Botao 'Amber' Hu

Bio

Botao 'Amber' Hu is a researcher, designer, educator, and creative technologist. He directs Reality Design Lab, an independent interdisciplinary research and design lab exploring the intersection of soma design (body-centered play), speculative design (future studies), spatial computing (mixed reality), and social computing (public-interest cryptographic tech). His primary focus is designing social experiential futures using mixed reality as the main medium. He also serves as a visiting lecturer at the China Academy of Art. His works have been featured at top conferences such as SIGGRAPH, CHI, UbiComp, CSCW, WWW, IEEE VIS, ISMAR, Ars Electronica, SXSW, and TEDx and have received accolades including the SIGGRAPH Best in Show, CHI Best Interactivity, Webby, Red Dot, iF Design, A' Design, Core77 Design Award, and grants from the Ethereum Foundation. He holds a bachelor's degree in computer science from Tsinghua University and a master's degree in computer science with AI concentration from Stanford University.

Research and Design Statement

As a research-led experiential futures designer, my work lies at the intersection of the "4S": somatic design, speculative design, spatial computing, and social computing. I founded and led that Reality Design Lab, where I create immersive mixed reality experiences that invite audiences to step into potential futures through a form of embodied play, challenging their perceptions, sparking inspiration, and provoking dialogue about the paths we might take, and encourages critical thinking about the future.

“What is that Reality in the Future?”

This question—my lab's slogan—has always led me to where I am today. As someone who majored in Artificial Intelligence, my fascination with the future began with a curiosity about technology's role in shaping society. However, after working as a data scientist in the typical Silicon Valley AI industry, I realized that the rapid development of AI brings society a grief of human de-centering, the Copernican trauma. What can we do as creatures with limited bodies? Gradually, I shift my career from algorithmic machines to embodied experiences.

The future isn't solely about technological progress; it also encompasses social, cultural, ecological, and even more-than-human dimensions. Recently, Anthony Dunne joined my current institution, the China Academy of Art, giving me the opportunity to learn from this pioneering speculative designer. Dunne proposed, "We need to shift from designing applications to designing implications." I aim to use design as a tool to question the futures we envision through technological advancement, challenging default assumptions and inspiring pluralistic technological thinking.

Beyond pure speculation, I also emphasize experiential storytelling through mixed reality media. Guided by Jenova Chen, a legendary emotional game designer, I worked as a game engineer under his supervision. Through this experience, I learned the art of interactive storytelling and understood the importance of creating emotional connections through play, crafting embodied immersive experiences that engage and transform audiences.

Influenced by Ian Cheng, I'm envisioning a future with many worlds and realities, where machines do all the mundane tasks and play finite games, and people are struggling to figure out how to spend their unstructured time by playing infinite games called worlding. In the culture of worlding, I'm fascinated by the concept that autonomy leads to flourishing without a creator's hold. I believe that the blockchain may serve this purpose of autonomy, potentially merging the biosphere and cybersphere to form an autonomous hyper-ecology, which may surpass our traditional understanding of the living environment, challenging our definitions of nature and life, and moving towards planetary intelligence.

Educations

2012-2014

Stanford University, Palo Alto, USA.
Master of Science in Computer Science concentrated in Artificial Intelligence
Advisors: Andrew Ng, Jure Leskovec, Dan Boneh

2007-2012

Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science. Special Pilot Computer Science Class.
Advisor: Andrew Chi-Chih Yao.

2011 - 2012

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China.
Visiting Researcher.
Advisor: Qiang Yang.

Research Publications

2023 - 2024

Botao Amber Hu*, Yuemin Huang, Mingze Chai, Xiaobo Aaron Hu, Yilan Elan Tao, and Rem RunGu Lin. 2024. "GravField: Live-Coding Bodies through Mixed Reality". In Adjunct Proceeding of SIGGRAPH Asia 2024 (SA '24). XR. [To appear]

Botao Amber Hu, Jiabao Li*, Danlin Huang, Jianan Johanna Liu, Xiaobo Aaron Hu, and Yilan Elan Tao. 2024. "Becoming Bat with EchoVision: Experiencing More-than-human Perception through Mixed Reality". In Proceeding of SIGGRAPH Asia 2024 (SA '24). Art Paper. [To appear]

Botao Amber Hu, Jiabao Li*, Danlin Huang, Jianan Johanna Liu, Xiaobo Aaron Hu, and Yilan Elan Tao. 2024. "EchoVision: Experiencing Bat Echolocation via Mixed Reality". In Proceeding of SIGGRAPH Asia 2024 (SA '24). Extended Reality. [To appear]

