Yihao Dong
PhD Candidate (Expected 2028)
Human-Computer Interaction • The University of Sydney
Enhancing User Experience in Extended Reality through Predictive Hand Gesture Tracking and Multimodal Feedback.
📢 Latest News
🚀 Two papers accepted at CHI '26 in Barcelona! Looking forward to presenting TactDeform and SRL Proxemics.
🏆 Awarded the Best Early PhD Project in 2025 at the University of Sydney School of Computer Science Research Showcase.
📖 Just Before Touch published at Augmented Humans (AHs '25).
About Me
I am a PhD candidate in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Sydney, specializing in Human-Computer Interaction. My research focuses on enhancing user experiences in Extended Reality (XR) environments through predictive hand gesture tracking and haptic feedback.
With a dual background in Advanced Computing (Honours Class I) and Commerce, I bring both technical expertise and business acumen to my research. I'm passionate about creating intuitive, natural, and accessible interaction paradigms for immersive technologies.
Research Interests
Recent Publications
TactDeform: Finger Pad Deformation Inspired Spatial Tactile Feedback for Virtual Geometry Exploration
Yihao Dong, Praneeth Bimsara Perera, Chin-Teng Lin, Craig T Jin, Anusha Withana
CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26) • 2026 • 16 pages
SRL Proxemics: Spatial Guidelines for Supernumerary Robotic Limbs in Near-Body Interactions
Hongyu Zhou, Chia-An Fan, Yihao Dong, Shuto Takashita, Masahiko Inami, Zhanna Sarsenbayeva, Anusha Withana
CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26) • 2026 • 22 pages
Just Before Touch: Manipulating Perceived Haptic Sensations through Proactive Vibrotactile Cues in Virtual Reality
Yihao Dong, Pamuditha Somarathne, Craig Jin, Juno Kim, Andrea Bianchi, Anusha Withana
Augmented Humans International Conference (AHs '25) • 2025 • 13 pages