Shumin Zhai

Dr. Shumin Zhai is a renowned researcher in the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). He is currently the Principal Scientist and Director of Engineering for Gboard and interaction methods at Google. Dr. Zhai is known for his contributions to the research and development of input devices and interaction methods, particularly in touch gesture-based keyboard technology. His work in human performance modeling and multimodal interaction has significantly influenced both fundamental theories and practical applications in the HCI field. He is the creator of the SHARK/ShapeWriter project, which pioneered modern slide gesture keyboards. Dr. Zhai has also made vital contributions to Google’s keyboard products, haptics in Pixel phones, and innovative invocation methods for Google Assistant. As an ACM Fellow and CHI Academy member, he previously served as the Editor-in-Chief of ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction, and has received multiple prestigious international awards, including the ACM UIST Lasting Impact Award.

• 2011 – Present·Google·Principal Scientist
  • Lead and supervise research and development of device input methods, haptics systems, and related technologies at Google.
  • Responsible for the development of Google keyboard products, including Gboard and haptic feedback for Pixel phones, as well as designing innovative features.
  • Designed and launched the “Active Edge” feature for Google Pixel 2.
• 1996 – 2011·IBM Almaden Research Center·Research Scientist
  • Invented the ShapeWriter text input method, advancing touchscreen gesture-based keyboard technology.
  • Contributed to the development of the ScrollPoint mouse, bringing it to market and achieving recognition.
• 1995·Autodesk·Consultant
  • Provided consulting and conducted research on technologies related to Human-Computer Interaction.

• 1990 – 1995·University of Toronto·Ph.D.
  • Research Focus: Human Factors Engineering
• 1982 – 1984·Xidian University·Master’s Degree
  • Research Focus: Computer Science
• 1978 – 1982·Xidian University·Bachelor’s Degree
  • Major: Electrical Engineering