Roxana Wales

Science Applications International Corporation (United States)

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Roxana Wales is a pioneering researcher in human-robot interaction and space mission operations, with a focus on the sociotechnical systems that enable remote exploration. Her most influential work, "Requesting Distant Robotic Action: An Ontology for Naming and Action Identification for Planning on the Mars Exploration Rover Mission" (2007, 13 citations), established a foundational framework for how scientists and engineers communicate with robotic rovers across vast interplanetary distances. Drawing from her work with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory on the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) mission, Wales developed an ontology that standardized naming conventions and action identification, enabling more precise and efficient planning for distant robotic operations. Her research addresses the critical challenge of translating human intent into actionable commands for autonomous systems, bridging the gap between scientific goals and robotic execution. Additionally, her work on "Agent-based Mission Modeling and Simulation" (2006, 3 citations) introduced innovative simulation environments for modeling human-robot teams in space exploration, allowing researchers to analyze communication protocols and workflow procedures. Wales's contributions remain essential for designing future planetary exploration missions, where effective human-robot collaboration is paramount.