Ronald Arkin

An Interview Conducted by Peter Asaro, IEEE History Center, 12 November 2010 Interview # 665 for Indiana University and the IEEE History Center, The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc.

In this oral history, Larry Matthies covers his professional life in the field of Computer Robotics, taking us through his collegiate education and his career in robotics research, specifically his work with computer vision. Matthies offers his personal insight on the various projects he has collaborated on as well, from working for DARPA to NASA and his experience with the NASA Mars Rover project, for which he dedicated most of his career to. Matthies also touches upon his move back to academia and his thoughts on the future of the field of computer robotics.

In this interview, Asada discusses his interest in with robots and robotic interactions. He outlines his research in image processing as it relates to robotics and automation, as well as on robotic behaviors, robot-environment and robot-human interactions, and machine learning. He reflects on his involvement with the development of the RoboCup program, and on his own accomplishments and those of his previous students. Additionally, he reflects on future research endeavors and the future potential of the field of robotics, and provides advice for those who wish to pursue it.

Richard D. (Dick) Klafter, one of the early leaders in the field of robotics and automation and the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society, was born on 5 August 1936 and died 11 November 2019. He received an undergraduate degree at MIT, two graduate degrees from Columbia University, and a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the City University of New York (1969).

In this interview, Kiseler discusses her career in robotics, focusing on anthropomorphic robots, human-robot interaction, and cognitive and social design. Describing her involvement with projects such as Pearl, she goes on to describe her involvement in organizing and developing the HRI conferences. She reflects on her transition from social psychology and computer interaction to human-robot interaction, and comments on its relationship to human psychology and its future development.

In this interview, Jodi Forlizzi discusses her early involvement with robotics and her eventual career in human-robot interaction. She outlines her work at UPenn and CMU, as well as her involvement in various projects and companies. Commenting on the many challenges and breakthroughs throughout her career, she reflects on the evolution and future of the field as a whole.