Franklin Mingzhe Li

Franklin Mingzhe Li is a prominent researcher in the field of human-computer interaction, focusing on the design and development of assistive technology and ubiquitous computing. He is currently a Ph.D. candidate at the Human-Computer Interaction Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, a Stuart K. Card Fellow, and recipient of the NSERC Graduate Scholarship. His research revolves around designing and deploying assistive technology for individuals with disabilities, especially leveraging artificial intelligence and assistive tools to enhance user experiences in everyday activities, such as non-visual cooking. Additionally, he has interned at Google and Apple research teams, published numerous papers in top international conferences, and actively contributes to academic community service, earning recognition as a distinguished young scholar in the field.

• 2025.05 - 2025.08·Google (New York)·Research Intern
  • Conducted research projects in assistive technology under the supervision of Dr. Cynthia Bennett and Dr. Shaun Kane.
• 2019.05 - 2019.09·Apple (Turi)·Research Intern
  • Engaged in research related to machine learning and related areas, supervised by Dr. Jeffrey P. Bigham and Dr. Xiaoyi Zhang.
• 2016.05 - 2017.08·AMD·Hardware Engineer
  • Responsible for hardware development and optimization.

• 2020 - Present·Carnegie Mellon University·Ph.D. Candidate
  • Field: Human-Computer Interaction.
  • Research Focus: Assistive Technology and Ubiquitous Computing.
• 2018-2020·University of Toronto·Master of Science
  • Field: Computer Science.
  • Research Focus: Assistive Technology, supervised by Professor Khai N. Truong.
• 2014-2018·University of Toronto·Bachelor of Engineering
  • Field: Electrical Engineering.

• Research Focus: Specialized in assistive technologies for individuals with disabilities, with applications in non-visual cooking, makeup assistance, virtual reality, and more.
• Awards:
  • Stuart K. Card Fellow (2025)
  • NSERC Doctoral Scholarship (2021)
  • Best Paper Award at ASSETS 2020
  • U.S. Department of Transportation Inclusive Design Challenge Award (2021)
  • University of Toronto UTRECS Scholarship (2015)
• Media Coverage:
  • Carnegie Mellon School of Computer Science: "Accessing Recipe Information Without Looking" (2024)
  • Communications of the ACM: "Eyelid gestures for people with motor impairments" (2022)
  • IEEE Spectrum: "The Next Frontier for Gesture Control is Teeth" (2021)

1. Franklin Mingzhe Li et al. "Exploring Object Status Recognition for Recipe Progress Tracking in Non-Visual Cooking." ASSETS 2025.
2. Franklin Mingzhe Li et al. "More than One Step at a Time: Designing Procedural Feedback for Non-visual Makeup Routines." ASSETS 2025.
3. Franklin Mingzhe Li et al. "Understanding the Video Content Creation Journey of Creators with Sensory Impairment in Kenya." ASSETS 2025.
4. Franklin Mingzhe Li et al. "Eyelid Gestures on Mobile Devices for People with Motor Impairments." ASSETS 2020.

Franklin Mingzhe Li's research has had a significant impact in both academia and industry, contributing greatly to the advancement of inclusive technology development.