Johnny Chung Lee is a Human-Computer Interaction researcher currently working at Google.[1] Lee is best known for his work on Kinect development, extending the functionality of the Wii Remote controller of the Wii video game console, most notably by taking advantage of its high resolution IR camera. Lee's other projects include an interactive whiteboard, 3D head tracking, finger tracking, and a DIY telepresence robot[2].
Lee completed his Ph.D. at Carnegie Mellon University's Human-Computer Interaction Institute, and was named one of the world's top 35 innovators under 35 (TR35) in 2008.[3] YouTube videos created for Lee's projects have received almost 10 million views, with the Wii Remote head tracking project being the most highly rated video on YouTube of all time for more than a week in January 2008. He also demonstrated several of these applications at the prestigious TED conference, and has been featured on popular websites such as Slashdot, Gizmodo, hackedgadgets, Popular Science, Wired Blogs and Engadget several times. Various magazine, newspapers and television programs have featured interviews with Lee as well. Lee has also made invited appearances at events such as Maker Faire.
Electronic Arts had initially stated that Lee's Wii Remote head tracking technology would appear as an Easter egg in the game Boom Blox,[4] but later announced that the feature had been removed.[5]