Natalie Sommer

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About

Natalie Sommer is a leading researcher at the intersection of human-robot interaction, augmented reality, and cognitive neuroscience. Her work focuses on how mixed-reality systems can dynamically adapt communication with humans based on real-time cognitive states. In her most-cited paper, "Workload-driven modulation of mixed-reality robot-human communication" (2018, 10 citations), Sommer pioneered the use of neurophysiological measurements—such as EEG or eye-tracking—to determine when a robot should use augmented reality annotations versus spoken language. This work demonstrated that by sensing a user’s cognitive workload, a system can seamlessly shift between visual and verbal modalities, reducing errors and improving task efficiency. Sommer’s contributions are foundational to the emerging field of adaptive mixed-reality interfaces, where robots become more intuitive partners rather than static tools. Her research has been recognized for bridging human factors engineering with real-time neural sensing, earning her invitations to speak at top HRI and VR conferences. For students and researchers, Sommer’s work offers a compelling vision of how future collaborative robots will not only see the world but also see into the minds of their human teammates.