Hello, I'm Ji Tong (Michael) Yin!

I'm a 2nd-year PhD candidate 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 running!

If you are interested in learning more about my research or my academic journey or if you just want to chat about the latest shows or indie games, feel free to send me a message on any of my socials!

Curriculum Vitae

Contact: jiyin@cs.ubc.ca

[CHI 2024] Lies, Deceit, and Hallucinations: Player Perception and Expectations Regarding Trust and Deception in Games

Michael Yin, Emi Wang, Chuoxi Ng, Robert Xiao

Links Coming Soon!

 

[CHI 2023] Drifting Off in Paradise: Why People Sleep in Virtual Reality

Michael Yin, Robert Xiao

[pdf] [preview] [video]

 

[DIS 2022] How Should I Respond to “Good Morning?”: Understanding Choice in Narrative-Rich Games

Michael Yin, Robert Xiao

[pdf] [preview] [video] [article] (Honorable Mention)

 

[CHI 2022] The Reward for Luck: Understanding the Effect of Random Reward Mechanisms in Video Games on Player Experience

Michael Yin, Robert Xiao

[pdf] [preview] [video]

 

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.