معرفی
Kimiko Ryokai is an Assistant Professor at the UC Berkeley School of Information and the Berkeley Center for New Media. Her research focuses on tangible embodied computing and human-computer interaction (HCI), particularly in educational technology, mental health, and creativity support systems. She has been funded by NSF, Google, and Nokia, and her work has been published in top venues like CHI, SIGGRAPH, and CSCL. Ryokai holds MS and PhD degrees from MIT’s Media Arts & Sciences program and previously worked at IDEO as an interaction designer.
- Education: M.S. (1999), Ph.D. (2005) in Media Arts & Sciences, MIT
- Grants: Over $600,000 in funding from NSF, Google, and Nokia for projects like mobile AR learning tools and laughter analysis
Research Interests
Ryokai investigates how physical and digital systems can enhance learning, creativity, and social interaction. Key projects include:
- MathMarks: AR tool for math education through environmental exploration
- GreenHat: Exploring nature via expert-guided AR
- EnergyBugs: Wearables for children to learn energy harvesting
Recent Contributions
Recent work emphasizes embodied learning (e.g., Balance Board Math), affective computing (laughter visualization), and tangible interaction design. Her research bridges theory and practice, often involving interdisciplinary teams across education, engineering, and art.
Awards & Recognition
- Best Paper Honorable Mention (ACM CHI 2013, 2011)
- IDSA Gold Award for Industrial Design (2005)
- Distinguished Mentor Award (UC Berkeley 2010)
Teaching & Mentorship
Ryokai teaches courses like Design of Tangible User Interfaces and has advised over 30 graduate students. Notable advisees include Laura Devendorf (PhD 2014) and Daniela Rosner (PhD 2012, now at University of Washington).
