Daniel Griffiths

Daniel Griffiths, Piper Moskow

We present a unified, data-driven framework for quantifying and enhancing offensive momentum and scoring likelihood (expected goals, xG) in professional hockey. Leveraging a Sportlogiq dataset of 541,000 NHL event records, our end-to-end pipeline comprises five stages: (1) interpretable momentum weighting of micro-events via logistic regression; (2) nonlinear xG estimation using gradient-boosted decision trees; (3) temporal sequence modeling with Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks; (4) spatial formation discovery through principal component analysis (PCA) followed by K-Means clustering on standardized player coordinates; and (5) use of an X-Learner causal inference estimator to quantify the average treatment effect (ATE) of adopting the identified "optimal" event sequences and formations. We observe an ATE of 0.12 (95% CI: 0.05-0.17, p < 1e-50), corresponding to a 15% relative gain in scoring potential. These results demonstrate that strategically structured sequences and compact formations causally elevate offensive performance. Our framework delivers real-time, actionable insights for coaches and analysts, advancing hockey analytics toward principled, causally grounded tactical optimization.

Gareth Young, Hamish Milne, Daniel Griffiths et al.

We present advancements in the design and development of in-vehicle infotainment systems that utilize gesture input and ultrasonic mid-air haptic feedback. Such systems employ state-of-the-art hand tracking technology and novel haptic feedback technology and promise to reduce driver distraction while performing a secondary task therefore cutting the risk of road accidents. In this paper, we document design process considerations during the development of a mid-air haptic gesture-enabled user interface for human-vehicle-interactions. This includes an online survey, business development insights, background research, and an agile framework component with three prototype iterations and user-testing on a simplified driving simulator. We report on the reasoning that led to the convergence of the chosen gesture-input and haptic-feedback sets used in the final prototype, discuss the lessons learned, and give hints and tips that act as design guidelines for future research and development of this technology in cars.