SAN HONG [홍 산; 洪山]

Currently a Ph.D. candidate at Life Enhancing Technology Lab, Seoul National University. I am expected to graduate on August of 2026!

About

My primary research interest lies in developing human-centered assistive technologies and accessible systems for populations who have lacked the tools and platforms to communicate their needs within standardized design processes. Through human factors research and participatory design methods, I investigate how people interact with emerging technologies—from AI-driven interfaces to rehabilitation robotics—seeking to bridge users' lived contexts with ergonomic principles and system requirements. I believe effective assistive technology emerges from understanding users' capabilities, environmental demands, and social ecologies, rather than imposing ability-centered standards. My work pursues inclusion by integrating rigorous human factors methodologies with community-engaged design, expanding who gets to shape technology and whose needs are reflected in engineering specifications.

Research Interest

Neurodiversity, CNS Disorders, Assistive Technology, Inclusive Design, Health Equity

Contact

saanhong@snu.ac.kr

Works

Education

Ph.D Course, Seoul National University (Mar 2023 - )

M.S., Seoul National University (Mar 2021 - Feb 2023)

B.S. & B.A., Sogang University (Mar 2014 - Feb 2019)

Publications

  1. Hong, S., Lee, H., Sohn, M., Hwang, K., Kim, T., & Park, W. (2025). Exploring Usability of Mobile Vision Assist Applications for People with Vision Impairment. Assistive Technology. Accepted for publication.
  2. Kim, H.#, Hong, S.#, Park, W. & Ahn, J. (2025). A Bottom-Up Classification of Wheelchair Users Based on Propulsion Kinematics beyond Injury Level: Exploratory Findings. IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems & Rehabilitation Engineering. 33, 3878-3887. DOI: 10.1109/TNSRE.2025.3613726 (#: Co-first Authors)
  3. Hong, S. & Park, W. (2025). Developing User-Centered System Design Guidelines for Explainable AI: a Systematic Literature Review. Artificial Intelligence Review. 58, 386. DOI: 10.1007/s10462-025-11363-y
  4. Hong, S. (2025). A Pilot Study on Mapping Wheelability in Urban Environment. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 20(7), 1975-1993. DOI: 10.1080/17483107.2025.2539437
  5. Hong, S.#, Kim, H.#, Ahn, J., & Park, W. (2025). Influence of Time Since Injury and Physical Activity Level on Upper Limb Kinematics and Muscle Activation During Wheelchair Propulsion in Complete T12/L1 Spinal Cord Injury. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 26, 807. DOI: 10.1186/s12891-025-08987-0 (#: Co-first Authors)
  6. Hong, S., Lee, Y., & Park, W. (2024). Evaluating the delivery of physical activity for people with developmental disabilities using an online knowledge translation approach: part 2 – content quality. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 19(8), 3130–3138. DOI: 10.1080/17483107.2024.2351497
  7. Hong, S., Lee, Y., & Park, W. (2024). Evaluating the delivery of physical activity for people with developmental disabilities using an online knowledge translation approach: part 1 – web accessibility. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 19(8), 2925–2933. DOI: 10.1080/17483107.2024.2322637
  8. Hong, S., Yang, J., Kim, D., & Lee, Y. (2023). Accessible Guide for People With Intellectual Disabilities in a Fitness Environment: A Delphi Study. Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, 40(1), 38–62. DOI: 10.1123/apaq.2022-0036
  9. Hong, S. Developing a Wheelchair Accessibility Audit Framework for Urban Redevelopment: A Case Study of Seoul's Cheongjin District. Under Review.
  10. Hong, S., Lee, H., Sohn, M., Baek, D., Jeon, M., & Park, W. Hierarchical Leisure Constraints of Individuals with Mobility Disabilities and XR Technologies as Negotiation Strategies. Under Review.
  11. Hong, S. & Kim, T. How Strength Training Reshapes Body Schema in Women with Severe Cerebral Palsy: A Mixed-Methods Phenomenological Study. Under Review.
  12. Hong, S. Cultural Conceptualizations of Rapport in Assistive Technology Implementation for Elder Care: An Integrative Review. Under Review.

