M.L. Swinson

United States Army Research Office, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency

Papers

Total Citations

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About

M.L. Swinson is a researcher whose work sits at the intersection of artificial intelligence, mobile robotics, and human-robot interaction, with particular emphasis on the practical challenges of deploying autonomous systems in real-world environments. Swinson's contributions span both technical and human dimensions of robotics, exploring how issues of autonomy, uncertainty, sensing, and control shape the capabilities and limitations of mobile robotic systems. Perhaps most notably, Swinson's 2004 panel work, "How to Trust Robots Further Than We Can Throw Them," brought together experts from defense, entertainment, transportation, energy, and industry to examine the critical role of operator trust in human-robot interaction — a topic with far-reaching implications for applications ranging from automated wheelchairs to military systems. This work, accumulating 14 citations, helped frame trust as a central design consideration in robotics development. Swinson also contributed meaningfully to shaping discourse around humanoid robotics at the turn of the millennium, guest editing influential work on expanding frontiers in the field. A broader 2000 survey on AI trends further demonstrates Swinson's commitment to synthesizing progress in perception and real-world action. Though operating within a specialized niche, Swinson's cross-sector perspective offers valuable insights for students exploring the human factors of intelligent autonomous systems.