Han Cui

Interdisciplinary Researcher | Visual & Multimedia Design

About Me

I am an interdisciplinary researcher and multimedia designer with a background in graphic design and typography. I am currently a Master's student at the China Academy of Art (SIMA – Institute of Network Society), advised by Professor Sunquan Huang. My studies in computer technologies, media theory, and philosophy of technology inform a critical perspective on how emerging technologies and artistic practices shape multisensory experience. I am particularly interested in advancing human–computer interaction and novel interfaces, such as Brain–Computer Interfaces, where auditory and visual immersion plays a central role.

At present, my research combines field recording and algorithmic methods to investigate the perceptual and cognitive dimensions of sound and light, with a strong focus on spatialization and immersive environments. As founder of the Mountaineering Acoustics Network (co-founded with Gewenxin Yu), I explore the acoustic and visual expression of extreme environments. I also co-initiated AI + Soundcraft, a community fostering dialogue between AI-driven sound research and artistic practice, while actively contributing to FLOSS tools.

Research Interests

  • Brain-Computer Interfaces & Multisensory Interaction: Exploring how auditory and visual cues can be leveraged for intuitive BCI control and feedback, enhancing human-computer interaction through perception-driven interfaces.
  • Perception & Cognition of Sound and Space: Studying how humans interpret complex spatial and acoustic cues in varying contexts.
  • Interdisciplinary Creative Research: Bridging artistic design with scientific inquiry to develop new paradigms of media interaction.
Han Cui

Education

2024 - Present

M.A. Transmedia Art Studies

China Academy of Art - School of Intermedia Art (SIMA)
Institute of Network Society | Hangzhou, China

2017 - 2021

B.A. in Visual Communication Design

Northwest University - School of Arts | Xi'an, China

Projects

Spreads-Lite – Lightweight Book Digitization Tool

Jul 2025

Developed to simplify book digitization and support digital archiving. Provides an accessible, efficient FLOSS tool for small publishers and cultural preservation efforts.

View Project

FENG SHUI: Searching for the Dragon Vein

2019 - Present

Investigates the aural dimensions of traditional Feng Shui through high-altitude expeditions. Jointly produced for the Mantle Program, with phased release on mantle-sound.org and Bandcamp.

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E2E Neural Audio Codecs for Geophone and Microphone Recordings

Joint research with Gewenxin Yu, MAN Network

We adapt and integrate end-to-end neural audio codecs for soundscape and infrasoundscape research, optimizing performance across diverse frequency bands through hybrid architectures. A key part of our setup includes the Geophone developed by Interharmonics Instruments (Elektroakustisches Musiklab, Wien).

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Introducing Colorized Mel-Spectrograms for Macro-Acoustic Data

Co-developed with Gewenxin Yu, MAN Network

Inspired by recent work, we introduce the encoding of Mel-spectrogram frequency bands into RGB channels into soundscape research—transforming traditional grayscale spectrograms into rich color representations. This adaptation enhances neural codec performance and significantly improves classification accuracy, particularly for pitch-similar signals.

View Project

Contact Me

Email

cuihan.c@proton.me

Location

Shanghai, China