Yingsi Qin

Hi wonderful humans ✨

I am a final-year PhD candidate in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, advised by Aswin Sakaranarayanan and Matthew O'Toole. I am part of the Image Science Lab and Carnegie Mellon Computational Imaging.

I am broadly interested in embedding fundamental physical laws, such as complex light transport and 3D geometry, into computational frameworks and generative algorithms to better understand and interact with the visual world. My work in novel programmable imaging and 3D display systems demonstrates how strong physical priors integrated with programmability can overcome the limits of traditional sensing and perception. Specifically, my research introduces spatially adaptive cameras and displays, building the foundation for next-generation machine vision, computational imaging, and immersive displays. My research area involves a fusion of computer vision, 3D perception, signal processing, optics, and machine learning.

I obtained my B.S. in Computer Science from Columbia University, focused on Artificial Intelligence, and my B.A. in Physics from Colgate University. I was a research intern at Meta Reality Labs Display Systems Research (2024, 2025) and Snap Research Computational Imaging (2020). I was also a software engineering intern at Google Search (2019).

News

• [Feb. 2026] I gave a talk at Johns Hopkins University CCVL Seminar. Thanks for the invite!
• [Jan. 2026] I gave a talk at Cohere Labs. Thanks for the invite!
• [Dec. 2025] I gave a talk at CMU Computer Vision Reading Group. Thanks for the invite!
• [Nov. 2025] I gave a talk at MIT Quantum Photonics. Thanks Dirk for having me!
• [Oct. 2025] Our paper SVAF won the Best Paper Honorable Mention Award at ICCV 2025!
• [Oct. 2025] I gave a talk for SVAF at ICCV 2025. Recordings available. Thanks for the invite!
• [Oct. 2025] We demoed our real-time prototype for SVAF at ICCV 2025!
• [Jul. 2025] Our paper Spatially-Varying Autofocus (SVAF) is accepted to ICCV 2025!
• [May. 2025] I started my research scientist internship at Meta Reality Labs Research!
• [Feb. 2025] Grateful to be awarded the James Sprague Presidential Fellowship at CMU!

• [Sep. 2024] I gave a talk at FiO LS: ARVR Theme. Thanks for the invite!
• [Sep. 2024] I gave a talk at VASC seminar @ CMU. Thanks for the invite!
• [May. 2024] I started my research scientist internship at Meta Reality Labs Research!
• [Apr. 2024] Gave a talk at UCL. Recordings available. Thanks Kaan for inviting and hosting!
• [Mar. 2024] Grateful to be awarded the Tan Endowed Graduate Fellowship at CMU.
• [Nov. 2023] Gave a talk at NYU. Thanks Qi for inviting and hosting!
• [Oct. 2023] Gave a talk at TechBeat. Thanks for the invite!
• [Oct. 2023] My technical paper talk and fast forward from SIGGRAPH 2023 are now available.
• [Aug. 2023] Our demo Split-Lohmann won the Best Demo Award at ICCP 2023!
• [Jun. 2023] Our paper Split-Lohmann won the Best Paper Award at SIGGRAPH 2023!
• [May. 2023] We will showcase the binocular demo for Split-Lohmann at SIGGRAPH 2023 Emerging Technologies Aug 6-10. The demo will include static, video, and interactive 3D experience. Join us in Los Angeles!
• [May. 2023] Our demo Single-Shot VR is accepted to SIGGRAPH 2023 Emerging Technologies!
• [May. 2023] Our paper Split-Lohmann Multifocal Displays is accepted to SIGGRAPH 2023!

Selected Publications

The full list of publications is on my google scholar page.

Selected Talks

Other Invited Talks and Demos

• [Feb. 2026] Talk: "Spatially Programmable Lensing"
  @ Johns Hopkins University CCVL Seminar, Remote
• [Jan. 2026] Talk: "Spatially-Varying Autofocus"
  @ Cohere Labs, Remote
• [Dec. 2025] Talk: "Spatially Programmable Lensing"
  @ CMU Computer Vision Reading Group, Pittsburgh, PA
• [Nov. 2025] Talk: "Spatially Programmable Lensing"
  @ MIT Optics and Quantum Electronics Seminar, hosted by Dirk Englund, Cambridge, MA
• [Oct. 2025] Demo: "Spatially-Varying Autofocus", 2-hour session
  @ ICCV 2025, Honolulu, HI
• [Jul. 2025] Demo: "Spatially-Varying Autofocus", 2-hour session
  @ ICCP 2025, Toronto, Canada

• [Sep. 2024] Talk: "Instant 3D Worlds via Split-Lohmann Lens"
  @ FiO LS: ARVR Theme, hosted by Praneeth Chakravarthula, Denver, CO
• [Sep. 2024] Talk: "Instant 3D Worlds via Split-Lohmann Displays"
  @ VASC Seminar, CMU, hosted by Fernando De la Torre, Pittsburgh, PA
• [Mar. 2024] Talk: "Split-Lohmann Multifocal Displays"
  @ University College London [recordings], hosted by Kaan Akşit, remote
• [Dec. 2023] Demo: Binocular Split-Lohmann Displays, 1-hour session
  @ Introduction to XR Systems, CMU, Pittsburgh, PA
• [Dec. 2023] Demo: Binocular Split-Lohmann Displays, 2-hour session
  @ Extended Reality Technology Center (XRTC), CMU, Pittsburgh, PA
• [Nov. 2023] Talk: "Split-Lohmann Multifocal Displays"
  @ NYU Tandon School of Engineering, hosted by Qi Sun, New York, NY
• [Aug. 2023] Demo: Single-Shot VR (Binocular Split-Lohmann), 5-day session
  @ Siggraph 2023 Emerging Technologies, Los Angeles, CA
• [July. 2023] Demo: Binocular Split-Lohmann Displays, 3-hour session
  @ ICCP 2023, Los Angeles, CA

Services

Reviewer

Teaching

• Teaching Assistant, Introduction to Deep Learning, Carnegie Mellon University, Spring 2025
• Teaching Assistant, Signals and Systems, Carnegie Mellon University, Spring 2021
• Peer Mentor, Engineering Student Council, Columbia University, 2019-2020
• Teaching Assistant, Data Structures and Algorithms, Colgate University, 2017-2019
• Teaching Assistant, Introduction to Electricity and Magnetism, Colgate University, Spring 2018

Selected Press Coverage

Spatially-Varying Autofocus

more

Split-Lohmann Multifocal Displays

Projects

Paragliding

I fly as a paragliding pilot. I soar xc among mountains, over forests, across rivers, and near oceans.