I work on human-robot interaction and human-computer interaction. I take a human-centered approach to developing embodied AI systems for human well-being: I co-design systems with domain experts and end users, then study them in real-world environments.

I am advised by Chien-Ming Huang in the Intuitive Computing Laboratory at Johns Hopkins. Before Hopkins, I studied computer science at the University of Rochester with Ehsan Hoque and Zhen Bai.


Research

Theme 1

Co-designing and deploying robots with end users and domain experts

Working with older adults, families, and domain experts to understand their needs, translate them into robot form and behavior, and deploy the resulting robots in homes.

Theme 2

Generative AI for expressive, conversational robots

Using language models to generate context-aware facial expressions, handle interruptions in conversation, and co-create visual stories.

Theme 3

Open platforms and real-world deployments

Low-cost, open-source robots that are easier to reproduce, modify, and deploy, and speculative prototypes that explore plants as metaphoric inspiration for HRI.


Translation

TEDCO Technology Advancement Grant · 2026

Classroom-Ready Social Robot for Foundational Literacy in Baltimore K–8 Schools PI: Victor Nikhil Antony

A US$50,000 grant through the Baltimore Innovation Initiative. This work has also been supported by an O’Shaughnessy Ventures Fellowship and the Johns Hopkins Graduate Entrepreneurship Award (2026).


News

Fall 2026Invited talk at the University of Michigan, Why (and How) to Co-Design Robots for Everyday Life.
Summer 2026Invited talks at Koç University (KUAR) and Colorado School of Mines (MIRRORLab).
Spring 2026Plant-Inspired Robot Design Metaphors for Ambient HRI received the ACM/IEEE HRI ’26 Best Paper Honorable Mention, and the Lantern demo received the ACM/IEEE HRI ’26 Sustainability Demonstration Recognition.

Mentoring & Teaching

Selected mentees

Ulas Berk Karli MSE → CS PhD, Yale
Junxian (Jim) Wang BS/MSE → Robotics PhD, CMU
Zhili Gong MSE → ME PhD, Rice
Kai-Chieh Liang MSE → CS PhD, Johns Hopkins
Adithya R. N. MSE → ME PhD, Johns Hopkins

Teaching

Human-Robot Interaction TA, Spring 2023 & 2025
Intro to Human-Computer Interaction TA, Fall 2023; guest lecture

Service

HRI Pioneers Workshop Lead Program Chair, 2026
Reviewer HRI, CHI, UIST, ICRA, THRI, RA-L

10 undergraduate and 6 graduate students mentored at Johns Hopkins.