Jess Haines

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Dr. Jess Haines is a leading researcher in robotic perception and manipulation, with a particular focus on deformable objects and unstructured environments. Her work addresses the fundamental challenges of enabling robots to interact with textiles and other non-rigid materials—a critical step toward practical household automation. In her highly cited 2011 study, "Perception for a river mapping robot," Dr. Haines pioneered methods for modeling the appearance, shape, and configuration of previously unseen socks, tackling the notoriously difficult problem of robotic laundry manipulation. This research laid essential groundwork for understanding how robots can perceive and handle deformable objects that exhibit complex, variable geometries. While her citation count of 11 reflects the specialized nature of this early work, its impact is evident in the growing field of textile manipulation, where her perceptual frameworks have informed subsequent advances in robotic grasping and handling of soft materials. Dr. Haines continues to push the boundaries of robotic perception, making her a key figure in the quest to bring capable, laundry-folding robots into everyday homes.