Associate Professor Rafael Gomez is a leading design researcher at QUT, where he has served as Industrial Design Discipline Lead for more than five years. As the Design for Future Mobility Program Lead in the QUT Design Lab, he specialises in future mobility, emotional experience, wearable technologies, and emerging tech innovation. He founded the BMW Group + QUT Design Academy, establishing global R&D collaborations with BMW in Germany. Dr Gomez currently leads major projects on accessible autonomous vehicles, mobility-focused human–machine interfaces, digital twins, and advanced human–robot interaction with partners including BMW, Mini, the Queensland Government, Idealworks, RACQ, and Goertek. Internationally recognised, he has published widely in books and top-tier journals, curated international exhibitions, chaired global conferences, and presented at leading universities worldwide. He was awarded Fellow of the Design Institute of Australia in 2021, acknowledged for his sustained contribution, leadership, and impact within the design community.
