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About

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Hello! I’m Vincy :)
I’m a mechanical engineer working across robotics and interactive hardware systems
 

I studied mechanical engineering at Taipei Tech and later got my master’s degree at the MIT Media Lab. That’s where I started exploring a more creative and interdisciplinary side of engineering. I worked on things like autonomous mobility, human robot interaction, and how physical systems can express themselves through behavior, sensing, and form.

I love learning by making. I enjoy prototyping, trying weird ideas, and figuring things out by building and testing in the real world. My work sits somewhere between hardware, sensing, and interaction, and I’m especially drawn to turning abstract ideas into things you can see, touch, and play with.

Over time, I’ve led robotics teams, built autonomous vehicle prototypes, and worked with industry partners to bring ideas closer to real world use. These experiences shaped how I think about engineering. To me, it is not just about making things work, but about creating systems that live in human environments and feel natural to interact with.

Long term, I want to build machines that feel intuitive, comforting, and maybe even a little bit alive. Something that brings warmth and connection into everyday life, and makes technology feel more human.

Experience

Education

2024-2025

WhatIf Robotics

2022-2024

Graduate Research Assistant

City Science Lab

@MIT Media Lab

2020-2022

Research Assistant

City Science Lab @Taipei TECH

2018-2019

Visiting student 

@City Science,

MIT Media Lab

2017

R&D Intern

@Track & Trace,

Delta Research Center

Led end-to-end development of companion robot systems focused on human-facing interaction, integrating soft sensing interfaces, embedded systems (MCU, IMU, haptics, LED arrays), and electromechanical design into cohesive platforms with real-time control and sensor pipelines, delivering functional prototypes to enable rapid iteration and validation.

I worked on robotics and interactive systems that bridge physical environments and intelligent computation. My research focused on last-meter delivery, where I developed perception and navigation pipelines for autonomous systems to operate in complex real-world settings. I also built tangible interfaces that combine embedded sensing, real-time data processing, and generative AI to create intuitive, human-centered interactions.

Self-learning during pandemic.

Applied UWB on multi-robot system for positioning and sharing point-cloud for navigation and finished MITx Probability on edX

Admitted as a visiting student in City Science Lab and work with PEV(a light-weight autonomous vehicle) team. Implemented mechanical eyes on PEV in charge of the mechanical design, dynamics, and light performance of the eyesEnhanced mechanical design and worked with experts from Denso Corporation- one of the largest OEM parts suppliers 

Research and Develop Intern, Track & Trace Team. Designed and exam circuits of a high-accuracy visible light indoor positioning system. Constructed the firmware from scratch using Microchip 24-bit chips

2022-2024

M.Sc 

@MIT Media Lab

GPA: 5.0 /5.0​

Relevant Coursework: Computing Fabric, How to Make (Almost) Anything, Aerial Data Processing, Human Augmentation 

2015-2018

B.S MechE

@Taipei Tech

GPA: 3.95 /4.00​

Rank in Department: 1st / 148
Relevant Coursework: Mechatronics, Intro to Modern Control, Mechatronic Systems & Design, Design of Automatic Machinery  

© Vincy Xiao, 2026

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