Hi! My name is Eric, and I’m a second year Robotics PhD Student. Previously, I obtained my Masters in Computer Science at University of Wisconsin – Madison, and studied Engineering and Economics at Swarthmore College. My interests are primarily in reinforcement learning and human-robot interaction, with an end goal of enabling robots for discretionary use. Progress in machine learning and robotics research in recent years have lead to valuable advancements in manufacturing, transportation, healthcare, agriculture, finance, and much, much more. Although many of these changes help generate a competitive edge in industry, the scope of tangible benefits to individuals has been far more limited. A key issue lies in accessibility: the threshold to interact with and leverage robots in a useful manner is still very high. Thus it is essential, as robotics carry artificial intelligence from virtual environments to the physical world, that human robot interaction becomes both intuitive and adaptable. It is my belief that the socioeconomic strength of a society with ubiquitous robotics will correlate with how well any single individual can use and interact with robots. My dream is to develop algorithms and models that will enable intelligent systems to be utilized by all.
