Emma I. C. Peterson

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About

Dr. Emma I. C. Peterson is a pioneering researcher in human-robot interaction and accessible programming, whose work focuses on democratizing robotics through intuitive, high-level interfaces. Her most influential contribution, the "JESSIE" system (2020, 48 citations), revolutionizes how novice programmers engage with social robots by combining tangible front-end design with automated control synthesis. This breakthrough allows users to express complex behavioral specifications without writing low-level code, as the system automatically generates the underlying control logic—a paradigm shift that bridges the gap between human intent and robotic execution. Beyond JESSIE, Dr. Peterson’s research explores how non-experts can program autonomous systems, addressing critical challenges in education, assistive technology, and collaborative robotics. Her work has been recognized for its practical impact, with JESSIE serving as a foundational tool for subsequent studies in end-user robot programming. By lowering technical barriers, Dr. Peterson empowers a broader community to design and deploy social robots, advancing both the science of human-robot collaboration and the accessibility of robotics education. Her contributions continue to inspire new approaches to making intelligent systems programmable by all.