Hello, I'm Ji Tong (Michael) Yin!
I'm a 2nd-year PhD student at UBC.
My research interests are in human-computer interaction (HCI), with a focus on virtual experiences. In particular, I am interested in understanding how humans engage with virtual technology (e.g. video games, livestreaming, VR/AR) and developing tools to support and extend these interactions. I am currently supervised by Professor Robert Xiao, who also supervised me for my Master's. Previously, I did my undergrad at UofT, where I studied engineering science.
In my free time, I enjoy badminton, playing video games and board games, watching shows, and losing in mahjong :)
Contact: jiyin@cs.ubc.ca



Points Gained in Curling
Undergraduate Thesis by Michael Yin, Supervised by Timothy Chan (2020)
Accepted and presented at CORS 2021
Modelling the game of curling as a finite-horizon Markov reward process to determine the relative value at each game state, in order to evaluate play and answer questions regarding optimal strategies.

3D Depth Using Structured Light Imaging
Summer Research Project in the lab of Kyros Kutulakos (2017)
Using projected sequences of structured light (binary patterns of light) to determine depth information in a given scene.

Biomedical Wearable for Performance Tracking
Summer Research Project in the lab of Roman Genov (2016)
Performing unsupervised learning on cleaned EMG signals to predict the type and intensity of arm motion, and using this analysis to create a proof-of-concept wearable.

BobaDex
A site for users to find, share, and review bubble tea stores (Deprecated until I find a new hosting site).

Anime Higher or Lower
A take on the Higher or Lower game, adjusted for anime (Deprecated until I find a new hosting site).

Restaurant Recommender
"Hey Alexa. Recommend me a good sushi restaurant in Vancouver."

NBA/NCAA Data Analysis
Do good shooters in the NCAA continue to be good shooters in the NBA? A quick analysis.

Keep - Smart Grocery App
Mockup of smart shopping application to quickly scan receipts and track groceries.

Boble
Mockup of an online event-finding application for university students.