About

Yingchen He is an Assistant Professor in the Human Factors and Applied Cognition Program at the Department of Psychology at NC State University. She has been with NC State since 2020, where she directs the Translational Vision Research Lab. Her academic background includes undergraduate studies at Beijing University in China, majoring in Biological Sciences and Psychology, and a Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology from the University of Minnesota. Her doctoral research focused on understanding the sensory and cognitive constraints that limit reading performance and designing training protocols to improve reading speed, particularly for individuals with visual impairments. Following her Ph.D., she completed postdoctoral training at the University of Minnesota's Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Neurosciences, working with a retina surgeon. Her research involved studying brain plasticity in blind individuals who have partially regained sight through retinal implants, evaluating their functional vision, and collaborating with industrial partners to optimize retinal implant functions. Her work intersects cognitive psychology, engineering, and health, addressing fundamental questions about visual processing and the impact of eye diseases, as well as applying this knowledge to develop training protocols and assistive technologies to help overcome vision loss.

Research topics

• Computer Science
• Artificial Intelligence
• Medicine
• Political Science
• Computer vision
• Psychology
• World Wide Web
• Internet privacy
• Nursing
• Database
• Simulation
• Optometry

Selected publications

• Design of a nutrient solution supply device for a vertical aeroponic cultivation system

  Frontiers in Plant Science · 2025-07-03 · 2 citations

  articleOpen access1st author

  Aeroponic cultivation systems provide precise environmental control for plant growth, effectively block the reproductive pathways of root diseases and pests, and facilitate efficient water resource recycling, thereby offering a scalable technical solution for intensive, high-yield, and sustainable agricultural production. Aiming to address the complex underground pipelines and excessive spray nozzles in fixed-pipeline nutrient solution supply systems of conventional vertical aeroponic cultivation, this study proposes a vertical aeroponic cultivation paradigm for large-scale production that can be applied to mobile nutrient solution supply modes. This study analyzes the structural components and operational workflow of the vertical aeroponic cultivation system, and the structural components, operational principles and technical specifications of the dedicated nutrient solution supply device. Transient dynamic analysis is conducted using ANSYS Workbench 2025 R1 (student) software, thereby yielding the equivalent stress/strain distributions on the body frame at 0.15 m/s, and on the spray bracket at 0.4 m/s. The simulation results demonstrate that both structures maintain stress within material limits and without significant concentration areas, with minimal strain levels meeting operational requirements. The Box-Behnken experimental design methodology is adopted to establish flow rate of the spray nozzles, moving speed of the spray nozzles, and vertical height from the test points on the legs of the trapezoidal cross-section of the cultivation bed to the ground as experimental factors, with nutrient solution coverage rate as evaluation indicator. The experimental results are analyzed using Design Expert 13.0 software to establish a regression model and conduct optimization analysis. The optimization results indicate that with a flow rate of 3 L/min for the spray nozzles and a moving speed of 0.38 m/s for the spray nozzles, the nutrient solution coverage rates on the legs of the trapezoidal cross-section of the cultivation bed reach >90% for both vertical height positions (0.1 m and 1.4 m from ground). This configuration ensures >90% nutrient solution coverage rate across the entire legs of the trapezoidal cross-section of the cultivation bed. Verification experiments confirm nutrient solution coverage rates at the respective test points are 90.33% and 91.52%, which is in accordance with the practical application requirements. This study will serve to diversify aeroponic production methodologies, expand development potential for commercial aeroponics, and provide valuable insights for technological dissemination.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Family Socioeconomic Status and Psychological Capital among Chinese Children: Roles of Parental Burnout and Family Function

  Journal of Child and Family Studies · 2025-09-13 · 2 citations

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Task-specific effects of looming audio: Influences on visual contrast and orientation sensitivity

  Perception · 2025-10-09

  articleSenior author

  Looming sounds are known to influence visual processing in various ways. Prior work suggests that performance on an orientation sensitivity task may be improved if visual presentation is preceded by looming audio, but not by non-looming audio. However, our recent work revealed that looming and non-looming alert sounds have a similar impact on performance in contrast sensitivity tasks. In the current study, we aim to reconcile these findings by comparing the effects of looming and non-looming sounds on contrast and orientation discrimination tasks within participants. Participants viewed tilted sinusoidal gratings and made judgments about their orientation (left/right). The gratings for the contrast discrimination task had low contrast and high deviation from vertical (±45°), whereas for the orientation discrimination task, they had a low deviation (less than ±2° from vertical) and full contrast. Immediately before visual stimulus presentation, there could be no sound, stationary sound, or looming sound. Sensitivity was measured as d ′ and compared across tasks and sound types. Our results indicate that neither task benefited more from looming sounds over stationary sounds, yielding no evidence for a looming bias in this domain. However, we found a differential effect between tasks, indicating that contrast discrimination was improved more by alert sounds than orientation discrimination, likely reflecting perceptual differences in the task types. Factors that may influence the effectiveness of looming sounds are discussed.

