Emily Sumner

Papers

Total Citations

H-Index

About

Emily Sumner’s research lies at the intersection of human-computer interaction, haptics, and autonomous systems, with a focus on expanding sensory perception and skill acquisition. Her most cited work, “Expanded Situational Awareness Without Vision” (2023, 12 citations), introduces a novel ultrasonic haptic interface that enables nonvisual perception and situational awareness—critical for applications like fully autonomous vehicles. In a user study with 14 participants, her dynamic ultrasonic stimuli performed comparably to traditional static embossed stimuli, demonstrating a promising path toward safer, more inclusive human-machine interaction. More recently, in “Shared Autonomy for Proximal Teaching” (2025, 3 citations), Sumner tackles the challenge of personalized motor skill training, proposing AI-assisted systems to overcome the scarcity of expert instructors in specialized domains such as high-performance racing. Though early in her career, Sumner’s work has already garnered attention for its practical implications in accessibility and education. Her contributions are shaping how we design interfaces that augment human capabilities—whether by compensating for sensory loss or by democratizing expert-level training. With a clear trajectory toward impactful, user-centered innovation, Sumner is a rising voice in haptics and shared autonomy research.