[3][4] Lin has been an associate research scientist at the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology at UC San Diego since 2008.
[7] Lin's work gained attention in 2009 for utilizing a combination of satellites, drones, geophysics, and intensive ground exploration to search for the missing tomb of Genghis Khan.
[9] He has hosted a number of National Geographic television shows which document his research expeditions, including Forbidden Tomb of Genghis Khan (2011), China's Megatomb Revealed (2016), Lost Treasures of the Maya (2018), and Buried Secrets of the Bible (2019).
[10] The show focuses on the use of drones and LIDAR (light detection and ranging) imaging to reveal otherwise hidden archaeological structures within and beneath modern cities and remote landscapes.
[4] Lin, primarily through his Center for Human Frontiers, has become a vocal advocate for improving access to prosthetics using technology including 3D printing.