YIXIAO WANG PhD Candidate of Design and Human Behavior (Graduating in December 2020), Cornell University
Minor in Computer Science (AI Focus) and Information Science (HCI Focus) C: 510-529-8905 | | 4283 Chestnut Ridge RD, Apt A3, Buffalo, NY, 14228
Education
Ph.D., Cornell University, Design & Human Behavior, Minor in CS and IS, GPA 3.8, December 2020 (expect)
Advised by Pr. Keith Evan Green, Pr. François Guimbretière, and Pr. Haym B. Hirsh.
Ph.D. Student of Clemson University, Plan, Design & Built Environment, GPA 4.0, 2014-2016
Master of Architecture, University of California, Berkeley, GPA 3.8, 2012-2013 Bachelor of Architecture, Hunan University, GPA 3.5 2007-2012
Employment
Internship & Contract Designer: Marc Fornes & Theverymany (TVM) Nov. 2013 - June 2014
Projects: 1. Chrysalis Amphitheater (Main);
2. Argeles Informal Amphitheater, 3. San Antonio Bridge (Public Art), 4. Edmonton Willow
Role: Started as intern and then was promoted to contract designer, Original design of building skin pattern, parametric
design, schematic design, digital fabrication and prototyping. Internship: Adam Sokol Architecture Practice (ASAP) Aug. 2013 - Oct. 2013
Projects: 1. LA Hotel, 2. XG VILLA, 3. Cofco Farms, 4. Qianmen Hotel
Role: graphic design, case study, model making, exhibition design, document compiling
Teaching Experience
● Co-instructor, positive design studio (design IoT using positive psychology), Cornell University Spring 2020
Gave lectures, gave workshops, gave individual instructions, critiqued presentations.
● Independent instructor, architecture portfolio design, Clemson University Spring 2016
Give lectures, critic presentations, give feedback on homework, design syllabus. ● Independent instructor, parametric design workshops, Hunan University Fall 2012
Give lectures, give individual instructions, design workshop. ● TA, human-centered research and design method (interaction design method), Cornell University Fall 2017
Grading, give individual instructions, organize group activities, offer homework feedback. ● TA, technology & UX design studio (UX design studio with VR technology), Cornell University Fall 2017
Give lectures, individual instructions, critic presentations, offer homework feedback. ● TA, architectural robotics (interaction design of robotic furnishings), Cornell University Spring 2017
Grading, critic presentations, individual instructions, offer project feedback
Research Experience
● Visiting Researcher, IDEA Center, University at Buffalo Fall 2020
Project: Rehabilitation Engineering Research on Accessible Public Transportation, funded by NSF
Role: creating personas, scenarios, & storyboard; interaction design of tangible interfaces for automated vehicles.
● Lab Member, Architecture Robotics Lab, Cornell University Summer 2016 – Fall 2020
Project: 1. Design Space-Making Robots as Agents (PhD Dissertation), funded by Cornell University
2. Users’ Preferences for & Trust in AI-embedded Decision-making Robots
3. Design interactive canopies for reconfigurable makerspace in community libraries.
Role: proposing & validating design theory for interactive space-making robots; design & prototype novel tangible and
interactive robot surfaces, research design, design & conduct user studies, online & in-lab user experiments, qualitative and
quantitative data analysis, paper writing, academic presentation.
● Research Assistant (RA), Architecture Robotics Lab, Cornell University Fall 2018, Spring 2018
Project: Home+ (smart & interactive furnishings for seniors aging in place), funded by NSF
Role: interactive robotic furniture design and fabrication, electronics engineering, user studies with seniors, design human-AI
interactions in smart home. ● RA, Intelligent Material, Science and Engineering Lab, Clemson UniversityFall 2015
Project: Home+ (smart & interactive furnishings for seniors aging in place), funded by NSF
Role: interaction design & prototyping of robotic furnishing suite, conducting user studies. ● RA, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, UC BerkeleySummer 2013
Project: smart building skin design and research
Role: digital model building, building sunshade system simulation, parametric design
Publications (Published & Accepted)
[14]Yixiao Wang, Francois Guimbretiere, and Keith Evan Green. 2020. Are Space-making Robots, Agents? Investigations on
User Perception of an Embedded Robotic Surface.In Proceedings of 29th IEEE International Conference on Robot & Human
Interactive Communication – RO-MAN 20(2020), accepted & presented.
