I’m Di Wu (吳迪), a second-year PhD Candidate in Computer Science at Northwestern University, working in the tiilt Lab advised by Professor Marcelo Worsley.
I investigate the unification of actuation and sensing to create programmable physical interfaces that can both perceive and transform their physical states. Through this integration, I explore tighter physical-digital coupling, where computation continuously interacts with and reshapes the physical world. Bridging Human-computer Interaction, device fabrication, and soft robotics, I develop soft actuators, smart materials, and textile-integrated devices through fabrication, characterization, and control. I apply these technologies to haptics, wearable interfaces, assistive technologies, rehabilitation, and embodied learning.
Before starting my Ph. D. at Northwestern, I had the pleasure of working in Morphing Matter Lab, advised by Professor Lining Yao and Professor Qiuyu Lu (now Assistant Professor at Hong Kong Polytechnic University). I received my Master's from Carnegie Mellon University, and my Bachelor of Architecture from Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST).
NEWS
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08/15/2026 My UIST poster paper has just been accepted! This work explores a new research direction that I’ve been developing since joining my new lab—a new paradigm for VR haptics. Not an easy journey, but it’s incredibly exciting to bring this idea to life. See you all in Detroit!
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03/31/2026 Started my third TA in COMP_SCI 333: Interactive Information Visualization!
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03/12/2026 Successfully passed my PhD qualifying exam. Deep thanks to my amazing committee: Prof. Marcelo Worsley, Prof. Michael Horn, and Prof. Karan Ahuja!
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03/11/2026 ACM TEI 2026 wrapped up smoothly—grateful for the experience and the incredible people I met along the way.
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03/08/2026 ACM TEI 2026 (20th edition) is finally here at the University of Chicago—excited to be part of it!
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01/22/2026 Just finished two papers (CHI Demo and DIS) today!
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01/10/2026 Still working on our submission to ACM DIS 2026!
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01/09/2026 Excited to wrap up our new demo paper for ACM CHI 2026!
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01/05/2026 Back to Evanston and started my second TA in COMP_SCI 110 Introduction in Computer Programming!
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01/02/2026 Got the printed business cards in both English and Traditional Chinese versions! Can't wait to share with you!
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12/19/2025 Happy to announce that I have completed the first milestone of my PhD: completing my MSCS in Primary PhD!
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12/15/2025 Finished my first TA in COMP_SCI 330 Human-computer Interaction during my PhD! Shout out to Prof. Matthew Kay!
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12/08/2025 Preparing my trip back to China for the family reunion!
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10/22/2025 Finished reviewing the paper from ACM CHI 2026!
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09/18/2025 Finished reviewing 2 papers from ACM TEI 2026!
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03/06/2025 Excited to serve ACM TEI 2026 as one of the Hybrid Chairs! See you all in Chicago!
PUBLICATIONS
My long-term vision is to build interfaces by fusing materials, mechanics, and interaction. Publications in ACM CHI and ACM UIST have advanced morphing interfaces and material-driven interactivity, while work published in materials journals such as Materials Horizons explores reconfigurable soft electronics. In parallel, submissions to engineering venues like IEEE Sensors focus on durable, low-voltage actuation. Together, these works lay the foundation for systems where the human body becomes the interface itself.
ACM UIST 2026 [Poster Paper]
Air as a Soft Material: Introducing the Ionized-Wind Actuator (IoWA) for VR Haptics in Human–Computer Interaction
Di Wu, Zhongyun Cao, Marcelo Worsley
Accepted
IEEE Sensor 2025 [Full Article]
Easy-to-Fabricate and Durable Soft Electrohydraulic Actuator for Hands-On Robotics Education
Di Wu, Pavel Belakurski*, Ruihang Gao*, Gyda Nawarungruang, Xuyang Li, Jonah Robinson, Brandon Tendilla, Purnendu, Nivedita Arora.
Under review
North America Materials Education Symposium 2025 [Symposium]
Teaching Soft Robotics Through Co-Design of Materials, Mechanics, and Electronics: A Focus on Electrohydraulic Artificial Muscles
Di Wu, Ruihang Gao, Pavel Belakurski, Purnendu, Nivedita Arora
Materials Horizons 2025 [Full Article]
Wearable and Reconfigurable Smart Textile Circuit with Liquid Metal
Chanho Jeong, Kiyoon Kwon, Di Wu, Yibo Fu, Yeong-sinn Ye, Lining Yao, Tae-il Kim, Carmel Majidi.
ACM CHI 2024 [Full Article]
Waxpaper Actuator: Sequentially and Conditionally Wax Paper for Morphing Interfaces
Di Wu, Emily Guan*, Yunjia Zhang*, Hsuanju Lai, Qiuyu Lu, Lining Yao
ACM CHI 2023 [Full Article]
EpoMemory: Multi-state Shape Memory for Programmable Morphing Interfaces
Ke Zhong, Adriane Fernandes Minori, Di Wu, Humphrey Yang, Mohammad Islam, Lining Yao
ACM CHI EA 2023 [Demo]
Demonstrating Waxpaper Plus: Sequentially and Conditionally Programmable Morphing Wax Fabrics
Di Wu*, Qiuyu Lu*, Hsuanju Lai**, Yunjia Zhang**, Lining Yao
ACM CHI EA 2024 [Demo]
Design and Simulation Tool for Sequentially and Conditionally Programmable Waxpaper Morphing Interfaces
Emily Guan, Di Wu, Qiuyu Lu, Lining Yao