Kangsoo Kim

Kangsoo Kim is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical and Software Engineering at the Schulich School of Engineering, University of Calgary, where he leads the Human-X Interaction (HXI) Lab. He holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Central Florida and previously served as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Delaware and the Synthetic Reality Lab at UCF, with an additional appointment in the College of Nursing.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Computer Science, University of Central Florida, 2018
• M.S. in Electronics and Computer Engineering, Hanyang University, 2011
• B.S. in Electronics and Computer Engineering (Cum Laude), Hanyang University, 2009

Dr. Kim's research focuses on Human-Computer Interaction, particularly in immersive eXtended Reality (XR), including Virtual, Augmented, and Mixed Reality. His work explores virtual avatars, social interaction in XR, perception and cognition, and the integration of XR with IoT and digital twins. He investigates how embodied virtual humans influence social presence, trust, and user behavior in educational, healthcare, and industrial settings.

His recent publications span top-tier venues such as IEEE TVCG, ISMAR, and IEEE VR, with themes centered on virtual agents, empathy in XR, avatar embodiment, and industrial applications of XR and digital twins. Trends include the use of AI-powered avatars, physiological feedback integration, and XR for public education and infrastructure safety.

Scientific Awards:

• AKCSE Early Achievement Award (2023)
• Innovation Award at TechConnect World (2021)
• ACM SUI Best Paper Award (2019)
• ICAT-EGVE Best Demo Audience Choice Award (2020)
• ACM VRST Best Student Paper Award (2017)

Dr. Kim actively mentors students and has advised numerous graduate researchers in areas including virtual pets, avatar behavior, XR for health, and industrial applications. He has secured research funding through competitive fellowships and grants, including UCF Graduate Fellowships and IEEE VR Doctoral Consortium support. He has also contributed to patents in AR magnification and serves as an Associate Editor for Presence: Virtual and Augmented Reality.

He leads the HXI Lab, which conducts interdisciplinary research bridging computer science, psychology, and engineering to advance XR technologies for real-world impact in education, healthcare, and industry.