After more than three years without attending any physical conferences, our lab attendees of the CHI 22023 conference, namely Dr. Shengdong Zhao, Cai Runze, Zhou Chen, Nuwan Janaka, and Ashwin Ram, were thrilled to come together for an unforgettable experience. The event, held from April 23rd to April 29th, brought together researchers, practitioners, and students from around the world to share their insights, collaborate on new projects, and catch up with old friends.

Runze, Chen and Nuwan also presented their research papers.

Here is Runze’s personal thoughts on the CHI 2023:

“Attending CHI for the first time was an incredible experience that opened up a new world of possibilities. I constantly learned and absorbed information from fascinating presentations and hands-on demos, ranging from AR/VR to AGI/LLM. This cutting-edge research and novel ways of thinking about the intersection of humans and technology were truly eye-opening and inspiring. Another highlight of the conference was trying out old-fashioned computers and input devices at the expo. Feeling like a time traveler at CHI2023, it was fascinating to see how different interactions have persisted over time, and how some once-cutting-edge tech has become obsolete.

Moreover, the benefits of CHI extend beyond academic sharing. The social aspect of the conference was equally amazing. I had the pleasure of meeting people from various backgrounds and disciplines, including senior professors, start-up founders, colleagues in my field, and even undergraduate students who presented their impressive first work. Hearing their stories and experiences was enlightening, and I built meaningful connections that I believe will last for a long time.

The most exciting moment for me was presenting my first research work, ParaGlassMenu, at CHI for the first time. While presenting on the last day of the paper session presented its challenges and opportunities, I aimed to make my presentation interactive and engaging. The opportunity to share ideas with other talented researchers in the same field was also incredibly valuable to me.”

Cai Runze