Hey! If you’re reading this, that means you’re taking some interest in who I am and what I’m up to. I appreciate that!
Quick Bio (with links!)
I’m fortunate to be able to pursue many interests, and I’ve listed them below, with accompanying links:
- Research – I’m a PhD student in Computer Science at the University of British Columbia, where I work with Prof. Karon MacLean. Our lab studies and designs emotional touch, haptic interfaces, and social robots, with the goal of improving well-being – I personally explore these topics in the context of video games, leaning heavily on cognitive science theory and human-centred design processes.
- Making Stuff – My undergrad was in Engineering Science at the University of Toronto, specializing in Robotics. So, I have experience in embedded software development, mechanical and electrical design, and robotic sensing/control systems – most notably, I developed software for the ground station, testing, and embedded microcontrollers of a next-gen sensing system for the International Space Station’s Canadarm2 over an 8-month work term at MDA.
- Design Education – I’ve been deeply involved in design education since undergrad. This includes three teaching assistantships for a newly-established 2nd-year engineering capstone project course at the University of Toronto, and one teaching assistantship for a human-computer interaction course at UBC. I’ve also taken on other educational leadership and mentorship roles, such as in student robotics teams and engineering programs for youth.
- Game Development – I’m interested in game development not just for research, but for its own sake! I worked on Cross Control, an action-puzzle game for which I was a designer, developer, and project manager in a 7-person student team. I also worked on Happy Grapplers, a competitive sumo game experienced through a Haply 2DIY grounded force feedback device. Finally, I’m currently working on multiplayer games experienced through tabletop swarm robots – stay tuned!
- Other Stuff – If you’ve made it this far down the page, maybe you’ll be interested in some of my other interests, like sports, grappling, and art!
A photo of me, taken by Mingshi Chi – a friend and fellow EngSci grad. Please ignore the chili flake in my teeth. Also – my hair is a bit curly now!
Contact
If you find anything interesting on this website, you should totally get in touch with me at rruan (at) cs.ubc.ca. I’d love to meet you!