[13] Kaustav Das, Yixiao Wang, Keith Evan Green, Malte Jung, 2020. Are Robots Perceived as Good Decision-Makers: A Study
Investigating Trust and Preference of Robotic Referees over Humans in Soccer.In Proceedings of 29th IEEE International
Conference on Robot & Human Interactive Communication SCRITA Workshop – RO-MAN SCRITA 20(2020), accepted & presented.
[12] Yixiao Wangand Keith Evan Green. 2019. A Pattern-Based, Design Framework for Designing Collaborative Environments.
Proceedings of the Thirteenth International Conference on Tangible, Embedded, and Embodied Interaction - TEI 19(2019), pp. 595-604.
DOI: [11] Yixiao Wang, Keith Evan Green, Rod Grupen, Johnell Brooks, and Ian D. Walker. 2018. Designing Intelligent Spaces as if
They Were Human: A “Space Agent” Framework. 2018 4th International Conference on Universal Village (UV)(2018), pp. 1-6.
DOI: [10] Yixiao Wang, Chase Frazelle, Richa Sirohi, and Liheng Li. Design and Characterization of a Novel Robotic Surface for
Application to Compressed Physical Environments (Accepted-in press.) In Proceedings of the 2019 IEEE International Conferences
on Robotics and Automation – ICRA 19(2019). [9] Richa Sirohi, Yixiao Wang, Samantha Hollenberg, Isuru S. Godage, Ian D. Walker, and Keith Evan Green. Design and
Characterization of a Novel, Continuum-Robot Surface for the Human Environment (Accepted-in press.) In Proceedings of
2019 IEEE 15th International Conference on Automation Science and Engineering – CASE 19(2019). [8]Yixiao Wang, Keith E. Green, and Ian D. Walker. 2016. CoPRA: a Design Exemplar for Habitable, Cyber-physical
Environment.Proceedings of the 2016 CHI Conference Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems - CHI EA 16(2016).
DOI: [7]Yixiao Wang. 2019. Design Interactions between Robot Surfaces and Human Designers.Proceedings of the Thirteenth
International Conference on Tangible, Embedded, and Embodied Interaction - TEI 19(2019).
DOI: [6]Yixiao Wang, Keith E. Green, 2016. A Research Though Design Exemplar of a “Compressed-Pattern Robotic Architecture”
for the Information Age.Proceedings of the 2016 ACSA Conference: Shaping New Knowledges – ACSA 16(2016). [5] Yixiao Wang, Keith Evan Green. A Case for Integrating a User-Centered Design Framework, Including Rapid Prototyping
Techniques, into Architectural Design Studios.In proceedings of the 2018 Design Communication Conference – DCA 18(2018), pp.
351-359. ISBN: 978-1-64440-330-3 [4]Troy Mock, Yixiao Wang, So-Yeon Yoon. Parametric intention: Embodying a Thorough Design Ideology.In proceedings of the
2018 Design Communication Conference – DCA 18(2018). ISBN: 978-1-64440-330-3 [3] Aguiar Carlos Henrique De, Reza Fateminasab, Chase G. Frazelle, Ryan Scott, Yixiao Wang, Michael B. Wooten, Keith E.
Green, and Ian D. Walker. 2016. The networked, robotic home furniture suite: A distributed, assistive technology facilitating
aging in place.2016 IEEE International Conference on Automation Science and Engineering (CASE)(2016).
Henrique Araujo De Aguiar, and Keith Evan Green. 2018. Can Interactive Systems Be Designed for Conviviality?Proceedings of
the 19th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility - DIS 18(2018).
