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permalink: research.html
type: research
title: "HIRO Research"
subtypes: [algorithmic hri and human-ai teaming, control and artificial skin,learning and modeling]
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At the HIRO Group, we perform research at the intersection _human-robot interaction_, _artificial intelligence_, and _robot control & planning_ with the goal of **developing robot technologies that enable close, natural, and extended cooperation with humans**.
Our research effort is divided in three, partially overlapping, tightly coupled subteams. They are highlighted below.

## Control and Artificial Skin
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Point of Contact: [Caleb Escobedo]({% post_url people/2019-10-10-caleb %}), Mary West, Nataliya Nechyporenko

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In this subteam, we focus on ensuring that humans and robots can interact safely by simultaneously developing **novel sensing hardware** and **motion control frameworks**.
The hardware component of this project has led to the development of modular sensor units that can be positioned anywhere on the surface of a robot manipulator to gather information about the robot’s immediate surroundings.
Using the information provided by our sensor units, we have developed a control framework that allows robot manipulators to anticipate, detect, and react to external contact that could otherwise be harmful.
[[Read More]]({{ site.url }}/subteam/control-artificial-skin)

## Learning, Modeling, and Robotics
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Point of Contact: [Joewie J. Koh](https://joewiekoh.com), [Anuj Pasricha]({% post_url people/2019-10-13-anuj %}), Stéphane Aroca-Ouellette, [Gilberto Briscoe-Martinez]({% post_url people/2023-11-15-gilberto %}), Ava Abderezaei, Srikrishna Bangalore Raghu, Chi-Hui Lin

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Our team aims to advance fundamental robot capabilities for future human-robot scenarios. 
We develop sophisticated robot technologies for human environments, and address challenges in: multimodal motion planning, long-term robot autonomy, non-prehensile manipulation, natural language grounding, and 
cooperative multi-agent reinforcement learning. 
Through these initiatives, we work towards bridging the gap between robotics and artificial intelligence, pushing the boundaries of robotic abilities to improve thir real-world usefulness.
[[Read More]]({{ site.url }}/subteam/learning-modeling-robotics)

## Algorithmic HRI and Human-AI Teaming
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Point of Contact: [Kaleb Bishop](https://kalebishop.github.io/), [Clare Lohrmann](https://cmlohrmann.github.io/), [Yi-Shiuan Tung](https://yi-shiuan-tung.github.io/), [Stéphane Aroca-Ouellette](https://stephao.github.io/)

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The goal of this subteam is to create robot behaviors that make robots more effective teammates and collaborators with humans. We use an interdisciplinary approach, leveraging machine learning, cognitive science, and social psychology to make robots more predictable, legible, and safe around humans. This subteam works with a variety of collaborators to conduct foundational research and run human-subjects studies in-person, online, and in virtual reality to validate these approaches.
[[Read More]]({{ site.url }}/subteam/algorithmic-hri)