Batu Akan

About

Batu Akan is a researcher specializing in human-robot interaction (HRI), multimodal communication, and intuitive robot programming, with a particular focus on making industrial robotics accessible to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). His most influential work, "Intuitive Industrial Robot Programming through Incremental Multimodal Language and Augmented Reality" (2011, 68 citations), pioneered the integration of speech, gesture, and augmented reality to dramatically simplify robot reprogramming — a critical challenge for SMEs facing high and recurring programming costs. Akan's broader research agenda consistently addresses the gap between complex robotic systems and non-expert users, developing natural language interfaces, spatial reasoning frameworks, and gesture recognition techniques powered by neural networks trained with evolutionary strategies. Notably, he also ventured into the ethical dimensions of robotics, exploring how industrial robots might be designed to carry human-like moral responsibilities as they increasingly collaborate alongside humans in shared workspaces. Across more than ten published works spanning 2008 to 2012, Akan accumulated over 140 citations, establishing himself as a meaningful contributor to the emerging field of accessible, intelligent human-robot collaboration in industrial settings.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   Intuitive industrial robot programming through incremental multimodal language and augmented reality

   68 citations · 2011
2. 2
   Augmented Reality Meets Industry: Interactive Robot Programming

   12 citations · 2010
3. 3
   A general framework for incremental processing of multimodal inputs

   12 citations · 2011
4. 4
   Object selection using a spatial language for flexible assembly

   9 citations · 2009
5. 5
   Towards industrial robots with human-like moral responsibilities

   8 citations · 2010
6. 6
   Interacting with industrial robots through a multi-modal language and sensory systems

   8 citations · 2008
7. 7
   Human Robot Interaction Solutions for Intuitive Industrial Robot Programming

   7 citations · 2012
8. 8
   Towards industrial robots with human-like moral responsibilities

   7 citations · 2010
9. 9
   Gesture recognition using evolution strategy neural network

   5 citations · 2008
10. 10
    Towards robust human robot collaboration in industrial environments

    4 citations · 2010

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links