Conference Proceedings

2025

  1. Hong, S., & Park, W. A Qualitative Study on Leisure Constraints of Individuals with Mobility Disabilities and the Potential of XR Leisure Content. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, Accepted.
  2. Hong, S., & Park, W. (2025). Design Requirements for Passengers with Disabilities in Aircraft Lavatory: A Systematic Review. Proceedings of Japanese Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, 66(1).

2024

  1. Hong, S., Hong, Y., Cho, W., Park, J., Jeong, S., & Yun, M. (2024, August). Adaptive Clothing for People with Spinal Cord Injury in Activities of Daily Living, Occupational Management, and Sports. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, 68(1). DOI: 10.1177/10711813241260318
  2. Hong, S., Kim, H., Ahn, J., & Park, W. (2024, August). Impacts of Disability Duration and Physical Activity Level on Wheelchair Propulsion Strategies in People with T12/L1 Spinal Cord Injury. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, 68(1). DOI: 10.1177/10711813241262448
  3. Sohn, M., Hong, S., Kim, N., Jeong, S., & Park, W. (2024, August). Effects of Glass Transmittance, Font Brightness and Font Size on Text Legibility in LCD Home Appliance Interface. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, 68(1). DOI: 10.1177/10711813241275517 (Awarded for the Best Conference Paper)
  4. Kim, H., Hong, S., Ahn, J., & Park, W. (2024, August). Classifying Wheelchair Propulsion Strategies: A New Bottom-Up Approach Based on Kinematic Data Analysis. In 2024 Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBC). IEEE. DOI: 10.1109/EMBC53108.2024.10782146

2023

  1. Hong, S., Park, J., & Park, W. (2023, October). Co-Designing an Accessible Gym: Inviting ‘Others’ to the Public. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, 67(1). DOI: 10.1177/21695067231192537

2022

  1. Hong, S., Kim, S., Oh, M., Kim, S., Hwang, K., & Hwan Yun, M. (2022, October). Exploring the Eating-Out Experience of People With Vision Impairment in Korea: A Persona-Based Method. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, 66(1), 1265–1269. DOI: 10.1177/1071181322661381

Reports

Oral & Poster Presentations

2025

  1. Hong, S., Kim, T., Ryu, J., Sohn, M., Hwang, K., Lee, H., Jeon, M., Baek, D., & Park, W. (2025). What propels community-based care work for older population? The engineering of “Jeong” in elder care. 2025 Autumn Conference of the Ergonomics Society of Korea. Jeju, Republic of Korea.
  2. Hong, S., & Park, W. (2025). Design Requirements for Passengers with Disabilities in Aircraft Lavatory: A Systematic Review. The 66th annual conference of Japan Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Japan.
  3. Jeon, M., Hong, S., Sohn, M., Lee, H., Baek, D., & Park, W. (2025). Evaluating the Quality of Co - Design Methodology for Developing Motivational–Reward Mechanisms in Exergames for Individuals with Mobility Disabilities. 2025 Autumn Conference of the Ergonomics Society of Korea. Jeju, Republic of Korea.
  4. Hong, S., Kang, Y., & Park, W. A Neo-Piagetian Framework for Understanding Anthropomorphic Response Patterns in Conversational Agents. CIKM 2025, Seoul, Korea.
  5. Sohn, M., Hong, S., & Park, W. Verbalized Uncertainty and Citation Match in LLM Question Answering: A Pilot Study on Adoption and Verification. CIKM 2025, Seoul, Korea.
  6. Hong, S., & Park, W. A Qualitative Study on Leisure Constraints of Individuals with Mobility Disabilities and the Potential of XR Leisure Content. ASPIRE: Presented by HFES, Chicago, IL, USA.

