Electrical and Computer Engineering MASc student Alicia Pan has won first place at the University of Waterloo’s GRADflix Showcase on March 10, where graduate students present their research through short, engaging videos designed for a broad audience.
Pan’s winning video, “Meet Mirrly: A Social Robot for the Eye Doctor’s Office,” introduces Mirrly, a robot designed to help children with amblyopia (lazy eye) follow their eye-patching treatment.
Amblyopia treatment often requires children to wear an eye patch for extended periods, which can be challenging and sometimes stigmatizing. Pan’s project explores how social robotics can improve this experience by gamifying patching education in eye clinics, helping children better understand their treatment while making the process more engaging and less intimidating. By reducing stigma and increasing engagement, Mirrly aims to improve treatment adherence and help more children successfully preserve their vision.
Pan graduated from the University of Waterloo’s Mechatronics Engineering program in 2024. During her undergraduate studies, she completed several co-op placements focused on embedded and electrical engineering, primarily working on health and wellness technology products. These experiences sparked her interest in the intersection of engineering, human factors, and user experience, ultimately leading her to pursue graduate research.
“I wanted more time in an academic environment before heading into industry and the opportunity to explore a niche problem deeply,” says Pan.
Having already spent several years at Waterloo, Pan chose to continue her studies here because of the strong community within the Faculty of Engineering. “I was already familiar with the school and really liked the people and systems here—it feels like home.”
Pan conducts her research in Dr. Kerstin Dautenhahn’s Social and Intelligent Robotics Research Lab (SIRRL). She was drawn to the lab’s human-centred approach to robotics, particularly its emphasis on co-designing technologies with domain experts.
“I’d heard great things from friends who were already part of the lab and found their work really interesting,” she says. “For my project, I’ve learned so much by speaking with optometrists and other experts.”
While her undergraduate degree focused heavily on technical engineering skills, Pan was eager to explore the human side of technological design. Electives offered through the Systems Design Engineering (SYDE) department helped deepen her interest in human-centred design and interdisciplinary problem-solving.
At SIRRL, Pan has continued to expand that perspective, gaining insight into the evolving fields of social robotics and AI and how interdisciplinary engineering teams can develop technologies that support areas such as mental health, speech therapy, and child-robot interaction.
The GRADflix competition invites graduate students to communicate their research through short videos that make complex ideas accessible to the public. Finalist videos are premiered at a public showcase attended by students, faculty, staff, and community members, where awards for the top entries are announced.