Reimagining RViz
Multidimensional Augmented Reality Robot Signal Design
Created AR signal designs looking at interaction effect between individual Virtual Design Elements. Conference paper accepted in RO-MAN 2022.
Funded through NSF National Robotics Initiative 2.0 Grant for "Communicate, Share, Adapt: A Mixed Reality Framework for Facilitating Robot Integration and Customization". Formerly funded through NSF Expeditions Grant for "Socially Assistive Robotics".
I am a Ph.D. candidate in Maja Matarić's Interaction Lab at the University of Southern California planning to defend February 2023. My research focuses on Virtual, Augmented, and Mixed Reality (VAM) for Socially Assistive Robotics (SAR). Namely, how can we leverage VAM modalities to better enhance SAR user modeling, robot expressivity, and explore new interaction paradigms. We validate our research in the contexts of teaching 4/5th grade students programming via kinesthetic learning and working with retirees to learn more about and increase acceptance of robots. .
I'm looking for a full time industry position with potential in augmented reality, virtual assistants, and/or robotics. I previously worked at iRobot for the summer of 2021 and in Chad Jenkins's Laboratory for Progress as an undergraduate at the University of Michigan.
Note for interested undergraduates/master's students: I am no longer taking new students given I am looking to defend February 2023. Please check our lab's Contact Page which contains both current job postings and FAQs. I am always more than happy to answer any questions so please see the contact information at the bottom of this page.
Descriptions left brief for current projects. See contact at bottom of page if interested in getting involved.
Multidimensional Augmented Reality Robot Signal Design
Created AR signal designs looking at interaction effect between individual Virtual Design Elements. Conference paper accepted in RO-MAN 2022.
A Review and Recommendations for Reporting Recruitment, Compensation, and Gender
Undergraduate led work on surveying the state of HRI study meta data reporting for HRI and Ro-MAN conference papers. First workshop paper in HRI Workshop on Fairness and Transparency in HRI: Algorithms, Methods, and Metrics with the conference paper accepted in RO-MAN 2022.
Combining Social and Functional Designs
Undergraduate led work on design considerations for increasing social and functional perception of AR robot appendages. Paper in VAM-HRI 2022.
long-term deployments and modelling.
Long term work on the NSF Expeditions in Computer: Socially Assitive Robotics. Paper on THRI.
for measuring student movement and curiosity.
Explored measure of student kinesthetic curiosity in pilot study. Paper in ISER '20
for measuring real-time system understanding
Explored mixed reality data from pilot study of MoveToCode for correlations with System Usability Scale scores. Paper in ICSR '20
for understanding audio levels
Deployed telepresence robots with audio level UI. Extended Abstract in Companion-HRI '20. Modelling paper in ICMI 2021.
to increase robot social expressivity.
Created mixed reality arms for more social expression of a robot. Paper in proceedings of RO-MAN 2019. A video of the gestures can be found here.
for navigating to affordance templates
Worked at TRACLabs implementing a smoothed A-star planner with a dynamic window low level controller able to replan with dynamic objects. This included reviving the TRACBot reconfigurable modular mobile manipulator.
With point filtering
Looked into different point filtering and methods for a geometrically informed ICP. This also included creating a web based ICP visualization.
focusing on post processing visualization
Reimplemented a SLAM post processing method proposed by Edwin Olson in Fast Iterative Alignment of Pose Graphs with Poor Initial Estimates. Tested with the Fetch mobile manipulator.
Reach Out If you want to Get Involved!
I currently oversee 2 USC undergraduate students in İpek Göktan and Karen Ly as well as Massimiliano Nigro, a visiting master's student from Politecnico di Milano. All students can be found on the Interaction People Page. Previously I have overseen Rachel Channell, Evelyn Miguel Vargas, Charles Gary, Dara Macareno, Chloe Kuo, Julia Cordero, Adam Wathieu , Jenny Lee, Nisha Chatwani, Karen Berba, Daniel Ramirez, Radhika Agrawal, Kartik Mahajan, Roddur Dasgupta, Roxanna Pakkar, Zhonghao Shi, Ryan Stevenson and Adnan Karim. I also have mentored high school students Annika Modi, Jacob Zhi, İpek Göktan, Mena Hassan, Ashley Perez, and Bryan Pyo as a part of the USC SHINE program.
Outside of lab, I used to help out at Clifford Street Elementary School with their new 5th grade VEX robotics team. I also was a part of a TEALS volunteer team at LACES Highschool teaching AP Computer Science for the 2019-2020 school year. I created and currently maintain the US Women in Academic Robotics Research website. If you would like to help out, feel free to contact me, my advisor Maja Matarić, or directly submit requests to add people via the website.
| School | Degree | Started | Completed |
|---|---|---|---|
 University of
Southern California - Los Angeles |
Computer Science PhD | 2018 | Present |
| University of
Southern California - Los Angeles |
Computer Science Master's | 2018 | 2021 |
 University of
Michigan - Ann Arbor |
Computer Science B.S.E. | 2014 | 2018 |
If you are interested in getting involved with the Interaction Lab, please read our current research before contacting. I am no longer taking new students but am happy to answer questions about how to get involved in the lab!