Publications

You can also find my articles on my Google Scholar profile.

Heavily-reviewed Journal Papers

AI-Powered Interactive Visualization for Landscape Evolution in Virtual Reality

International Journal of Human-Computer Studies (Under Review), 2025

This system, leveraging computer vision techniques and generative AI, enables scalable and customized reconstruction of 3D landscape models from 2D historical maps.

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Mischa Bauckhage, Sidi Wu*, Tianyi Xiao*, Jiakun Xu, Martin Raubal, Lorenz Hurni, Yizi Chen. (2025). AI-Powered Interactive Visualization for Landscape Evolution in Virtual Reality. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies (Under Review).

VResin: Externalizing Spatial Memory into 3D Sketch Maps

International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 2024

We present VResin, a layer-by-layer sketch mapping interface in virtual reality that combines mid-air and surface sketching to help users create more accurate 3D spatial memory maps with less distortion...

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Tianyi Xiao*, Kevin Gonyop Kim, Jakub Krukar, Rajasirpi Subramaniyan, Peter Kiefer, Angela Schwering, Martin Raubal. (2024). VResin: Externalizing Spatial Memory into 3D Sketch Maps. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 103322.

A Dynamic Physical‑Distancing Model to Evaluate Spatial Measures for Prevention of COVID‑19 Spread

Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, 2021

We model how spatial layouts influence COVID-19 transmission by integrating pedestrian dynamics with epidemiological modeling, revealing design strategies that enable physical distancing while maintaining high pedestrian flow.

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Tianyi Xiao, Tong Mu, Sunle Shen, Yiming Song, Shufan Yang, Jie He*. (2022). A Dynamic Physical-Distancing Model to Evaluate Spatial Measures for Prevention of COVID-19 Spread. Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, 592, 126734.

Heavily-reviewed Conference Papers

Wildfire@Home: Personalized Immersive Training for Household Situation Awareness

International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction in the Alps (AlpCHI 2026), 2026

We introduce Wildfire@Home, the first Personalized Immersive Training system designed for the public to respond to wildfire emergencies.

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Tianyi Xiao*, Yan Feng, Suvodip Chakraborty, Peter Kiefer, Phoebe O. Toups Dugas, Martin Raubal. (2025). Wildfire@Home: Personalized Immersive Training for Household Situation Awareness. In 1st International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction in the Alps (AlpCHI 2026).

Order Matters: 3D Shape Generation from Sequential VR Sketches

Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (CVPR 2026 Under Review), 2025

We introduce VRSketch2Shape, the first framework and multi-category dataset for generating 3D shapes from sequential VR sketches.

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Yizi Chen*, Sidi Wu*, Tianyi Xiao, Nina Wiedemann, Loic Landrieu. (2025). Order Matters: 3D Shape Generation from Sequential VR Sketches. In Proc. of the Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (CVPR 2026 Under Review).

Sketch2Terrain: AI‑Driven Real‑Time Terrain Sketch Mapping in Augmented Reality

ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI 2025), 2025

We introduce Sketch2Terrain, an AR-based generative 3D sketch mapping system that enables non-experts to efficiently create accurate, low-strain 3D maps of complex terrains.

🔗 Paper 📺 Video 📜 Supplement 💻 Code 📊 Dataset

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Tianyi Xiao, Yizi Chen*, Sailin Zhong, Peter Kiefer, Jakub Krukar, Kevin Gonyop Kim, Lorenz Hurni, Angela Schwering, Martin Raubal. (2025). Sketch2Terrain: AI-Driven Real-Time Terrain Sketch Mapping in Augmented Reality. In Proc. of the ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI 2025).

Risk Assessment of Spatial Configuration on COVID‑19 Transmission through Social Distance Model

International Conference on Canadian, Chinese and African Sustainable Urbanization (ICCCASU 2021), 2021

Conference paper detailing a social‑distance model for assessing how spatial configuration affects COVID‑19 transmission risk.

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Tianyi Xiao*, Tong Mu, Jie He. (2021). Risk Assessment of Spatial Configuration on COVID-19 Transmission through Social Distance Model. In Proc. of the 4th International Conference on Canadian, Chinese and African Sustainable Urbanization (ICCCASU 2021).

Workshops

CoNaviMap: Collective Navigation in Wilderness Search and Rescue Using Collaborative 3D Sketch Mapping

Workshop on Scaling Distributed Collaboration in Mixed Reality – The Blended Realities Collective at ACM CHI 2025, 2025

We propose CoNaviMap, an AR-based collaborative 3D sketch mapping tool that enables distributed WSAR teams to intuitively share and update navigation maps in real time.

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Tianyi Xiao*, Sailin Zhong, Peter Kiefer, Phoebe Toups Dugas, Martin Raubal. (2025). CoNaviMap: Collective Navigation in Wilderness Search and Rescue Using Collaborative 3D Sketch Mapping. Workshop on Scaling Distributed Collaboration in Mixed Reality - The Blended Realities Collective at ACM CHI 2025.

Theses

3D Sketch Mapping in Extended Reality

ETH Zürich Ph.D Thesis, 2026

My Ph.D. thesis at ETH Zürich develops and validates a framework for 3D sketch mapping in extended reality, covering its use cases, tool design, and empirical evaluation.

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Tianyi Xiao. (2026). 3D Sketch Mapping in Extended Reality. ETH Zürich Ph.D Thesis, Zürich, Switzerland. (Manuscript)

Campus Epidemic Risk Assessment and the Epidemic Prevention for Campus Planning – A Case Study of Tianjin University Weijin Road Campus

Tianjin University M.Sc Thesis, 2022

We propose and validate a simulation-based campus epidemic prevention planning framework that assesses COVID-19 transmission risks, optimizes spatial layouts, and enhances resilience through a hierarchical prevention system.

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Tianyi Xiao. (2022). Campus Epidemic Risk Assessment and the Epidemic Prevention for Campus Planning – A Case Study of Tianjin University Weijin Road Campus. Tianjin University M.Sc Thesis, Tianjin, China.