Leon Zhao
😎

Leon Zhao

HCI Researcher in St. Louis, He/him

Learning about wearable sensors and actuators

10 months ago

Work Experience

2024 — Now
Beijing, China
  • Simulated haptic feedback for Mixed Reality actions involving resistive force

  • Keywords: FOC (field-oriented control), sensors and actuators, microcontroller, Unity

2022 — Now
St. Louis, MO
  • Led the development of a mixed reality farming game teaching children food origins on Meta Quest 3 and a first-person VR archery game on Meta Quest 2

  • Integrated physical affordance, computer vision, and generative AI into XR experiences

  • Launched WashU Wayfinder, an AR campus navigation app, to the App Store

  • Designed the club’s visual identity and website, promotional materials, club T-shirts, and Instagram posts

2022 — 2024
Founder & President at WashU Animation Association
St. Louis, MO
  • Founded the first animation (production-focused) community for aspiring artists at WashU

  • Expanded the club's influence to 150+ people and upgraded to the highest student group category in one year

  • Led the executive board planning 12 workshops and 2 collaborative projects

  • Invited alumni working in the industry for talks

2022 — 2022
Teaching Assistant at Animated Worlds
St. Louis, MO
  • Teaching Assistant for Animated World (3D Animation)

  • Worked closely with professor and advanced student for individualized learning paths in 3D animation

  • Tutored students Maya and Blender inside and outside of class

2022 — 2022
Design / Illustration Intern at WashU College of Arts & Sciences
St. Louis, MO
  • Collaborated with Senior Designer and Creative Manager for developing digital and print materials for brand promotion

  • Illustrated for Ampersand Magazine (quarterly school magazine) and implemented consistent visual identity standards across all media

2020 — 2021
Beijing, China
  • Designed tablet UI for a health evaluation and training program

  • Boosted company website user experience with Adobe XD

  • Modernized software launch screens

Education

2021 — Now
St. Louis, MO

Majors in Systems Science & Engineering and Design
Minor in Human-Computer Interaction and Robotics
Expected May 2025

2023 — 2023
Stanford, CA

Client-Side Internet Technologies; Introduction to Computer Graphics and Imaging; Computer Organization and Systems

Contact

Website
LinkedIn