Barry Chai's Eulogy

Barry was born on May 21, 1985 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. He was lively and energetic right from the start. Robots and locomotive toys were his favourite childhood playthings. He grew up surrounded by his grandparents and cousins, and was the pride and joy of his parents.

In 1996, after finishing Grade Six in Taiwan, Barry immigrated to Vancouver, Canada with his family, where he became immersed in western culture. This broadened his horizons, but at the same time he retained the characteristics of frugality and modesty of the east. In high school Barry enjoyed basketball, martial arts, and skiing. He read extensively, Chinese kung fu novels and books on history, and eagerly explored the differences between eastern and western philosophy. While Barry was always proud of being Chinese, he also acquired strengths from the independence accorded to youth in the west.

In 2003, Barry was accepted into the Department of Engineering Physics at the University of British Columbia, and was on track to fulfilling his lifelong dream to enter the world of robotics. During his college years, Barry did co-op work terms at Vancouver Children's Hospital (MRI - image analysis and data processing), North Vancouver's Honeywell (programming of process control and stimulation software, and the Toshiba Research Centre in Yokohama, Japan (robot image sensing research). These experiences confirmed his belief that he had made the right choice in career goals. Being so kindhearted and easygoing, Barry made many friends in college. He always stayed close to his family, spending time visiting and travelling together. He stayed in touch with the extended family to which he felt such a deep connection. In order to pursue his robotics research, Barry left Canada in 2008 to join the Vision Lab at Princeton University as a research assistant. At work, Barry was dedicated, determined, and dependable, always going the extra mile, just like his dad.

In 2009, Barry was admitted into the Graduate School of Stanford University, majoring in Computer Science with a focus on artificial intelligence. Here he excelled, benefiting greatly from his mentor and friend, Dr. Fei-Fei Li. In the sunny California Bay area, he enjoyed close relationships with friends and relatives. It proved to be the most brilliant and productive period of his life.

Barry wrapped up his second research paper on time in June, 2010. In good spirits, he packed up and headed out to Southern California for a family vacation. It was June 8. On the highway near Fresno, a fierce gust of wind caused him to lose control of the steering. As if at the end of an exuberant symphony, his life suddenly came to a full stop. He left us when his light shone the brightest. He was 25.