About
Dr. Yitong Sun is a computer scientist and interdisciplinary researcher known for his work in HCI and immersive technologies. His expertise ranges from advanced eye-tracking, VR display color rendering to digital twin simulations and realistic disaster modeling. Dr. Sun’s background uniquely combines technical innovation with design thinking, and he collaborates with both academic and industry partners to bridge cutting-edge research with interactive technology.
Dr. Sun holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the Royal College of Art (2024), an M.Sc. in Design from Politecnico di Milano (2017), and an Honours B.Sc. in Design from the Central Academy of Fine Arts (2013). His academic journey has spanned Asia and Europe: from Beijing to Milan to London. Between 2017 and 2020, he was a College Lecturer at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing, and in 2016–2017 he worked as an HCI Researcher in Italy with Piaggio’s innovation group, exploring novel interaction concepts for the Vespa vehicle series.
Professional Roles and Projects:
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Visiting Scholar, MIT CSAIL (2025–Present): Dr. Sun is currently a visiting researcher at MIT’s Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, where he collaborates with Prof. Stefanie Mueller’s group. At CSAIL he develops intelligent interfaces using conductive flexible fabrics and explores bio-inspired computational materials (e.g. simulating fungal growth for self-grown textiles).
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Editor-in-Chief, interactives Journal (2025–Present): He is the founding Editor-in-Chief of interactives (ISSN 2755-6336), an experimental open-access journal focused on HCI, game studies, and new media. Dr. Sun leads the journal’s editorial direction and ethics, and he spearheaded the development of its digital platform enabling interactive content in research papers (integrating videos, demos, and an AI-assisted review process).
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Postdoctoral Research, RCA & XR Network+ (2024–2025): As a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Royal College of Art, Dr. Sun co-led a UKRI/EPSRC-funded project in partnership with Foster + Partners and the University of New South Wales. He helped develop a high-fidelity earthquake simulation environment in Unreal Engine for urban disaster modeling and virtual production. This interdisciplinary project advanced realistic visualization for disaster training and was recognized as an Outstanding Project by the XR Network+ program.
Publications and Patents
Dr. Sun has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications in leading computer graphics and HCI venues. Notably, his recent work on VR display optimization was accepted in the IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics (TVCG), and he has presented research at the ACM SIGGRAPH Asia conference. He is also the inventor of several patent-pending technologies, including a method for decoding pupillary oscillations to infer brain arousal and a color calibration technique for VR displays – the latter already licensed for use in commercial VR platforms.
Awards and Honors
Dr. Sun’s work has earned international recognition. He received an Honorary Mention at the Prix Ars Electronica (2018) and a New Face Award from the Japan Media Arts Festival (2019), honors that highlight the creative and impactful nature of his projects. During his early career, one of his interactive designs was even collected by a national art museum, and he won First Prize in his academy’s graduation exhibition – early achievements that reflect his strong artistic roots. Throughout his career, Dr. Yitong Sun has remained dedicated to bridging the worlds of scientific research and interactive technology, integrating his design background with advanced engineering to drive innovation.