Botao Amber Hu, Yilan Elan Tao, Rem Rungu Lin, and Yue Li. 2024. "On Intent Inclusivity in Spontaneous Cross Realities". In 2024 IEEE International Symposium on Mixed and Augmented Reality Adjunct (ISMAR-Adjunct). Workshop Paper. [To appear]

Bingqing Chen, Yue Li, Botao Amber Hu, and Yilan Elan Tao. 2024. "Awkward or Acceptable? Understanding the Bystander Perspective on the Ubiquity of Cross Reality in Ambiguous Social Situations". In 2024 IEEE International Symposium on Mixed and Augmented Reality Adjunct (ISMAR-Adjunct). Workshop Paper. [To appear]

Botao Amber Hu* and Fangting. 2024. "EverForest: A More-Than-AI Sustainability Manifesto from an On-Chain Artificial Life". In Proceedings of the Halfway to the Future Symposium 2024 (HTTF 2024). Short Paper. [→]

Jiabao Li, Matt McCorkle, and Botao Amber Hu. 2024. "Becoming Bat". In Proceedings of the Halfway to the Future Symposium 2024 (HTTF '24). Pictorial. [→]

Jiabao Li, Matt McCorkle, and Botao Amber Hu. 2024. "Nocturnal Fugue". Sheffield DocFest 2024. Alternate Realities. Art Exhibition. [→].

Jianan Johanna Liu, Danlin Huang, Yuqi Song, Shan Luo, and Botao Amber Hu. 2024. "Foldiverse: Augmenting Paper Folding Physiotherapy for Children with Autism via Family-Centered Mixed Reality Design". In Companion Proceedings of the Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play (CHI PLAY Companion '24). Student Competition. [→]

Shan Luo, Jianan Johanna Liu, and Botao Amber Hu*. 2024. "Hearing the Bullseye: An Auditory-Cued Archery Exergame for the Visually Impaired and Their Sighted Family and Friends". In Companion Proceedings of the Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play (CHI PLAY Companion '24). Student Competition. [→]

Botao Amber Hu, Yilan Elan Tao, Yuchen Zhang, Sizheng Hao, and Rem RunGu Lin. 2024. "MOFA The Ghost: Demonstrating an Asymmetrical Social Exertion Game in Spontaneous Collocated Mixed Reality". In Companion Proceedings of the Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play (CHI PLAY Companion '24). Interactivity. [→]

Botao Amber Hu, Yuemin Huang, Mingze Chai, Xiaobo Aaron Hu, and Yilan Elan Tao. 2024. "GravField: Towards Designing an Inter-bodily Live-Coding Performance System within Collocated Mixed Reality Field". In Companion Proceedings of the Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play (CHI PLAY Companion '24). Work-in-Progress. [→]

Shan Luo, Jianan Johanna Liu, and Botao Amber Hu*. 2024. "Demonstrating an Auditory-Cued Archery Social Exertion Game for the Blind and Sighted to Play Together". In Companion Publication of the 2024 Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing (CSCW '24 Companion). Demo. [→]

Shan Luo, Jianan Johanna Liu, and Botao Amber Hu*. 2024. "Designing a Safe Auditory-Cued Archery Exertion Game for the Visually Impaired and Sighted to Enjoy Together". In The 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS ’24). Poster. [→]

Botao Amber Hu*, Jiabao Li*, Danlin Huang, Jianan Johanna Liu, Xiaobo Aaron Hu, and Yilan Elan Tao. 2024. "EchoVision". 2024 IEEE VIS Arts Program (VISAP). Art Exhibition. [To appear]

Botao Amber Hu*, Jiabao Li*, Danlin Huang, Jianan Johanna Liu, Xiaobo Aaron Hu, and Yilan Elan Tao. 2024. "EchoVision: A Handheld Mixed Reality Mask for Experiencing Bat Echolocation". In Adjunct Proceedings of the 2024 ACM International Joint Conference on Pervasive and Ubiquitous Computing & the 2024 ACM International Symposium on Wearable Computing (UbiComp/ISWC '24 Adjunct). Design Exhibition. [→]

Botao Amber Hu*, Yuchen Zhang, Yilan Elan Tao, and Tongzhou Yu. 2024. "HoloKit: Demonstrating an Open-Source Smartphone-Based Mixed Reality Headset for Mixed Reality Design Education". In Adjunct Proceedings of the 2024 ACM International Joint Conference on Pervasive and Ubiquitous Computing & the 2024 ACM International Symposium on Wearable Computing (UbiComp/ISWC '24 Adjunct). Demo. 🏆 Best Demo Award. [→]

Botao Amber Hu* and Fangting. 2024. "Speculating on Blockchain as an Unstoppable ‘Nature’ Towards the Emergence of Artificial Life". In Proceedings of the 2024 Conference on Artificial Life (ALIFE '24). Extended Abstract. [→]