DOI: [1] Verma Siddharth, Phanideep Gonthina, Zachary Hawks, Dixit Nahar, Johnell O. Brooks, Ian D. Walker, Yixiao Wang, Carlos
De Aguiar, and Keith E. Green. 2018. Design and Evaluation of Two Robotic Furnishings Partnering with Each Other and
Their Users to Enable Independent Living.Proceedings of the 12th EAI International Conference on Pervasive Computing
Technologies for Healthcare - PervasiveHealth 18(2018). DOI:
Conference Presentations
● Full Paper Presentation at RO-MAN 2020 Conference: Sept. 2020
“Are Space-making Robots, Agents? Investigations on User Perception of an Embedded Robotic Surface”
● Full Paper Presentation at TEI 2019Mar. 2019
“A Pattern-Based, Design Framework for Designing Collaborative Environments” ● Short Paper Presentation at TEI GSC 2019Mar. 2019
“Design Interactions between Robot Surfaces and Human Designers” ● Full Paper Presentation at DCA 2018 Oct. 2018
“A Case for Integrating a User-Centered Design Framework, Including Rapid Prototyping Techniques, into Architectural
Design Studios” ● Full Paper Video Presentation at IEEE UV 2018 Oct. 2018
“Designing Intelligent Spaces as if They Were Human: A “Space Agent” Framework” ● Full Paper Presentation at ACSA 2016 Sep. 2016
“A Research Though Design Exemplar of a “Compressed-Pattern Robotic Architecture” for the Information Age” ● Poster Presentation at CHI 2016 May 2016
“CoPRA: a Design Exemplar for Habitable, Cyber-physical Environment”
Patent Awards
1. National Patent of the Utility Model (Patent Number: ZL 2010 2 0169904.4) Patent Bureau of China
2. National Patent of Invention (Publication Number: CN 102235052 A) Patent Bureau of China
Design Awards and Projects
● Winner of Explorative Environment Competition, Cornell University Feb. 2018
Project: “Interactive Curtain System”
Role: Leader of the design team, built and exhibited in DEA Gallery in May 2018. ● Chrysalis Amphitheater (Built Project, construction completed in 2017) Nov. 2013 - June 2014
Role: Contract designer specifically for this project. Key member of the design team.
Location: Merriweather Park - Columbia, MD. ● KMD Prize for Design Excellence in Digital Architecture, UC. Berkeley May 2013
Project: “Fabric City Under Water”
Role: Solo designer, UC Berkeley master’s thesis prize for digital architecture, only winner in 2013 ● Revit Autodesk Design Competition 2011
Project: Library in Klein Bottle (rebuild a factory into a library, Honorable Mention ● Design Work exhibited in conference: Sustainable Design of Educational Architecture 2012
Project: the long span of Mobius, national conference in China
Research Funding and Scholarship
● Cornell PhD Scholarship, two semesters’ tuition and stipend, about 80000 dollars Fall 2016 & Spring 2019 I was supported by this scholarship when not being a TA or RA at Cornell during my PhD study.
● 2019 Serby-Gildea Scholarship in recognition of fine academic contributions, 5000 dollars May 2019 Annual award for one graduate student, College of Human Ecology, Cornell University
● 2019 DEA Research Funding for PhD Dissertation, 1200 dollars May 2019
Department of Environmental Analysis, College of Human Ecology, Cornell University
● First prize of SIT (Student Innovative Training) program in Hunan University 2011 - 2012
Role: leader of the research group
College of Architecture, Hunan University.
NSF Proposals
● A Robotic Continence Care System for Smart Home and Nursing Home submitted in June 2020 CIFellows 2020. PI: Yixiao Wang, Cornell U; Co-PI: Ken Holstein, Assistant Professor, Carnegie Mellon U.
● Member of ACM SIGCHI (Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction), US 2017 - Present ● Member of ARL (Architecture Robotic Laboratory), Cornell. 2016 - Present
Current projects: “Space Agent” (my dissertation project) ● Member of CUIMSE (Clemson University Intelligent Material, Science & Engineering) 2015 - 2016 ● Member of DAL (Digital Architecture Laboratory), Hunan University 2009 - 2012