Research Team

Kerstin Dautenhahn is a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Waterloo.  She holds a Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) in Socially Intelligent Robotics. Previously she was the Canada 150 Research Chair in Intelligent Robotics (2018-2025). She is cross-appointed to the David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science, the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, and the Department of Systems Design Engineering at the University of Waterloo. She is a visiting professor at the University of Hertfordshire, UK. At Waterloo, she is the Director of the Social and Intelligent Robotics Research Laboratory (SIRRL).

The main areas of her research are human-robot interaction, social robotics, assistive technology, AI robotics, developmental robotics, and health technologies.

Chrystopher Nehaniv is a Mathematician, Computer Scientist, Complex Adaptive Systems Researcher, and, since August 2018, Full Professor in the Departments of Systems Design Engineering and of Electrical & Computer Engineering at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada.

I am a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, where I research and develop socially intelligent robotic systems that support health and mental well-being. I received my PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering, with a specialization in Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence (PAMI), from the University of Waterloo. My PhD research pioneered novel applications of social robots in robot-assisted interventions for social anxiety.

My research interests and background are in human–computer/robot interaction (HCI/HRI), artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML), social robotics, health informatics, and assistive technologies. Through interdisciplinary and human-centred design approaches, I design and evaluate adaptive technologies with an emphasis on developing systems grounded in real-world human needs.

I am a postdoctoral researcher in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department. My research focusses on improving the user experience during human-robot interaction working on a project that uses a social robot to support care for children with amblyopia. During my PhD at the FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg in Germany, I worked on changes in trust when training a robot and using cognitive models to study embodiment of robotic limbs.

I am a PhD graduate from Systems Design Engineering Department. My doctoral research pioneered “Robot-Mediated Applied Drama” as a genre of social robots in education — I borrowed from dramaturgy and game-based learning to design social robotic systems that can be used for fostering anti-bullying peer-support between children.

I am a PhD student in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department. My research focuses on enhancing socially intelligent agents by making them more empathic, sensitive and interactive. I am interested in creating robots that can assist individuals with their mental health, through dialogue, understanding, and companionship.

I am currently pursuing my PhD in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. My primary research focus lies in utilizing robots to assist children facing various challenges, such as autism or domestic issues.

I am a Ph.D. student in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Waterloo. I completed my M.Sc. in Computer Science at Lakehead University, where my research focused on AI, Robotics, and Tactile Perception. My current research interests include AI, Robotics, and Human-Robot Teaching, with an emphasis on developing intelligent and adaptive robotic systems that can learn from and collaborate effectively with humans.

I am an MASc student in the ECE department. I hope to leverage my hardware background and passion for user-centered design to contribute to the field of social robotics. My project focuses on using a social robot to support care for children with amblyopia. Please visit my personal website for more information.

My primary goal is to develop safe and secure robots capable of interacting with humans in diverse scenarios. I'm particularly interested in creating methods that enhance robot intelligence, with a focus on reinforcement learning and large language models. I'm driven by the potential of robotics to improve human life and push the boundaries of technology. You can find out more about my projects on my website.

I am an MASc student in the ECE department with focus in Pattern Analysis & Machine Intelligence. My research focuses on developing interactive, human-centered systems using social robots and large language models. Currently, I'm working on a project that leverages the Furhat robot to help optometry students enhance their communication skills through simulated patient interactions. 

I am an Undergraduate Research Assistant in Systems Design Engineering. My research focuses on leveraging computer vision techniques within social robotics. Specifically, I am interested in developing systems that analyze body language to provide actionable feedback for public speaking.