Angela Chang

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About

Dr. Angela Chang is a pioneer in the field of social robotics and haptic interaction, with a particular focus on enabling machines to understand and respond to human touch. Her landmark work, "Real-time social touch gesture recognition for sensate robots," introduced the hardware and algorithms for a system that allows robots to interpret physical contact in real time. Using a sensate bear test-rig with full-body touch sensing, she developed gesture recognition algorithms based on real human interactions, laying the groundwork for more intuitive and emotionally resonant human-robot communication. This highly cited paper (31 citations) has influenced subsequent research in affective computing and assistive robotics. Dr. Chang’s contributions are essential for creating robots that can safely and naturally engage with people through touch, a critical step toward integrating robots into healthcare, therapy, and daily life. Her work remains a foundational reference for researchers exploring the intersection of tactile sensing, machine learning, and social interaction.