Comparing the incubation effects between various age groups of students during creative problem solving. In A. Sharma & J. Rajeswaran (Eds.), Creativity and Cognition in Art and Design (pp. 137–145). Bloomsbury India. ISBN 978-93-86349-88-0

List of IPRs (All granted)

International utility models (Germany)

Kumar, M., Kundal, A., & Shrivastava, S. (2024). Two-axes advanced Secure-Lock Pressure Vessel (German utility model No. DE202024103101). German Patent and Trade Mark Office.
Kumar, M., Kundal, A., & Shrivastava, S. (2024). SecureLock Pressure Vessel (German utility model No. DE202024103099). German Patent and Trade Mark Office.
Kumar, M., Kundal, A., Shrivastava, S., & Thashnath, V. (2024). Turtle Trajectory Disruptor Device (German utility model No. DE202024102002). German Patent and Trade Mark Office.
Kumar, M., Kundal, A., Shrivastava, S., & Thashnath, V. (2024). Modular Walking Stick with Retractable Clothing Hook (German utility model No. DE202024102003). German Patent and Trade Mark Office.
Kumar, M., & Kundal, A. (2023). A portable phototherapy device for children (German utility model No. DE202023103378). German Patent and Trade Mark Office.
Kumar, M., & Kundal, A. (2023). A compact composting device for decomposing waste (German utility model No. DE202023103380). German Patent and Trade Mark Office.
Kumar, M., Kundal, A., & Shrivastava, S. (2025). UV-sterilizing pacifier case (German utility model No. DE202025100251). German Patent and Trade Mark Office.
Chandrana, F., Kumar, M., Pradhan, D., Kundal, A., & Shrivastava, S. (2025). AI-powered interactive storytelling and image-generation device (German utility model No. DE202025100803). German Patent and Trade Mark Office.
Kumar, M., Kundal, A., Pradhan, D., & Shrivastava, S. (2025). Temperature-regulating smart baby bottle (German utility model No. DE202025100777). German Patent and Trade Mark Office.
Chandrana, F., Kumar, M., Kundal, A., & Shrivastava, S. (2025). Water-infused whiteboard duster (German utility model No. DE202025100492). German Patent and Trade Mark Office.
Desai, P., Kumar, M., Kundal, A., & Shrivastava, S. (2025). Stability-enhanced balance board (German utility model No. DE202025101191). German Patent and Trade Mark Office.

United Kingdom

Kundal, A., Shrivastava, S., Kumar, M., Pradhan, D., & Chandrana, F. (2025). AI-powered interactive storytelling and image-generation device (UK patent No. 6421480). UK Intellectual Property Office.
Shrivastava, S., Kundal, A., Chandrana, F., & Kumar, M. (2025). Water-infused whiteboard duster (UK patent No. 6421481). UK Intellectual Property Office.

India (Design registrations)

Kumar, M., Siddique, A., & Ramkumar, J. (2017). Phototherapy Unit (Indian design registration No. 287986). Indian Patent Office.
Kumar, M., Kundal, A., Shrivastava, S., & Pradhan, D. (2025). Temperature-regulating smart baby bottle (Indian design registration No. 446291-001). Indian Patent Office.

Awards

Research and Innovation Award (2024)

Awarded by FLAME University for securing four international patents and publishing two Scopus-indexed papers.

Outstanding PhD Thesis Award (2023)

Awarded by IIT Kanpur for the thesis Capturing Creative Cognition and Emotions.

Best Paper Award (2017)

Awarded by NIMHANS and NID at the International Conference on Creativity and Cognition in Art and Design for the paper Comparing the incubation effect between various age groups of students during creative problem solving.

Discover More

Webpage: https://www.mritunjk.com/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mritunjk/