Alexander May

Carnegie Mellon University, Lockheed Martin (United States)

Papers

Total Citations

H-Index

About

Alexander May is a researcher whose work spans the fascinating intersection of robotics, deception, and space exploration. His most notable contribution, the 2011 paper "A deceptive robot referee in a multiplayer gaming environment" (39 citations), explores how a non-competitive robot can be programmed to subtly deceive human players by imperceptibly balancing win/loss outcomes—a pioneering study in human-robot trust and ethical AI behavior. This work, alongside its companion "ShakeTime!" (2 citations), demonstrates May’s early and ongoing interest in the social dynamics of autonomous systems. In a dramatic shift, May also contributed to the high-stakes field of space mission design with "OSIRIS-REx Touch-and-Go (TAG) Mission Design for Asteroid Sample Collection" (10 citations), a paper detailing the complex trajectory planning for NASA’s successful sample return from asteroid Bennu. This dual expertise—from deceptive game-playing robots to precise interplanetary navigation—showcases May’s versatility. His research has laid groundwork for understanding how robots can both deceive and assist humans, with implications for gaming, autonomous systems, and even future space missions where trust and precision are paramount.