2024

  1. Hong, S., Lee, H., Yoon, S., Sohn, M., & Park, W. (2024). Can XR bridge leisure gaps? A qualitative study on leisure constraints and potential of XR content for individuals with mobility disabilities. 2024 Autumn Conference of the Ergonomics Society of Korea, Gyeonggi, Republic of Korea.
  2. Hong, S., Kim, H., Ahn, J., & Park, W. (2024). Impacts of disability duration and physical activity level on wheelchair propulsion strategies in people with T12/L1 spinal cord injury. ASPIRE: Presented by HFES, Phoenix, AZ, USA.
  3. Hong, S., Hong, Y., Park, J., Cho, W., & Yun, M. (2024). Adaptive clothing for people with spinal cord injury in activities of daily living, occupational management, and sports. ASPIRE: Presented by HFES, Phoenix, AZ, USA.
  4. Kim, H., Hong, S., Park, W., & Ahn, J. (2024). Classifying wheelchair propulsion strategies: A new bottom-up approach based on kinematic data analysis. 46th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine & Biology Society, Orlando, FL, USA.
  5. Hong, S., Sohn, M., Kim, N., Jeong, S., & Park, W. (2024). Effects of glass transmittance, lighting luminance, and font size on home appliance legibility: LED display. 2024 IEA, Jeju, Korea.
  6. Sohn, M., Hong, S., Kim, N., Jeong, S., & Park, W. (2024). Factors affecting text legibility on LCD interfaces of home appliances. 2024 IEA, Jeju, Korea.
  7. Hong, S., Piao, Q., & Park, W. (2024). Developing user-centered system design guidelines for explainable AI: A systematic literature review. KCC 2024, Jeju, Korea.
  8. Hong, S., Piao, Q., & Park, W. (2024). A systematic literature review of human-centered evaluation constructs for explainable AI. KCC 2024, Jeju, Korea.

2023

  1. Hong, S., Kim, H., Ahn, J., & Park, W. (2023). Duration of disability, professional experience in sports, and wheelchair propulsion strategy in people with spinal cord injury: Case study. 2023 Winter KSSB, Jeonju, Korea.
  2. Kim, H., Hong, S., Park, W., & Ahn, J. (2023). Analysis of wheelchair propulsion patterns in wheelchair users with various spinal cord injury levels: A study on strategy development through bottom-up classification. 2023 Winter KSSB, Jeonju, Korea.
  3. Hong, S., Park, J., & Park, W. (2023). Co-designing an accessible gym: Inviting ‘others’ to the public. HFES 67th International Annual Meeting, Washington, USA.

2022

  1. Hong, S., Park, J., & Lee, Y. (2022). Bridging hospital and community: Exploring physical literacy for people with spinal cord injury in Korea. 2022 Fall KOSAPA, Seoul, Korea.
  2. Hong, S., & Lee, Y. (2022). Evaluating online knowledge translation of adapted physical activity for people with developmental disabilities. 2022 NAFAPA, Toronto, Canada.
  3. Hong, S., Kim, S., Oh, M., Kim, S., Hwang, K., & Yun, M. (2022). Exploring the eating-out experience of people with vision impairment in Korea. HFES 66th International Annual Meeting, Georgia, USA.
  4. Hong, S., & Lee, Y. (2022). Evaluating online knowledge translation of adapted physical activity for people with developmental disabilities. 2022 Spring KOSAPA, Cheonan, Korea.

2021

  1. Hong, S., Yang, J., Kim, D., & Lee, Y. (2021). Accessible guide for people with intellectual disabilities in fitness environment: A Delphi study. 2021 Fall KOSAPA, Online.

Professional Experience

2019-2021

Art Director, DDB Korea (2019-2021)

Account Executive, Domo Brodeur (2019)

2018-2019

Content Designer, MISO

2016

Undergraduate Intern, SG Robotics

Prof. Kyoungchul Kong, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Sogang University (currently at KAIST).

Projects

Life Enhancing Technology Lab (2023-)

Adapted Physical Activity Lab (2021-2022)

Commercial Campaigns (2019-2021)

Other Projects

Teaching Experience

2025

2024

2018, 2023

2021-2022

Honors and Awards