About
Dr. Shaoyu Cai (蔡绍禹) is a Lecturer at the Engineering Design and Innovation Centre, College of Design and Engineering, National University of Singapore, where he also serves as Co-director of NUS Immersive Reality Lab. He received his Ph.D. from the School of Creative Media at City University of Hong Kong. His research bridges engineering, computing, and design to develop intelligent interactive systems that enhance how people perceive and interact with the physical and digital worlds. His work focuses on wearable technologies, haptic interfaces, multimodal interaction, and extended reality (XR), combining human perception with innovative hardware and software design to create more natural, immersive, and effective human–computer interactions.
Multimodal & Embodied Interfaces
We focus on the design and evaluation of multimodal human-computer interfaces that integrate multiple sensory modalities, such as touch, temperature, smell, sound, and visual feedback, to enhance user perception, interaction, and experience in immersive environments.
Tactile Intelligence
My research explores how intelligent systems can leverage human perceptual abilities, such as tactile sensing, and imaginative processes, such as cross-modal generation, to create more natural human–computer interactions and next-generation embodied AI.
Our Approach
We pursue research at the intersection of technical innovation and human-centred design, with impact spanning scientific communities, design practice, and public engagement.
Engineering & Scientific Impact
We develop novel hardware systems and prototypes that advance the state of the art in human-computer interaction and immersive reality and publish at SIGGRAPH, IEEE VR, CHI, CSCW, and related top conferences in HCI and showcased in these top venues with awards:
- 🏆 Best Paper Honorable Mention Award — ACM CSCW 2025
- 🏆 Best Paper Award — IEEE PAINE 2025
- 🏆 Best Demo Honorable Mention Award — ACM ICHEC (ChineseCHI) 2025
- 🏆 Best Demo Audience Choice Award — ACM SIGGRAPH Asia Emerging Technologies 2025
- 🏆 Silver Award — International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva 2024
- 🏆 Bronze Award — International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva 2023
- 🏆 Best Paper Audience Choice Award — Eurographics ICAT-EGVE 2020
Education & Teaching Impact
We employ project-based and studio-based learning in partnership with industry to engage students in real-world challenges, fostering innovative solutions that bridge academic knowledge and practical impact. I am currently working at the following studios in NUS:
- Intelligent Wearable Studio, 2026-current
- Creative Media/Multi-sensory VR Studio, 2024-current
My teaching is grounded in studio-based research methods alongside engineering approaches and has been recognized through institutional awards:
- 🏆 Annual Teaching Excellence Award — NUS 2026
- 🏆 College Educator Award — NUS College of Design and Engineering 2025
Industial Collaboration
We work with industry, public institutions, and community organizations to translate research into real-world impact through innovation, design, and public engagement. Some representative industrial collaborators:
Contact
We are based in the Engineering Design & Innovation Centre, College of Design and Engineering. Prospective students and collaborators are welcome to reach out by email.
Engineering Design & Innovation Centre, Block E2A #02-03, 5 Engineering Drive 2, Singapore 117579. Office hours: Monday–Friday, 9 am–5 pm. For general enquiries, please email shaoyucai@nus.edu.sg