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About

Jonathan Bohren is a robotics researcher whose work bridges the critical gap between full autonomy and direct human control, pioneering semi-autonomous systems that understand human intent. His research focuses on human-machine collaborative systems, telemanipulation, and autonomous mobile manipulation—areas where robots must operate reliably in unstructured, real-world environments. Bohren’s most influential contribution is his work on the PR2 robot, detailed in his highly cited paper “Towards autonomous robotic butlers” (246 citations), which demonstrated how robots could perform complex tasks like serving drinks with repeatability and robustness, providing foundational lessons for personal robotics. He further advanced the field by developing frameworks for flexible human-machine collaboration, such as the Adjutant system, and by addressing the challenges of remote assembly over high-latency networks—a critical problem for space and underwater applications. His philosophy, captured in the paper “Do what I intend, not what I do,” emphasizes systems that infer operator goals rather than blindly executing commands. Bohren’s work has also extended into medical robotics, including a feasibility study for an MRI-compatible prostate intervention robot. With over 300 total citations, his research continues to shape how robots and humans work together effectively.