I’m Nahyun, an undergraduate at Sungkyunkwan University studying Mechanical Engineering, Software Engineering, and HCI. I’m currently an exchange student at UMass Boston.
My research investigates human perception and sensemaking, drawing on HCI, XR/haptics, and behavioral research.
I aim to understand the cognitive and neural mechanisms behind perception and decision-making, and translate these insights into systems that augment human cognition.
News
My research landscape.
What guides my research
One world.
Different experiences.
The same sensation or event can lead to different perceptions, emotions, and decisions. I build and study interfaces to understand how people construct those experiences and how technology can help.
My questions connect sensory feedback, perception, and interpretation. Together, they point toward systems that augment human cognition.
How the questions evolved
From sensation
to interpretation.
SCIGC · Thermal haptics & simulation
Can virtual worlds extend what we can experience?
I built thermal devices and an FDS–Unity pipeline for Mars exploration and firefighter training. The weight and complexity of hardware led me to ask how much physical detail a convincing experience really needs.
KAIST WIT Lab · Perceptual cues
Can simpler cues make virtual touch feel real?
FeelSound uses granular synthesis for movement-coupled vibration; VR tactile illusion explores audiovisual cues for virtual touch. I led implementation, studies, analysis, and writing. Different responses to similar cues drew my attention to interpretation itself.
Future Computing Lab · Interpretation & Reflection
How do people interpret the same experience differently?
Moving from sensory perception to how people make sense of information and experiences, I explored how investors interpret uncertainty, decisions, and losses.
I developed interfaces to recognize missing evidence before decisions and reflect on personal interpretations after losses. Through this work, I became increasingly interested in how people construct meaning from the same events.
The next question
What shapes
an interpretation?
My HCI research revealed a limitation: self-reports capture how people describe their experiences, but not necessarily how those experiences are formed. Individual differences led me to question the cognitive mechanisms behind perception and decision-making.
I now aim to combine computational models, behavioral experiments, and neural evidence to understand how prior beliefs and emotions shape our interpretations.
Ultimately, I hope to build systems that help people perceive and interpret the world in more flexible, constructive, and positive ways.
Let's exchange questions ↗