Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Randy Stiles is a researcher whose work sits at the intersection of human-robot interaction, autonomous systems, and space exploration technology. His research focuses on developing intuitive, standardized frameworks that allow humans and robots to collaborate effectively, particularly within complex operational environments like NASA's space enterprise. Stiles has made significant contributions to the challenge of adjustable autonomy — designing systems where human operators can naturally monitor, modify, and control autonomous agents without sacrificing flexibility or safety, a problem he identified as directly linked to costly failures in both ground control operations and aviation. Among his most influential work, Stiles co-authored multiple studies on human-robot interface standardization for space exploration, advocating for enterprise-level standards spanning data, power, and communication protocols across missions and decades. His multimodal research employed Wizard of Oz methodologies to identify the natural speech and gestures humans use when treating robots as genuine team members, informing more intuitive collaborative systems. His exploration of spatial dialogue further advanced how robots might interpret deictic references, gaze, and posture in cooperative settings. With citations reaching into the teens across multiple papers, Stiles has helped lay foundational groundwork for human-robot teaming in high-stakes environments.