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I am a co-founder at Virtulus Inc., applying modern techniques of computer vision and machine learning into the exciting world of robotics. I obtained both my Master's and PhD degrees from MIT (2015) at Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) and Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), where I worked with Professor Edward Adelson in the Perceptual Science Group. My research interests lie in the intersection of robotics, computer vision, machine learning as well as tactile sensing.

During my PhD at MIT, I developed a compact and compliant robotic tactile sensor, called fingertip GelSight sensor, that converts touch information into “visual” information on which computer vision and machine learning techniques may be employed. The sensor offers high sensitivity and resolution exceeding that of human fingertips, and can be potentially used as a next-generation robotic fingertip. My research work was reported in various media including MIT News, The Washington Post, TechCrunch, Gizmag, Engadget, etc. (See “In the Press” below.)

I was a recipient of the Joan and Irwin Jacobs Presidential Fellowship (2009) and the winner for MIT “Pi” Recitation Contest (2011.3.141592653589793...). In March 2011, I founded the MIT-China Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (MIT-CHIEF), and served as a co-president for two years. I was also a co-president for MIT Chinese Student and Scholar Association (CSSA), one of the largest international student groups at MIT.

Here is my LinkedIn page: LinkedIn

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• Measurement of Shear and Slip with a GelSight Tactile Sensor Wenzhen Yuan, Rui Li, M.A. Srinivasan, and E.H. Adelson, IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (accepted), 2015. Abstract PDF
• Localization and Manipulation of Small Parts Using GelSight Tactile Sensing Rui Li, R. Platt Jr., Wenzhen Yuan, A. ten Pas, N. Roscup, M. A. Srinivasan, and E. H. Adelson, IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), 2014. Abstract PDF
• Lump Detection with a GelSight Sensor Xiaodan Jia, Rui Li, M.A. Srinivasan, and E.H. Adelson, IEEE World Haptics Conference (WHC), 2013. Abstract PDF
• Sensing and Recognizing Surface Textures Using a GelSight Sensor Rui Li and E.H. Adelson, IEEE Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (CVPR), 2013. Abstract PDF
• End-to-end Data Reliability in Optical Flow Switching R. Li, Master Thesis, MIT Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2011. Abstract PDF
• Model Based Adaptive Filter for Speckle Reduction with Feature Preservation in Medical Ultrasound Images R. Li, Z.X. Sun, and C.S. Zhang, Proceedings of Undergraduate Research Experience on Campus (URECA@NTU), 2009. Abstract PDF
• Point-in-Polygon Algorithm and Index Averaging Technique Implementations in Numerical Modeling of Photonic Crystal Fibers R. Li, P. Shum, Y. Min, and J.J. Hu, Proceedings of Undergraduate Research Experience on Campus (URECA@NTU), 2008. Abstract PDF
• Adaptive Filter for Speckle Reduction with Feature Preservation in Medical Ultrasound Images R. Li, Z. Sun, and C. Zhang, 10th International Conference on Control, Automation, Robotics and Vision (ICARCV), 2008. Abstract PDF
• Hardware Circuit Design and Interface for a Mobile Robot R. Li, and M.H. Lim, Proceedings of Undergraduate Research Experience on Campus (URECA@NTU), 2007. Abstract PDF

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Touching is Believing: Sensing and Analyzing Touch Information with GelSight, MIT CSAIL Vision Meeting, Cambridge, MA, Oct. 28, 2014.

Localization and Manipulation of Small Parts Using GelSight Tactile Sensing, IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), Chicago, Illinois, Sept. 14–18, 2014.

Fingertip GelSight Sensor: A New-Generation Tactile Sensor, TCL Corporation, Shenzhen, China, April, 2014.

Sensing and Recognizing Surface Textures with a GelSight Sensor, IEEE Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition, Portland, Oregon, Jun. 23-28, 2013.

The Compact GelSight Sensor, IEEE International Conference on Computational Photography (ICCP), Cambridge, MA, Apr. 19-21, 2013.

Adaptive Filter for Speckle Reduction with Feature Preservation in Medical Ultrasound Images, the 10th Interational Conference on Control Automation, Robotics and Vision (ICARCV), Hanoi, Vietnam, Dec. 2008.

Point-in-Polygon Algorithm and Index Averaging Technique Implementations in Numerical Modeling of Photonic Crystal Fibers, the 3rd MRS-S Conference on Advanced Materials, Singapore, Feb. 2008.

Model Based Adaptive Filter for Speckle Reduction with Feature Preservation in Medical Ultrasound Images, the Exhibition for Undergraduate Research Experience on Campus (URECA), Singapore, 2008.

Point-in-Polygon Algorithm and Index Averaging Technique Implementations in Numerical Modeling of Photonic Crystal Fibers, the Exhibition for Undergraduate Research Experience on Campus (URECA), Singapore, 2007.

Hardware Circuit Design and Interface for a Mobile Robot, the Exhibition for Undergraduate Research Experience on Campus (URECA), Singapore, 2006.