On August 7, 2025, KLIC hosted a session titled “Enabling Multimodal Interaction Systems with Acoustophoretic Interfaces”, featuring Dr. Lei Gao, Research Fellow at University College London.

Dr. Gao introduced participants to acoustophoresis, or acoustic levitation—a technique that uses ultrasonic waves to manipulate objects in mid-air without physical contact. Her talk explored how acoustophoretic interfaces can generate dynamic sound fields that enable novel forms of interaction between users, digital systems, and physical environments.

The presentation covered the technical foundations of acoustophoretic systems and showcased recent applications such as tangible data visualizations and mid-air haptic feedback, demonstrating how these technologies bridge the digital and physical worlds.

Dr. Gao also discussed challenges in building reliable and scalable acoustophoretic interfaces and highlighted opportunities for computational solutions and interdisciplinary design. Her insights emphasized the potential of these systems to support multimodal interaction, combining visual, tactile, and spatial elements in innovative ways.

About the Speaker

Dr. Lei Gao is a Research Fellow in the Department of Computer Science at University College London. She earned her PhD in the Multi-Sensory Devices group led by Prof. Sriram Subramanian, where her research focused on the intersection of Human-Computer Interaction, acoustic levitation, and multisensory interfaces. Dr. Gao is particularly interested in designing novel interaction systems using ultrasonic waves and emerging technologies. She holds a master’s degree from Xidian University and a bachelor’s degree from Shandong University. Her work has been published in top venues such as CHI, SIGGRAPH, UIST, DIS, and IJHCI.