  PublisherDOI

• Few-shot radar emitter signal recognition based on prototype network with filter system

  The Journal of Supercomputing · 2025-08-21

  articleSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Effect of Scaling on 3D-Printed Replicas for Blind and Low-Vision Museum Visitors

  Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting · 2025-09-01

  articleSenior author

  Museums often present challenges for blind and low-vision visitors due to the emphasis on visual exploration. Using 3D-printed replicas enables haptic exploration of museum replicas and could enhance accessibility. Here, we investigated how the size of a 3D-printed replica affects the user’s haptic recognition accuracy. Twenty-eight sighted participants completed a touch-based recognition task using replicas of two Terracotta Warriors while being blindfolded. A 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design was used to examine the effects of model type (kneeling/standing), size (large/small), and task order (first/second) on performance accuracy. ANOVA results revealed significant interactions between size and model type ( F (1, 48) = 7.82, p = .01, η 2 = .14), as well as between model type and task order ( F (1, 48) = 5.52, p = .02, η 2 = .10), but no other significant main effects or interactions. Post-hoc comparisons showed that small models significantly enhanced recognition only for the standing warrior, whose structures are simpler with features that are still accessible at a smaller scale. Additionally, prior exposure influenced subsequent performance differently across models. These findings offer insights into optimizing 3D-printed replicas for accessibility, highlighting the importance of considering both artifact characteristics and physical scaling when designing tactile replicas to enhance accessibility.

  PublisherDOI

• Evaluation of the efficacy of Tai Chi on the cognitive function of patients with mild cognitive dysfunction and research on its mechanism

  Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience · 2025-04-02 · 6 citations

  articleOpen access

  Introduction: Studies have revealed that Tai Chi can enhance cognitive functions among patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). However, the precise mechanisms underlying this improvement remain elusive. Methods: Consequently, we conducted a study involving 54 elderly inpatients with MCI residing in a combined medical and elderly care facility in Chengdu, who were randomly divided into three groups: a control group engaging in daily living activities, a Tai Chi group that performed Tai Chi exercises in addition to control group activities, and a walking group that undertook walking activities as a supplement to the control group regimen. The intervention period lasted for 24 weeks, comprising 12 weeks of exercise and an additional 12 weeks of follow-up. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Trail Making Test-A (TMT-A), Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT), and biochemical assessments (measuring brain-derived neurotrophic factor, BDNF, and platelet factor 4, PF4) were administered to investigate overall cognitive function, executive function, memory capacity, and changes in serum concentrations of BDNF and PF4 before, after, and during the follow-up period. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS 26.0, with statistical methods encompassing descriptive analysis, ANOVA, rank-sum test, repeated measures ANOVA, and generalized estimating equations. Results: Our findings indicated that after 24 weeks of intervention, the Tai Chi group exhibited improvements in cognitive function, executive function, and memory compared to the control group. This enhancement may be attributed to an increased expression of serum BDNF. Discussion: In conclusion, our study underscores the potential of Tai Chi in ameliorating cognitive function among elderly patients with mild cognitive impairment, thereby offering significant implications for clinical prevention and treatment strategies targeting this condition.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• PLAICraft: Large-Scale Time-Aligned Vision-Speech-Action Dataset for Embodied AI

  arXiv (Cornell University) · 2025-05-19

  preprintOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Advances in deep generative modeling have made it increasingly plausible to train human-level embodied agents. Yet progress has been limited by the absence of large-scale, real-time, multi-modal, and socially interactive datasets that reflect the sensory-motor complexity of natural environments. To address this, we present PLAICraft, a novel data collection platform and dataset capturing multiplayer Minecraft interactions across five time-aligned modalities: video, game output audio, microphone input audio, mouse, and keyboard actions. Each modality is logged with millisecond time precision, enabling the study of synchronous, embodied behaviour in a rich, open-ended world. The dataset comprises over 10,000 hours of gameplay from more than 10,000 global participants. Alongside the dataset, we provide an evaluation suite for benchmarking model capabilities in object recognition, spatial awareness, language grounding, and long-term memory. PLAICraft opens a path toward training and evaluating agents that act fluently and purposefully in real time, paving the way for truly embodied artificial intelligence.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• <i>FontUnit Bridge</i> : Unifying the Language of Font Size for Practical Application

  Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting · 2025-09-01

  article1st authorCorresponding

  Research on font size is highly interdisciplinary, involving fields like vision science, typography, education, and web design. However, researchers and practitioners in different fields use different units to describe font size, which could be physical (e.g., millimeters), typography-related (e.g. points), or visual angles (e.g., degrees). This project aims to bridge this gap by developing a web-based tool, FontUnit Bridge, that not only provides real-time conversion between units of font size, but also offers ballpark estimates for common usage scenarios to provide more practical context. For example, a clinician could use it to answer, “What font size would be too small on my patient’s phone if their visual acuity is 0.4 logMAR?” Future developments of the tool include iterative updates to improve its functionality based on user testing. Ultimately, this tool aims to overcome barriers for interdisciplinary research communication and results synthesis, facilitating the application of research findings across different fields.

  PublisherDOI

• Effects of looming audio on transcranial magnetic stimulation‐induced phosphene perception

  Journal of Neuropsychology · 2024-06-03 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  Looming sounds are known to influence visual function in the brain, even as early as the primary visual cortex. However, despite evidence that looming sounds have a larger impact on cortical excitability than stationary sounds, the influence of varying looming strengths on visual ability remains unclear. Here, we aim to understand how these signals influence low-level visual function. Fourteen healthy undergraduate students participated. They were blindfolded and received transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to the primary visual cortex following auditory stimulation with different strength looming sounds. Participants reported whether they perceived a phosphene, or an illusory visual percept, following TMS stimulation. We hypothesized that rates of phosphene activity would increase with increasing levels of looming strength. A linear mixed-effect model showed that phosphene activity was significantly higher at higher strength of looming (F(1, 69) = 5.33, p = .024) and at higher TMS pulse strength (F(1, 18) = 4.71, p = .043). However, there was also a significant interaction between looming strength and pulse strength (F(1, 69) = 4.33, p = .041). At lower levels of TMS strength, phosphene rate increased with looming strength, while at higher levels of TMS strength the effect was reversed. These results suggest a complex relationship between looming strength and cortical activity, potentially reflecting the mixed contribution of total auditory energy and the rate of changes. This work will enhance our ability to predict audiovisual interactions and may help improve auditory warning systems designed to capture visual attention.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Pattern-reversal visual evoked potentials in prosthetic vision and simulated visual reduction

  BMJ Open Ophthalmology · 2024-08-01 · 2 citations

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  OBJECTIVE: To quantitatively evaluate visual evoked potentials (VEPs) in prosthetic vision and simulated visual reduction. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Four blind patients implanted with the Argus II retinal prosthesis and seven sighted controls participated. VEPs were recorded with pattern-reversal stimuli (2 cycles of a horizontal square wave grating, 0.1 cycle/degree) at 1.07 reversals per second (rps) for Argus II subjects and 3.37 rps for controls. Argus II patients had both eyes patched, viewing the pattern solely through their implant. Controls viewed the pattern monocularly, either with their best-corrected vision or with simulated visual reduction (field restriction, added blur or reduced display contrast). RESULTS: VEPs recorded in Argus II patients displayed a similar shape to normal VEPs when controls viewed the pattern without simulated visual reduction. In sighted controls, adding blur significantly delayed the P100 peak time by 8.7 ms, 95% CI (0.9, 16.6). Reducing stimulus contrast to 32% and 6% of full display contrast significantly decreased P100 amplitude to 55% (37%, 82%) and 20% (13%, 31%), respectively. Restriction on the field of view had no impact on either the amplitude or the peak latency of P100. CONCLUSION: The early visual cortex in retinal prosthesis users remains responsive to retinal input, showing a similar response profile to that of sighted controls. Pattern-reversal VEP offers valuable insights for objectively evaluating artificial vision therapy systems (AVTSs) when selecting, fitting and training implant users, but the uncertainties in the exact timing and location of electrode stimulation must be considered when interpreting the results.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Gordon E. Legge

  University of Minnesota

  29 shared

• Sandra R. Montezuma

  University of Minnesota

  13 shared

• Avi Caspi

  Jerusalem College of Technology

  13 shared

• Arup Roy

  Budge Budge Institute of Technology

  9 shared

• Susan Sun

  Genmab (United States)

  8 shared

• Aurélie Calabrèse

  Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique

  8 shared

• Rachel Gage

  University of Minnesota

  5 shared

• Jonathon Toft-Nielsen

  Intelligent Hearing Systems (United States)

  5 shared

Labs

• Research and EngagementPI