Socially Assistive Robotics: Methods and Implications for the Future of Care
When
Where
Socially Assistive Robotics: Methods and Implications for the Future of Care
Speaker: Maja J Matarić
Bio: Maja Matarić is a Chaired and Distinguished Professor of Computer Science, (with appointments in Neuroscience and Pediatrics) at the University of Southern California, and Principal Scientist at Google DeepMind. Her PhD and MS in Computer Science and AI are from MIT, and her BS in Computer Science is from the University of Kansas. She is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, fellow of AAAS, IEEE, AAAI, and ACM, recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics & Engineering Mentoring (from President Obama), Anita Borg Institute Women of Vision, ACM Athena Lecture, ACM Eugene Lawler, Mass Robotics Medal, NSF Career, MIT TR35 Innovation, and IEEE RAS Early Career Awards, and authored “The Robotics Primer” (MIT Press). She led the USC Viterbi K-12 STEM Center and actively mentors and empowers K-12 students, women, and other groups toward pursuing STEM careers. A pioneer of the field of socially assistive robotics, her research is developing human-machine interaction methods for personalized support for users with challenges, including autism, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, anxiety, and other major health and wellness challenges. Her research group has conducted many of the first and still largest real-world studies in complex environments–including schools, nursing homes, retirement centers, and homes—to produce deep insights into complex human-machine interaction challenges with real-world users in situ.