Vivian Shen

Vivian Shen is an Assistant Professor at Carnegie Mellon University's Entertainment Technology Center, focusing on research in virtual reality, augmented reality, and haptic technologies. She earned her PhD from Carnegie Mellon University's Robotics Institute, with research interests spanning embedded systems, sensing technologies, and human-computer interaction. Her work primarily focuses on innovative haptic interaction devices, particularly in applications for virtual and augmented reality. Her research outcomes have been published in top-tier academic conferences such as CHI and UIST, where she has repeatedly won Best Paper Awards. She has also gained substantial practical experience through collaborations with organizations like Meta Reality Labs, Disney Research, and NASA JPL. Additionally, she is passionate about ultimate frisbee and chainmail art.

• 2025–Present·Carnegie Mellon University, Entertainment Technology Center·Assistant Professor
  • Teach courses on artificial intelligence and physical computing, with an emphasis on hardware prototyping and interactive systems.
  • Established a prototyping lab to support electrical and mechanical prototyping design.
• Internships
  • Meta Reality Labs | Disney Research | NASA JPL
    • Contributed to research and development projects in haptic technology and virtual reality.

• 2019–2025·Carnegie Mellon University·PhD
  • Field of Study: Robotics
  • Research Focus: Future Interfaces Group, specializing in haptic technologies and interaction system design.
• 2015–2019·Columbia University·Bachelor's
  • Major: Computer Science