Botao Amber Hu and Fangting. 2024. "Composable Life". In 2024 ACM SIGGRAPH Digital Arts Community. The Future of Reality. Curated Online Exhibition. [→]

Rem Rungu Lin, Botao Amber Hu, Koo Yongen Ke, Wei Wu, and Kang Zhang*. 2024. "Cell Space: Augmented Awareness of Intercorporeality". In Proceedings of the Conference and Exhibition on 2024 Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques (SIGGRAPH ‘24). Art Paper. [→]

Fangting and Botao Amber Hu. 2024. "Composable Life: Us and Our Land". In ProtocolKit for Summer of Protocols (SoP 2023). [→]

Botao Amber Hu*, Yuchen Zhang, Sizheng Hao and Yilan Tao. 2024. "MOFA: Multiplayer Omnipresent Fighting Arena". In Proceedings of the 2024 Conference and Exhibition on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques (SIGGRAPH ‘24). Immersive Pavilion. 🏆 Best in Show. [→]

Kaiqing Huang, Chu Zhang, Wangyu Ping, Boxiong Zhao, Botao Amber Hu. 2024. "CrossReality". In Proceedings of the 2024 International Conference on Live Coding (ICLC ‘24). Live Performance. [→]

Botao Hu*, Yuemin Huang, Mingze Chai, Yilan Tao and Xiaobo Hu. 2024. "GravField: A Participatory Performance Exploring Intercorporeality as Live-Coding Instruments within a Co-located Mixed Reality". In Proceedings of the 2024 International Conference on Live Coding (ICLC ‘24). Live Performance. [→]

Botao Hu*, Yuchen Zhang, Sizheng Hao, and Yilan Tao. "InstantCopresence: A Spatial Anchor Sharing Methodology for Co-Located Multiplayer Handheld and Headworn AR." In 2023 IEEE International Symposium on Mixed and Augmented Reality Adjunct (ISMAR-Adjunct '23). Demo. 🏆 Honorable Mention. [→]

Botao Hu*, Yuchen Zhang, Sizheng Hao, and Yilan Tao. 2023. "MOFA: Exploring Asymmetric Mixed Reality Design Strategy for Co-located Multiplayer Between Handheld and Head-mounted Augmented Reality." In Extended Abstracts of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA '23). Interactivity. 🏆 Best Interactivity Demo. [→]

2010-2022

Botao Hu*, Yang Liu, and Ran Duan. 2019. "City of Sparkles." In ACM SIGGRAPH 2019 Virtual, Augmented, and Mixed Reality (SIGGRAPH ’19), Immersive Pavilion [→]

Peiliang Li, Tong Qin, Botao Hu, Fengyuan Zhu, and Shaojie Shen*. 2017. "Monocular Visual-Inertial State Estimation for Mobile Augmented Reality." In 2017 IEEE International Symposium on Mixed and Augmented Reality (ISMAR '17). [→]

Si Shen, Botao Hu, Weizhu Chen, and Qiang Yang*. 2012. "Personalized click model through collaborative filtering." In Proceedings of the fifth ACM international conference on Web search and data mining (WSDM ’12). [→]

Botao Hu, Yuchen Zhang, Weizhu Chen, Gang Wang, and Qiang Yang*. 2011. "Characterizing search intent diversity into click models." In Proceedings of the 20th international conference on World wide web (WWW ’11). [→]

Dakan Wang*, Gang Wang, Pinyan Lu, Yajun Wang, Zheng Chen, and Botao Hu. 2011. "Is pay-per-click efficient? an empirical analysis of click values." In Proceedings of the 20th international conference companion on World wide web (WWW ’11). [→]

Dong Wang*, Weizhu Chen, Gang Wang, Yuchen Zhang, and Botao Hu. 2010. "Explore click models for search ranking." In Proceedings of the 19th ACM international conference on Information and knowledge management (CIKM ’10). [→]

Yuchen Zhang*, Dong Wang, Gang Wang, Weizhu Chen, Zhihua Zhang, Botao Hu, and Li Zhang. 2010. "Learning click models via probit bayesian inference." In Proceedings of the 19th ACM international conference on Information and knowledge management (CIKM ’10). [→]

Awards

2024

Core77 Design Awards. "Composable Life", Notable in Speculative Design Award.

A’Design Award. "HoloKit X", Silver in Wearable Technologies Design.

iF Design Award. "HoloKit X", Winner in Product/Gaming Hardware/VR/AR.

Summer Of Protocols. Protocol Improvement Grant. $90,000.

2023

Red Dot Design Award. "HoloKit X", Winner of Product Design.

Core77 Design Awards. "HoloKit X", Notable in Consumer Technology.

