Yingsi Qin

Hi wonderful humans ✨

I am a 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.

My research focuses on designing and building intelligent spatial optical systems for next-generation computational imaging, immersive displays, and visual computing. My research area involves a fusion of computer vision, optics, signal processing, and machine learning.

I obtained my B.S. in Computer Science from Columbia University, 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

• [Nov. 2025] I gave a talk for SVAF at MIT Quantum Photonics. Thanks Dirk for haivng me!
• [Nov. 2025] I gave a talk for SVAF at BAAI智源研究院. Recordings available. Thanks for the invite!
• [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

• [Nov. 2025] Talk: "Spatially Programmable Lensing"
  @ MIT Optics and Quantum Electronics Seminar, hosted by Dirk Englund, Cambridge, MA
• [Nov. 2025] Talk: "Spatially-Varying Autofocus"
  @ BAAI北京智源人工智能研究院 [recordings], remote
• [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

Split-Lohmann Multifocal Displays

Projects

Paragliding

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