Yang Hu

胡 杨 / jʌŋ: hu /

HCC researcher / Game engine developer / Game designer

I am a Ph.D. Candidate and research assistant in the CUGAME Lab at Clemson University's School of Computing, where I work under the supervision of Dr. Guo Freeman.

Prior to joining Clemson, I earned my M.S. in Game Science and Design from the Northeastern University (Boston, USA) and B.S. in Computer Science from the University of Arizona (Tucson, USA). My technical background spans multiple areas in interactive technology, including game engine development (e.g., custom 2D and 3D game engines from the ground up), VR systems (e.g., VR applications in Unity), eye tracking (e.g., eyetracking hardware and software on desktop and VR platforms), and digital fabrication (e.g., Arduino, 3D printing, and laser cutting for rapid prototyping).

My research explores how emerging technologies mediate and transform people's existed digital experiences. I examine how platforms and interactive systems (e.g., virtual reality, online live streaming, and artificial intelligence systems) diversify the ways people create, play, and connect. My work aims to understand and design for mediated experiences that can bridge technological divides, expand interaction possibilities, and foster broader engagement.

For example, I am investigating these problems:

(1) How cross-reality systems can solve "VR isolation", a phenomenon where VR users usually experience a sense of disconnection with the common digital (e.g., other people on 2D screens) and reality experience (e.g., co-located friends). I investigate how to design novel VR interfaces and interactions that bridge VR environments with everyday 2D technologies (smartphones, tablets, desktops) and users, allowing people without specialized VR hardware to meaningfully interact and connect with users with VR technologies.

(2) How VR's spatial computing environment can address 2D screen-based "attention monopolization", a phenomenon where traditional software competes for limited display space through designs that prioritize exclusive attention capture and prolonged user engagement. I investigate how VR's volumetric display space can diversify software design criteria beyond conventional metrics and facilitate a healthier digital experience.

(3) How interactive and game-integrated live streaming can address "gaming initiation anxiety", a phenomenon where players, despite having available time, become hesitant to start games due to the psychological commitment needed to achieve an optimal play state (e.g., entering a "flow"). I explore how streaming platforms can evolve and ultimately blur the traditional boundaries between spectating and playing, creating a new mediated experience that supports high engagement and interaction while requiring less psychological commitment.

My favorite video game is Terraria.