Sam Chin

Sam is a PhD student at the MIT Media Lab exploring how technology can expand human perception and create new ways of experiencing the world. Her research focuses on building wearable haptic systems that translate sound and spatial information into touch, with applications ranging from hearing augmentation to drone teleoperation. She approaches this work from two perspectives: designing the hardware and interfaces that enable sensory augmentation, and investigating the neuroscience of how we learn and integrate new senses. Her goal is to create technologies that help people navigate perceptually ambiguous situations—whether that's understanding speech in noisy environments or maintaining spatial orientation.

Beyond her primary research, Sam explores the intersection of electronics and art through projects spanning interactive installations, conductive ceramics, and sculptural lighting. Previously, she was a hardware engineer at Tulip, where she designed the electronics for their second-generation edge device, integrating analog, digital, and communication interfaces for smart manufacturing.