Can Liu

Dr. Can Liu is an Assistant Professor at the School of Creative Media, City University of Hong Kong, where she leads the ERFI Lab (Laboratory of Empirical Research for Future Interfaces). Her research focuses on designing future interfaces for ubiquitous technologies through empirical understanding of human cognition and behavior, with emphasis on multimodal interaction combining physical and digital elements.

Education:

• PhD in Human-Computer Interaction, Université Paris-Sud (France), INRIA labs ex)situ and ILDA
• MSc in Media Informatics, RWTH Aachen University (Germany)

Dr. Liu's research spans three primary domains: AI-assisted Input (using LLMs/NLP to enhance text manipulation and speech interfaces), Spatial Computing (multimodal interfaces for AR/VR and large displays), and Hybrid/Remote Collaboration (supporting intuitive remote interaction through understanding collocated collaboration). Her work integrates empirical user studies with real-world system deployments in public spaces.

Recent publications demonstrate strong trends toward LLM-integrated interfaces, wearable computing applications, and novel interaction techniques for foldable devices. Her team consistently publishes at top venues including CHI, UIST, and CSCW, with increasing focus on practical AI integration for everyday tasks.

Awards and Recognition:

• Best Paper Award at ACM CHI 2014 (top 1%)
• Honourable Mention at ACM CHI 2012 (top 5%)

Dr. Liu actively mentors PhD students and researchers while securing substantial research funding including Google Faculty Research Awards, National Natural Science Foundation grants, and RGC Early Career Schemes. She serves on numerous program committees including ACM CHI (Associate Chair 2024, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2017) and co-organizes research initiatives like the HCIX Summer Research Program.

Her laboratory ecosystem includes the ERFI Lab, affiliation with the Augmented Materiality Lab and Kowloon Interaction Center, and active participation in the Greater Bay HCI community, supporting both fundamental research and industry collaboration with partners including Google, Huawei, and Lenovo.