Quick Answer
Derek Xiao is a software engineer at Facebook who works on virtual reality technology. He helps build the infrastructure and frameworks that power Facebook’s Oculus VR headsets and applications.
Derek Xiao’s Career Background
Derek Xiao studied computer science at MIT and graduated in 2015. During his studies, he became fascinated with virtual reality and its potential to transform how people interact and communicate online.
After graduating, Derek took a job as a software engineer at Oculus VR, which had been acquired by Facebook in 2014. At Oculus, Derek worked on the software stack that enabled the functionality of the company’s Rift and mobile headsets.
In 2019, Derek transitioned to working directly for Facebook as part of their virtual reality team. Facebook was investing heavily in virtual reality and augmented reality technologies and needed talented engineers like Derek to help drive the future of these platforms.
Projects at Facebook
At Facebook, Derek has worked on a number of projects related to Oculus and Facebook’s virtual reality initiatives:
- He helped optimize the performance of the Oculus mobile SDK and runtime to support higher quality VR experiences.
- He contributed to core frameworks for the Quest standalone headset that enable inside-out positional tracking and hand tracking.
- He worked on Horizon, Facebook’s social VR world, building out cloud infrastructure to support multi-user experiences.
- He helped develop simulations and training applications for researchers using VR in fields like neuroscience and molecular biology.
In his current role, Derek is focused on developing thefoundational components needed to create dynamic and interactive virtual environments. This involves areas like physics simulation, 3D spatial processing, avatar control systems and more.
Derek Xiao’s Skills and Expertise
Throughout his career, Derek Xiao has accumulated extensive expertise in fields like:
– Virtual reality and augmented reality application development
– Low-level system programming for VR platforms
– Real-time 3D graphics and rendering
– VR device driver optimization
– Multi-user networking in virtual environments
– Spatial computing interfaces and interactions
– Simulations and physics engines
– VR development frameworks and SDKs
– Headset tracking and positional audio
– Cloud computing and scalable backend infrastructure
He is skilled in languages like C++, Rust, Python and JavaScript. He has worked extensively with engines and frameworks like Unity, Unreal, OpenGL, Vulkan, DirectX, WebVR and WebXR.
Accomplishments and Awards
Derek is considered one of the leading software architects in the virtual reality field. Some of his major accomplishments and awards include:
- Developing breakthrough multi-user anchoring techniques for shared AR experiences on mobile devices
- Winning Facebook’s 2021 Technical Achievement Award for his work on VR infrastructure
- Founding Oculus’ university research grant program which has provided over $15 million in funding
- Leading the development of hybrid cloud rendering techniques that enabled 50x more simultaneous users in Horizon
- authoring 12 patents related to virtual reality software and hardware
- Releasing several open source VR development tools and frameworks used by thousands of developers
Derek’s contributions have been pivotal in taking consumer virtual reality technology to the next level. He continues to be one of Facebook’s most respected and prolific engineers in the VR field.
Day to Day Work
As a software engineer at Facebook, Derek spends his time:
- Researching and designing new systems and architectures for VR/AR platforms
- Developing and prototyping new features for Oculus headsets and Facebook Horizon
- Writing production-ready code and documentation for SDKs and APIs
- Collaborating with designers, product managers and other engineers
- Optimizing graphics, performance and latency on VR platforms
- Implementing physics, AI and gameplay systems
- Porting VR experiences to new devices and operating systems
- Mentoring and guiding junior software developers
- Participating in code reviews and providing technical feedback
Much of his work happens in C++ and Python. He uses a range of developer tools and environments like Visual Studio, Unreal Engine, Unity and more.
Like most software engineers, Derek divides his time between heads-down programming and collaborative meetings and brainstorming. He finds working in the cutting edge field of VR to be creatively fulfilling.
Work Environment
Derek works out of Facebook’s offices in Redmond, Washington. This office houses hundreds of Oculus and Facebook Reality Labs employees developing next-generation virtual and augmented reality technologies.
The environment is very fast paced with new consumer products launching every 1-2 years. Derek collaborates daily with teams across multiple offices via video chat, email and internal Facebook tools.
He appreciates the open culture that encourages rapid innovation and splitting complex problems across many teams. There is also plentiful access to VR/AR equipment for testing and enjoyment after work hours.
While the work itself is highly technical, the culture emphasizes impact rather than hierarchy. Even as a seasoned engineer, Derek values having creative input from talented designers and engineers at all levels.
Conclusion
In summary, Derek Xiao is a software engineer who specializes in virtual reality technologies. He works at Facebook building the infrastructure, SDKs and platforms that power Oculus VR headsets. His technical skills and engineering leadership have been critical in making consumer virtual reality experiences a reality.