Core77 Design Awards. "HoloKit X", Runner up in Emerging Technology.

Webby Awards. "HoloKit X", Nominee in Technical Achievement / Metaverse, Immersive & Virtual.

SXSW Award. "HoloKit X", Nominee in Innovative Design.

Exhibitions

2024

SIGGRAPH Asia 2024 XR. "GravField". Tokyo, Japan.

SIGGRAPH Asia 2024 XR. "EchoVision". Tokyo, Japan.

CHI Play 2024 Interactivity. "MOFA the Ghost". Tampere, Finland.

West Bund Art Festival 2024. "EchoVision". Shanghai, China.

Tank Art Festival 2024. "EchoVision". Shanghai, China.

ISWC 2024 Demonstrations. "HoloKit X". Melbourne, Australia.

ISWC 2024 Design Exhibition. "EchoVision". Melbourne, Australia.

Ars Electronica 2024. "Nocturnal Fugue - Becoming Bat with EchoVision". Linz, Austria. [→]

Sheffield DocFest 2024. "Nocturnal Fugue". Sheffield, U.K.. [→]

Fusebox Festival 2024, Contemporary Austin. "EchoVision". Austin, U.S.A..

SIGGRAPH 2024 Immersive Pavilion. "Multiplayer Omnipresent Fighting Arena". Denver, U.S.A..

The International Conference on Live Coding 2024 Live Performance. "GravField". Shanghai, China.

SIGGRAPH 2024 DAC. "Composable Life: Us and Our Land". On-line.

2023

ISMAR 2023 Demonstrations. "InstantCopresence". Sydney, Australia.

CHI 2023 Interactivity. "MOFA". Hamburg, Germany.

2016-2019

SIGGRAPH 2019 Immersive Pavilion. "City Of Sparkles". Los Angeles, U.S.A..

Future of Storytelling. "Project: HoloKit". New York, U.S.A..

National Association of Broadcasters Show (NAB). "Project: Skywand". U.S.A..

Teaching

2024

Speculative Spatial Computing.
Fall 2024. China Academy of Art. Hangzhou. China.

Playshop: Latent Spaces & Permissionless Dreams.
Summer 2024. China Academy of Art. Hangzhou. China.

2023

Design New Realities.
Fall 2023. China Academy of Art. Hangzhou. China.

Selected Talks

2024

“Allow me into your dream".
Beijing Film Academy. Beijing, China.

"Introduction to Spatial Computing and Develop with Apple Vision Pro and HoloKit".
School of Design and Creative Technologies, University of Texas at Austin. Interaction Design. Austin, USA.

“Wizards vs Muggles! - MOFA: A Gameplay Framework exploring the Design Space of Spontaneous Collocated Mixed Reality"
Computational Media and Arts (CMA), Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Guangzhou, China.

"Expanding Intercorporeality: Exploring Human-Human and Human-Robot Interactions in MR". The Future Laboratory, Tsinghua University. Beijing, China.

2023

"Designing New Realities: Research Through Design for Collocated Mixed Reality Experiences".
School of Design & Innovation, China Academy of Art. Hangzhou, China.

"Dream Together in New Realities: Unleash the Power of Copresence in Headworn AR".
Harvard XR Forum. Boston, USA.

"HoloKit: Open Source Mixed Reality Headset for Reality Designers".
Integrated Design & Media, New York University. New York, USA.

2017-2018

"HoloKit: a Cardboard-like AR and what will you make with it?".
AR In Action (ARIA). MIT, Boston, USA.

"What you get is what you imagine".
TEDx Beacon Street, Boston.

"HoloKit: Google Cardboard for AR".
AR in Action (ARIA). New York.

Patents

U.S. Patent. Application. LOCAL MULTI-DEVICE FAST SPATIAL ANCHOR POINT SYNCHRONIZATION METHOD FOR MIXED REALITY AND SYSTEM

U.S. Patent. Granted. AN IMAGING METHOD FOR MODULAR MIXED REALITY (MR) DEVICE

U.S. Patent. Granted. PLANNING A FLIGHT PATH BY IDENTIFYING KEY FRAMES

U.S. Patent. Granted. INTERFACE FOR PLANNING FLIGHT PATH

U.S. Design Patent. Granted. A MIXED REALITY HEADSET

U.S. Design Patent. Granted. A MIXED REALITY HEADSET (HEADSET)

U.S. Design Patent. Granted. A MIXED REALITY HEADSET (HEAD BAND)

U.S. Design Patent. Granted. A MIXED REALITY CONTROLLER

U.S. / PCT Patent. Application. IMAGING METHOD FOR MODULAR MR DEVICE

U.S. / PCT Patent. Granted. A METHOD TO MANUFACTURE MR DEVICE