Introduction
I am a researcher, designer, and filmmaker working at the intersection of experimental psychology, human–computer interaction, and creative technology.
I recently submitted my DPhil thesis in Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford (Somerville College), supervised by Professor Charles Spence. My thesis investigates how haptic feedback can be meaningfully integrated into immersive storytelling.
My work combines psychophysical experimentation, statistical modelling, interactive prototyping, wearable technologies, and creative media production to understand and design multisensory experiences.
My broader practice spans interactive installations, kinetic systems, filmmaking, and immersive entertainment. Previously, I completed an M.Arch in Design for Performance and Interaction at the Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL, and a B.S. in Interactive Media Arts at NYU Shanghai, with a minor in Film & New Media.
Featured Works
Haptic–Narrative Congruency
2023–2026Experimental Psychology · Multisensory Perception · HCI
My DPhil research programme at the University of Oxford: a framework for how the meaning, timing, and body location of touch relate to narrative events, and how this shapes audience experience in immersive entertainment.

Wearable Haptic Cinema / Bubble Suit
2024–2026Wearable Haptics · Physical Computing
An Arduino-controlled, full-body pneumatic wearable that delivers pressure feedback synchronised with film viewing, designed, built, and experimentally evaluated as part of my DPhil.
Multisensory Floral Clock
2019–2026Kinetic Installation · Olfaction
A kinetic timekeeping installation combining mechanical motion and scent, exhibited in Shanghai and Copenhagen and developed into a peer-reviewed Springer publication.

Umwelten
2021–2022Interactive Installation · Transmedia Storytelling
A kinetic transmedia installation and M.Arch thesis project at The Bartlett, UCL, exhibited at Ars Electronica 2021 and The Bartlett Fifteen Show.
Selected Highlights
- DPhil thesis submitted, Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford (October 2026)
- 10 peer-reviewed publications on haptics, multisensory perception, and immersive entertainment — see Publications
- Research visit, Embodied Media Lab, Keio University, Tokyo (April–June 2026)
- Interactive and media-art work exhibited at Ars Electronica, The Bartlett (UCL), and NYU
- Professional media practice: more than 20 short films, music videos, and concert productions, and interactive design for the CCTV New Year's Gala — see Works
Selected Publications
View All →Assessing the role(s) of human touch in immersive entertainment
Yang Gao, Charles Spence
i-Perception
Enhancing the experience of film with a wearable tactile/haptic suit
Yang Gao, G. Liu, Charles Spence
Multimedia Tools and Applications
Multisensory floral clock
Yang Gao, Charles Spence
ArtsIT 2024, LNICST
Enhancing dynamic visual experiences through touch
Charles Spence, Yang Gao
Multisensory Research