Ken Perlin

About

Ken Perlin is a pioneer at the intersection of human-computer interaction, virtual reality, and robotics, with a focus on creating tangible, collaborative interfaces that bridge the physical and digital worlds. His major contributions include developing novel haptic feedback systems using actuated robots, such as PhyShare, which enables users to share physical interactions in VR, and his work on "Push-That-There," a multimodal system for instructing multiple robots to manipulate objects collectively. Perlin’s research also extends to educational technology, as seen in his work on Active Learning Environments with Robotic Tangibles (ALERT), which helps children develop computational thinking through physical and virtual spatial programming. With over 126 citations across his most-cited papers, his impact is evident in advancing collaborative mixed reality and robotic interfaces. Notably, his 2017 paper on PhyShare has been cited 28 times, while his 2024 work on "Push-That-There" continues to shape the field. Perlin’s innovative approach to combining immersive VR, multitouch AR, and robotic haptics has made him a leading figure in creating human-centric, collaborative technologies.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   Active Learning Environments with Robotic Tangibles: Children's Physical and Virtual Spatial Programming Experiences

   66 citations · 2017
2. 2
   PhyShare

   28 citations · 2017
3. 3
   “Push-That-There”: Tabletop Multi-robot Object Manipulation via Multimodal 'Object-level Instruction'

   11 citations · 2024
4. 4
   PhyShare: Sharing Physical Interaction in Virtual Reality

   9 citations · 2017
5. 5
   Robotic Haptic Proxies for Collaborative Virtual Reality

   7 citations · 2017
6. 6
   Mixed Reality Collaboration for Complementary Working Styles

   5 citations · 2022

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links