I'm Zhechen (Leon) Zhao, designer-engineer and HCI researcher pursuing a Pre-Doctoral MS CS at UChicago. I develop fabrication methods, sensing systems, and expressive haptic and actuated interfaces to explore how everyday objects—from textiles and wearables to robots—can sense and respond to people. Drawing on my background in systems engineering, interaction design, and animation, I investigate how physical interaction can convey information, express emotion, and shape our relationship with objects.