Hi! My name is Erin Botti, and I’m a fifth-year Robotics PhD student. My main research areas are human-robot interaction and machine learning with a focus on learning from demonstration. My thesis research investigates how to improve learning from demonstration for real-world scenarios (e.g., when robots fail or when human demonstrators are suboptimal). I’m interested in designing robots/algorithms that are easy for everyday users to interact with, teach, and personalize for applications such as in-home robots or out-patient care.
This year, I was awarded the P.E.O. Scholar Award, a merit-based award for women with potential for having a positive impact on society. Previously, I received the NSF Accessibility, Rehabilitation, and Movement Science (ARMS) fellowship to study healthcare robotics for the first two years of my PhD. Before starting my PhD, I graduated from Bucknell University in 2017 with a BS in Computer Engineering and worked at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab. In my free time, I enjoy ceramics, hiking, and fantasy books.
P.S. I publish under the name Erin Hedlund-Botti
